Supreme SA Leader

The supreme SA leader (German: Oberster SA-Führer), was the titular head of the Nazi Party's paramilitary group, the Sturmabteilung (SA).

Supreme SA Leader
Oberster SA-Führer
Longest serving Adolf Hitler 2 September 1930 – 30 April 1945
Sturmabteilung
Member of	Oberste SA-Führung
Reports to	Adolf Hitler
Appointer	Adolf Hitler
Term length	Not fixed
Formation	February 1920
First holder	Emil Maurice
Final holder	Adolf Hitler
Abolished	30 April 1945
Deputy	Stabschef

History

To centralise the loyalty of the SA, Hitler personally assumed command of the entire organisation in 1930 and remained Oberster SA-Führer for the duration of the group's existence. After 1931, those who held the rank of Stabschef, such as Ernst Röhm, were accepted as the commanders of the SA.^[1]

Insignia

The Oberster SA-Führer had no particular uniform insignia and was a paramilitary title that could be denoted in a variety of ways. Hermann Göring, for instance, created an elaborate uniform, with swastika armband accompanied with white service stripes. In contrast, Maurice wore simply a brown Nazi storm trooper shirt with no insignia, as did Hitler when he held the title of Oberster SA-Führer.^{[citation needed]}

List of officeholders

No.	Portrait	Oberster SA-Führer	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Ref.
1		Maurice, EmilEmil Maurice (1897–1972)	February 1920	August 1921	1 year, 6 months	NSDAP	[2]
2		Klintzsch, Hans UlrichHans Ulrich Klintzsch (1898–1959)	October 1921	February 1923	1 year, 4 months	NSDAP	[2]
3		Göring, HermannHermann Göring (1893–1946)	1 March 1923	November 1923	9 months	NSDAP	[3]
None (November 1923 – 1 November 1926)[a]
4		Pfeffer von Salomon, FranzFranz Pfeffer von Salomon (1888–1968)	1 November 1926	29 August 1930[b]	3 years, 9 months	NSDAP	[5]
5		Hitler, AdolfAdolf Hitler (1889–1945)	2 September 1930	30 April 1945 †	14 years, 7 months	NSDAP	[5]

See also

• List of SS personnel
• Stabschef
• Uniforms and insignia of the Sturmabteilung

Notes

1. The NSDAP and its organs and instruments (including the Völkischer Beobachter and the SA) were banned in Bavaria (and other parts of Germany) following Hitler's abortive attempt to overthrow the Weimar Republic in the Beer Hall Putsch in November 1923. The Bavarian ban was lifted in February 1925 after Hitler pledged to adhere to legal and constitutional means in his quest for political power. See Verbotzeit. Though charged with the leadership of the SA in August 1926, Pfeffer von Salomon was not formally appointed Oberster SA-Führer until 1 November 1926.^[4]
2. Pfeffer von Salomon submitted a letter of resignation on 12 August 1930, effective 29 August. Hitler accepted the resignation and named himself as Oberste SA-Führer effective 2 September.^[5]

References

1. McNab 2009, pp. 14, 15.
2. McNab 2009, p. 14.
3. Miller & Schulz 2015, pp. 29, 41.
4. Miller & Schulz 2017, p. 353.
5. Höffkes 1986, p. 249.

Bibliography

• Höffkes, Karl (1986). Hitlers Politische Generale. Die Gauleiter des Dritten Reiches: ein biographisches Nachschlagewerk. Tübingen: Grabert-Verlag. ISBN 3-87847-163-7.
• McNab, Chris (2009). The Third Reich. Amber Books Ltd. ISBN 978-1-906626-51-8.
• Miller, Michael D.; Schulz, Andreas (2017). Gauleiter: The Regional Leaders of the Nazi Party and Their Deputies, 1925-1945. Vol. II (Georg Joel - Dr. Bernhard Rust). R. James Bender Publishing. ISBN 978-1-932970-32-6.
• Miller, Michael D.; Schulz, Andreas (2015). Leaders of the Storm Troops. Vol. 1. Solihull, England: Helion & Company. ISBN 978-1-909-98287-1.