The SA (Storm Troopers)
- With his extreme right wing views, Hitler appealed to a number of the Freecorps who joined the Nazi party and in 1921 officially became Hitler’s Storm Troopers S.A. (Mason. P. 62)
- The original role of the SA was to silence hecklers during Nazi party meetings and act as bodyguards for Nazi leaders, but they soon took to breaking up meetings of their enemies, usually the communists. (Elliott. P. 37).
- Many were attracted to the SA due to the strength and discipline that they saw.
- Ernest Rohm was one of the early leaders and when the SA was re established in 1925, Rohm became their leader. Hitler was not altogether happy with the unruly and violent nature of the SA. He hoped to come to power legally and respectability was important. (Mason. P. 69)
- At it's height, the SA had more than 500000 members. They were a very significant and powerful force.
- Ultimately the SA became quite powerful and were a potential threat to Hitler. Having used their services widely, when they started to become a liability, he had their leaders killed in the night of the long knives purge. (more on this later)