8-652: Stabschef ( [ʃtaːps.ʃɛf] , lit. ' Chief of staff ' ) was an office and paramilitary rank in the Sturmabteilung (SA), the paramilitary stormtroopers associated with the Nazi Party . It was a rank and position held by the operating chief of the SA. The rank was equivalent to the rank of Generaloberst in the German Army and to General in the U.S. Army . The position of SA-Stabschef , not yet
16-417: A president , or a senior military officer, or leader of a large organization. In general, a chief of staff provides a buffer between a chief executive and that executive's direct-reporting team. The chief of staff generally works behind the scenes to solve problems, mediate disputes, and deal with issues before they are brought to the chief executive. Often chiefs of staff act as a confidant and advisor to
24-598: A rank, was established in 1929 to assist the Oberste SA-Führer ( Supreme SA Leader ) with the administration of the fast-growing organisation. Otto Wagener held the office under Oberste SA-Führer Franz Pfeffer von Salomon from 1928 to 1930, and effectively headed the SA from Hitler's assumption of the title Oberste SA-Führer in August until Ernst Röhm replaced him in January 1931. The actual SA rank of Stabschef
32-528: The Sturmabteilung ceased to exist and with it the Stabschef . Chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff ) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces , institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide-de-camp to an important individual, such as
40-481: The chief executive, acting as a sounding board for ideas. Ultimately the actual duties depend on the position and the people involved. In general, the positions listed below are not "chiefs of staff" as defined at the top of this page; they are the heads of the various forces/commands and tend to have subordinates that fulfill the "chief of staff" roles. The Sovereign is the Commander-in-Chief. The CDS heads
48-535: The first case of succession, inherited due to the death of a predecessor. The following SA officers held the office of Stabschef : Early insignia for Stabschef consisted of an oak leaf patch worn on the collar of the stormtrooper uniform. Photographic evidence shows Ernst Röhm wearing such an insignia in his early days as the SA Chief of Staff. As Röhm's authority increased, so did his insignia and by mid 1931 photographic evidence shows him wearing wreathed star that
56-415: Was created by Röhm for himself in 1933 after Hitler became chancellor . Although Hitler became the supreme commander of the SA in 1930, the day-to-day running of the organisation was left to the chief of staff. Thus, the men who held the rank of Stabschef after 1930 were the actual leaders of the SA. The office of Stabschef was held by four different people between 1929 and 1945 and was, in all but
64-518: Was designed after that of a Bolivian general's collar, due to Röhm's previous military experience as a military adviser in Bolivia. After 1933, the insignia for Stabschef consisted of a "crossed lances" pattern, wreathed by a half oak leaf circle. After 1934, the insignia was changed to a wreathed tri-foil oak leaf pattern similar to the SS rank insignia of Reichsführer-SS . With the fall of Nazi Germany,
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