Sturmführer

Sturmführer was a paramilitary rank

Military rank

Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...

 of the Nazi Party which began as a title used by the Sturmabteilung

Sturmabteilung

The , abbreviated SA , functioned as a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party...

in 1925 and became an actual SA rank in 1928. Translated as “Assault Leader”, the origins of the rank dated to the First World War

World War I

World War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...

 when the title of Sturmführer was used by leaders of German Shock Troops and Special Action Companies.

By 1930, Sturmführer had become the lowest commissioned officer rank of several Nazi Party paramilitary organizations, The title was also used as an SS rank until 1934 when, after the Night of the Long Knives

Night of the Long Knives

The Night of the Long Knives or "Operation Hummingbird", was a purge that took place in Nazi Germany between June 30 and July 2, 1934, when the Nazi regime carried out a series of political executions, most of those killed being members of the Sturmabteilung , the paramilitary Brownshirts.Hitler...

, the SS renamed the rank Untersturmführer

Untersturmführer

Untersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the German Schutzstaffel first created in July 1934. The rank can trace its origins to the older SA rank of Sturmführer which had existed since the founding of the SA in 1921...

, equivalent to a junior or 2nd lieutenant in the Army.

Sturmführer was a paramilitary rank

Military rank

Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...

 of the Nazi Party which began as a title used by the Sturmabteilung

Sturmabteilung

The , abbreviated SA , functioned as a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party...

in 1925 and became an actual SA rank in 1928. Translated as “Assault Leader”, the origins of the rank dated to the First World War

World War I

World War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...

 when the title of Sturmführer was used by leaders of German Shock Troops and Special Action Companies.

By 1930, Sturmführer had become the lowest commissioned officer rank of several Nazi Party paramilitary organizations, The title was also used as an SS rank until 1934 when, after the Night of the Long Knives

Night of the Long Knives

The Night of the Long Knives or "Operation Hummingbird", was a purge that took place in Nazi Germany between June 30 and July 2, 1934, when the Nazi regime carried out a series of political executions, most of those killed being members of the Sturmabteilung , the paramilitary Brownshirts.Hitler...

, the SS renamed the rank Untersturmführer

Untersturmführer

Untersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the German Schutzstaffel first created in July 1934. The rank can trace its origins to the older SA rank of Sturmführer which had existed since the founding of the SA in 1921...

, equivalent to a junior or 2nd lieutenant in the Army. Other variations of Sturmführer included Obersturmführer

Obersturmführer

Obersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi party that was used by the SS and also as a rank of the SA. Translated as “Senior Assault Leader”, the rank of Obersturmführer was first created in 1932 as the result of an expansion of the Sturmabteilung and the need for an additional rank in...

and Hauptsturmführer

Hauptsturmführer

Hauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...

, ranks paralleling an Army 1st lieutenant and captain respectively.

Junior Rank Haupttruppführer Haupttruppführer Haupttruppführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that existed between the years of 1930 and 1945. Haupttruppführer was mainly used as a rank of the Sturmabteilung , but was also used by the Schutzstaffel in the early days of that group’s existence.As an SA rank, Haupttruppführer was created...

SA rank Ranks and insignia of the Sturmabteilung The ranks and insignia of the Sturmabteilung were the first paramilitary rank system to be developed by the Nazi Party in 1920. The titles and phrases used by the SA were eventually adopted by several other Nazi paramilitary groups, among them the Schutzstaffel... Sturmführer

Senior Rank Obersturmführer Obersturmführer Obersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi party that was used by the SS and also as a rank of the SA. Translated as “Senior Assault Leader”, the rank of Obersturmführer was first created in 1932 as the result of an expansion of the Sturmabteilung and the need for an additional rank in...