N.S.D.A.P. Organizations

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SOME OF THE LARGER PARTY ORGANIZATIONS

NSDAP: The National Socialist German Worker's Party was the seat of all power of the Nazi Party. It had an elaborate hierarchy of central, regional, and local headquarters with departments for all its manifold interests at all levels. Through the octopus-like aparatus of the NSDAP a close watch on all aspects of German life and the activities of its citizens was possible. The NSDAP High Command in Munich included bureaus (Amter) which more or less paralleled the Ministries of the national government in Berlin.

The heads of the principal activities were called Reichleiter, numbering about 16 at the end of WWII. These, together with the Gauleiter who headed the 43 Party regions (Gaue), constituted the top leadership of the Party. Under them were vast numbers of Party functionaries known as political leaders (Politische Leiter) who had their own complicated system of ranks and uniforms and were well suited to organizing and guiding residents within Germany.

To train the corps of political leaders in Nazi ideology and methods the Party established a system of special schools, including four "castles of the order" (Ordensburgen) for highly select students and a large number of regional and district training "castles" (Gau- and Kreis-Schulungsburgen.) Besides its regular regional and functional subdivisions the Party included four special branches (Gliederungen) - the SA, SS, NSKK, and HJ - and a number of affiliated formations, each of which was a self-contained organization with its own particular mission, regional structure, ranks, uniforms and significance to the war effort of the nation.

SA (Sturmabteilunqen SA) Brownshirts: The SA was the oldest semi-military organization of the Party. It was designed as the Party's instrument for the training and indoctrination of its members and for supporting its domestic political aims in public. Many of its members were common thugs and criminals who were empoyed to attack all persons not in agreement with the Nazi scheme of things. The SA, after having served its purpose in ramming the Nazi Party into power, was itself purged in 1934. The SS under Himmler gradually took over SA functions which were left. Thereafter the SA sank into relative political unimportance.

SS (Schutzstaffel) The Protective Guard of the NSDAP: The SS was an independent branch (Gliederung) of the Nazi Party led by the notorious Heinrich Himmler. The SS gradually grew from a purely protective guard to an army in itself, with many subunits and resposibilities. It administered all police activities including courts of political justice, concentration camps, and internal security. The Waffen SS grew from the parent organization as a full-fledged fighting unit, and in the early days of the war, had the cream of German manhood in its ranks. The SS was responsible for the training of youth in the Hitler Youth organization, the storm troops (SA), and most of the other Party organizations and activities. The SS had the absolute power of life and death over every German and foreigner who lived under the flag of the Third Reich. No other organization in history has been more feared nor held in such awe by so many people. The SS insignia of skull and cross bones was a fitting symbol for this legion of terror.

RAD (Reicharbeitsdienst) The Reich Labor Service: This group arose from a Party organization set up in 1931 and known as the NS-Arbeitsdienst for the purpose of easing unemployment. It grew in importance and a law in 1935 made service in RAD, now separated from the Party and made into a State organization, compulsory for all young Germans. The peacetime mission of the RAD was to renew the interest in the dignity of manual labor, physical hardening, political indoctrination, and the performance of important public works projects.

ORGANIZATION TODT: OT was formed by Dr. Todt in 1938 to build the western defenses known in Germany as the Westwal1. In wartime its Einsatzgruppen (Work groups) were employed as construction units in almost all defensive construction works, especially those in France, Italy and the Low countries.

NSKK (Nationalsozialistisches Kraftfahrkorps): The National Socialist Motor Transport Corps was organized under this title in 1931 to increase the mobility of the SA storm troops. After 1933 the NSKK turned the mission of its members mostly to the training of drivers for the armed forces and assisted in the design of new types of vehicles for the Wehrmacht.

TN (Technische Nothilfe): The Technical Emergency Corps was often referred to as the TENO. TENO was a branch of the Order Police (Ordungspo1iezi) made up of engineers, technicians and skilled and semi-skilled specialists in construction work, public utilities operation, communications, metal salvage, and other related fields. Most members were men over military age.

General requirements were those of the SS and police. Founded in 1919 as a strikebreaking organization the TENO was retained after 1933 as a force of the state to cope with emergencies and dangers to the public. During WWII this force performed hercu1ear service cleaning up after Allied air raids.

HJ (Hitler Youth)(Hitler Jugend): All German youths between the ages of 10 and 18, if qualified physically and racially, were recruited for the Hitler Youth. The HJ was responsible for the pre-military training and political indoctrination of all future soldiers of the Reich. Girls belonged to a branch of the HJ known as the League of German Girls (Bund Deutscher Madel-BDM) and join the Party Women's Organization (NS-Frauenschaft) upon reaching the age of 21. The HJ for boys was divided into the Hitler Jugend proper (for boys from 14 to 18) and the Deutsches Jungvolk-DJ, for boys from 10 to 14.

NSF (NS Frauenschaft):National Socialist Women's League.
The NSF was organized to train other women in the Nazi female organizations in the fields of propaganda, press relations, personnel organization, office administration, welfare, nursing and red cross. Graduates of the NSF moved on to administer many important functions relating to the use of women in war production. The age group of the NSF ranged from 18 to 30 years.

NSFK (NS Flieqerkorps):National Socialist Flying Corps.
This organization incorporated all existing sport and commercial aviation interests into one Party-controlled organization in April 1937. The mission of the NSFK was the pre-military training of prospective members of the Luftwaffe (Air Force), post-military training of its reservists, and general furthering of air-mindedness among the German people. Its regional organization was like tha" of the SA, based on Gruppen and Standarten. Membership was voluntary but a new member could not be a member of the SS, SA, or NSKK at the same time.

OTHER NATIONAL SOCIALIST ORGANIZATIONS

NSDA; National Socialist German Doctor's League

NSBDT; N.S. League of German Technicians

NSL; National Socialist Teacher's League

DAV; National Union for German Elements Abroad

DRK; German Red Cross

NSBO; National Socialist Farmer's Organization

NSV; National Socialist People's Charities

DSDF; NS State League of German Nurses

NSD Studentenbund; NS Student's Bund

RDF; State League of German Families

DAF; German Labor Front

SD; Security Service

Unattributed (probably Rudolf Kahl): "The Military Press" c. 1968