About Tinnies

The use of commemorative pins and badges by the Nazis was an adaptation, as the manufacture of small metal devices for use on walking sticks (Wanderstocke), on hats and on jackets predates the confederation of Germany itself. Many very old examples may yet be found. Quite naturally, these kinds of badges evolved just after the introduction of firearms in Europe as a prize for shooting contests. They had been used as souveniers long before the first Nazi, and were sold by inn-keepers in places like Berchtesgaden, Lourdes, St. Wolfgang, etc., to tourists and pilgrims.

Wanderstock badges are still extremely popular today throughout Continental Europe, and most arestill being made by firms that made pins and badges during the Nazi years. Dies for Nazi badges are still kept in storage in the die rooms of many of the old factories in East and West Germany and are highly prized by collectors. Centers for production of this type of insignia before, during and after the Nazi period were die making areas like Ludenscheid, Schrobenhausen, Munich, Dresden, Vienna, Leipsigand Berlin.

The badges utilized by the Nazi party and its various sections and dependent organizations had two principal purposes. The first purpose was commemorative. The badges were a symbol of achievement by the party, Whether or not the wearer felt any sense of achievement was not important so long as the wearer recognized that without the party there would be no event or achievement to symbolize with a badge. In this respect the badges fulfilled an important propaganda and organizational purpose.

The second purpose of many of the badges was to raise money. As far back as 1920 the Nazi party had charged an entrance fee of 1 Mark to attend ordinary beer hall meetings of less than 100 people. Most of the badges shown in this book were sold to raise money to offset their cost, and thus the cost of the propaganda.

Somehow, the name ''tinnies'' has been applied to these badges and pins by collectors in the United States, although the reason for the name is a mystery. They are not "tinnier'' than belt buckles, service theatre shields (Kuban shield, Narvik shield, etc.) or many other items of auxiliary insignia from any country. In fact, the name "tinnies'' is ridiculous since a goodly percentage of the pins and badges were not even made from metal. Some are beautifully made from glass or ceramic (particularly when the city or area involved was known for glass or ceramic crafts), some are embroidered, and some are made by the cloisonne or hard-fired glass technique. Those that were made from sheet metal were very often given an artistic finish.

By examining the symbolism and the lettering on the badges illustrated, a collector can quickly identify them. With the help of the Abbreviation list on page 138 and the German-English Glossary on page 136,any interested person should be able to break the code. The obvious repetition in symbols or wording makes the badges easy to categorize by type.

The National Socialist People's Welfare Organization (Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt-NSV) is an excellent and well documented example which perfectly explains the process by which pins and badges were made, distributed, sold, and how the profit generated was used.

The NSV was organized in 1933 and replaced the former Social Welfare service which had been established by Bismarck and had long since lost the confidence of the people. The Nazis decided it was time to establish a new system, ''based on the traditional union between the people and their native land and on the hope that by uniting the people in one folk community where class distinctions play no part, it may be possible to find a solution to the social problem in a synthesis between people and State.''This concept was carried to action by making charity obligatory and by publicizing the fact that as long as one individual was suffering, everybody would have to suffer to some extent.

In practice this meant every working German would have to contribute not only a portion of what he earned, but also part of what he intended to eat and wear to the NSV for redistribution to others. The NSV was responsible for Winter Help Work (Winterhelfwerk-WHW) and Mother and Child (Mutter und Kind) organizations, and worked closely in the pursuit of its purpose with the Central Committee of the Evangelical Church for Internal Missions, the Catholic Charitable League, the German Red Cross, the Reich Midwives' Association, the Association of German Nurses, the National Socialist Nursing Sisterhood and other groups.

Starting with a few hundred workers on 3 May 1933, the NSV grew to a combined force of paid and volunteer workers numbering over 6,886,000 by April 1937. These workers were involved in the collection and dispersal of surplus of all types, projecting and organizing the efficient distribution of essentials like coal, wood and peat, preventing the taking of excess profits from the sale of limited resources like food and fuel (60categories) and the collection and accumulation of cash. Every month, under NSV control, every German housewife was required to buy 500 grams (about one pound) of some food commodity, according to her means, and donate it to WHW. All families were restricted to a one-course meal on Sunday evenings, traditionally the biggest meal of the week. The cash equivalent of the courses not eaten was donated to the WHW. Restaurants collected for many full course meals and donated the portion saved by serving simple single-course meals. This portion was stipulated in published WHW schedules. In addition WHW operated lotteries, and received a quota of all wild game shot in Germany.

Originally, the idea of WHW contribution badges was conceived to give employment to people who could hand-make the products and thus earn a living at a craft. This process continued until the demand exceeded the available supply and mechanization occurred. Strangely, these early hand-made badges are generally less expensive as collectors items today, than the mass-produced metal stampings made in later years.

In Reher's booklet he says, "whenever possible WHW places its orders for Collection Day badges in distressed areas (of Germany)".

"Street collections by members of various party organizations are held once a month and badges that have been manufactured in these distressed areas are then sold for the equivalent of two pence (US $.05) each. Several millions of these badges are sold. An average of one half-penny each is paid for their cost. The badges themselves vary in design and material from one month to another. They are made of lace, ivory, porcelain, amber and artificial flowers. As time went on the designs have become more and more artistic and are now objects of interest to collectors.

"No badges are sold when the Party and State chiefs make their annual collection on the Day of National Solidarity. This Solidarity Day is another exemplification of the community of feeling which now exists between the ruling authorities and the bulk of the population. A steady increase in the amounts collected on this day throughout the whole Reich is shown in the returns for the last three years. These were, respectively: 4,022,000 Marks for 1934, 4,085,000 for 1935, and 5,662,000 Marks for 1936. The amount of money collected on National Solidarity Day in 1937 was 8,071,180 marks.

"The word Thing is archaic German for "assembly", and the Nazis revived it and the concept of the Thingplatz or Thingstatte (meaning "festival arena") as a part of 20th century German culture. Local communities were encouraged to erect a Thingplatz and the Nazi party was responsible on a local level to see to it that entertainment and propaganda were dispensed there. Thing badges are occasionally encountered, although the Thingplatz system was not a huge success.

Readers of this book that do not speak German should realize that in the German language the word propaganda has none of the negative connotations associated with it in English. It means something which is done to publicize. In his foreward to the book ADOLF HITLER, Pictures of the Life of the Fuhrer, published in 1936, Joseph Goebbels wrote, "There have been many misunderstandings throughout the world and even today in Germany, about the definition of propaganda. As these misunderstandings are deeply rooted and based on prejudices, they are difficult to correct. This is inspite of the fact that since the end of the war (WWI) the German people have been victimized by intense foreign propaganda. In this short time propaganda has been shown to be a political tool of the first magnitude. We do not need more proof than to be aware that the Germany of the Kaiser collapsed under the attack of Marxist propaganda, and that the Marxist Democratic Regime could only be overthrown because the National Socialist propaganda proved to be of better quality and inspiration."

"But propaganda must be mastered perfectly. It is of no use to command a few smarties from time to time as needed. It requires as do all great arts, specially gifted people to found a school and attract many adherents. Wide spread misconceptions have to be recriminated so that nothing unethical or of low value is associated with propaganda. It is important to understand what propaganda stands for and how it draws people into the world of reality. In this respect propaganda is unlike advertising since propaganda allows people and events to speak for themselves. It is helpful, if the result is to be of any value, that events and people are represented and explained to the fullest."

And he was Minister of Propaganda....

Ray Cowdery, "Nazi Para-Military Organizations and their Badges", Northstar Commemoratives, 1985

The 1937 Army Parachutist Badge

My main goal in writing a monthly column on German medals and badges is to probide a service to collectors. In today's market the collector is constantly being called upon to discriminate fine details which verify the authenticity of war souvenirs. With all the repros around this can be almost impossible for the uninformed. I would venture to say that in the past thirty nine years, I have probably seen over twenty varieties of reproductions of the Luftwaffe Pilot badge alone. And its just about as bad with most other medals and badges.

Each month in DG, I will provide a picture of an original medal or badge. Both front and back view will be shown as well as the distinguishing characteristics of an original piece.

This month's badge is the 1937 Army Parachutist. There are two accepted type, the silver alloy one and the light aluminum badge used for summer tunics. As you can see from the picture, both have "bearded" eagles. By "bearded", I mean thay have a lower jaw or part of the beak below aht opper one. Repros often do not have the "beard". Note that the rear talon is wide spread. On most reproductions the talons are close together. Always look at the back of the badge for a high quality pin with cap shaped rivits. On repros the makers uaually pay less attention to the pin and back of the badge then they do to the front, consequently the pins are often of inferior quality. You can sometimes determine authenticity by this construction. It is interesting to note that the Army Parachutist badge was manufactured during the late 1930's when the highest quality Luftwaffe badge were being manufactured by Junkers, Assmann and other premier makers. Dispite this fact, original examples of this badge do not have a comperable quality or construction. You should also remember that these badges were in production for a very short period of time, and comparatively few solders qualified for the award, making this badge much rarer that the Luftwaffe Para badge. Conventional wisdom is the the original badges are unmarked.

Presently these sell for about $550. in aluminum and about $400. in silvered alloy.

Robet McCarthy, "The War Badge Collector", Der Gauleiter, 1988

ME FECIT SOLINGEN (SOLINGEN MADE ME)

The Solingen Weapon Industry in the National-Socialistic State

By Engineer Heinz Auelmann, Solingen "Die Klinge" June 1936

"Solingen made me." thus our old masters used to perpetuate themselves on the blades of the swords they created. As early as a thousand years ago, but mainly in the 16th century, thanks to the artistic and technical skills of the inhabitants of our "Blade City" at that time, the foundation was laid for what was to become the German Armory of Solingen. With justified pride the City of Solingen may remember their ancient masters as the creators of their industry today, who without knowledge of modern techniques and on their own, created works of art that are still exemplary today.

The free man's defense, the sword, is like no other weapon intimately tied to the German people. The Teutons used to place a sword by the new-born's side in the cradle to provide him with courage and a warlike spirit in defense of his soil. By the ceremony of buckling on the sword, the adolescent became a consecrated warrior. Finally, a man was laid to rest in the grave with his sword to his right.

Sacred oaths were taken by placing hands on the sword blade. Saxons, Franconians, Danes and Normans thus gave the oath of peace and loyalty. With many a German tribe swords enjoyed godlike veneration, being considered a symbol of justice and jurisdiction, a sign of sovereign authority, of power and might. Until deep into the Middle Ages it was the preferred weapon which, for protection or defiance, the free man always carried at his side. We can only measure the high value of the sword when we consider how the wealand woe of each individual fighter depended upon the skilled command of the sword, the quality of its steel and its manufacture. It is a fact that before the invention of firearms, the sword was the principal weapon on which rested the decision of the battles, as has been the case even in more recent times during hand-to-hand combat. From ancient times the sword has maintained its use as the noblest honor gift. On its presentation a lasting relationship of loyalty and friendship was sealed.

Also edged weapon dedications and inscriptions have been kept alive until our time. Mostly applied to the blade, solemn epigrams are to remind the bearer and owner of his duties. The Germanic peoples called these inscriptions the "sword blessing". Characteristic of people and time are the pithy sayings of the 16th century which above all manifest deep piety and were carried by devout lansquenets, who before the beginning of the battle were on their knees in ardent prayer and then, a moment later, knew how to reconcile it with their conscience when emptying the farmer's purse and chicken-coop.

Full of genuine war-spirit are the admonitions on the swords during the Thirty Year War: "Victory or Death" - '"Under the Weapons the Law's areSilent." - "Neither Foolhardy Nor Fearful." A word of exhortation to the entire German people is the sword epigram of "Hermann" in the Teutoburg Forest: "German unity my strength, my strength Germany's might."

Si vis pacer, para bellum! (If you want peace, prepare for war)

Never had peace been more ominously threatened than at the time when mutineers and deserters knocked Germany's weapons out of her hands and placed her, defenseless, at the mercy of foreign powers. As far as Germany was concerned, disarmament, as stipulated in the Treaty of Versailles, was carried out scrupulously, as ascertained even by the Interallied Control Commission. However, the former enemy states disregarded their own treaty,which was to initiate an international general disarmament, and escalated armament according to most modern viewpoints.

Germany was near internal decay. Led by incompetent governments, the people were tearing themselves to pieces in class struggle and party disputes. High treason was elevated to an "affair of honored." Born from the spirit of our undefeated army, moulded and fought for by the Fuhrer, the idea of National Socialism arose, and a new belief in an eternal Germany with honor and freedom. In the auditorium of the Hofbrauhaus in Munich, Adolf Hitler on February 24, 1920, proclaimed for the first time the program of the NSDAP. Point 22 of the program says" "We demand the abolition of the mercenary troops and the formation of a people's army"

Imperturbably the Fuhrer fought for the soul of the people. The NSDAP was ridiculed and jeered, then persecuted and prohibited and combated with all means of vileness. Through misery and self-denial and with enormous blood sacrifices one position after the other was conquered. The appointment of the Fuhrer to Chancellor of the German Reich on January 30, 1933, finally broke the spell. Germany received her honor back, and her freedom brought along the law for the reconstruction of the armed forces on March 16, 1935.Point 22 of the NSDAP program was thus accomplished.

As fighters for an ideology today's boys and men of the different organizations of the NSDAP carry the daggers bestowed on them by the Fuhrer. It isproudly worn as an outward sign of constant readiness to valiantly stand up forAdolf Hitler and his idea and, if need be, sacrifice one's life.

Displaced through modern war techniques, the sword, for army, navy and air force, is not to be primarily a weapon, but rather a symbol of the desire for military preparedness of its bearer who knows how to protect the borders of his country.

Thomas M. Johnson, "Collecting the Edged Weapons of the Third Reich - Vol. II", Author Published, 1976

The SA - The Founding years

The history of the Sturmabteilung of the National Socialist German Party began in southern Bavaria sometime in 1920, originating as a small isolated group of men, eventually designated Rollkommamdo, or hecklers, whose main function was to prevent the Social Democrats and Communists from disrupting Party meetings.

Historians such as Robert G. L. Waite and Max Gallo suggest that the Sturmabteilung had indirectly descended from the Freikorps movement of the post-World War I years, but this is not necessarily true. Inhis book, The Night of Long Knives, Gallo writes that, "the SA was recruited from the hardened veterans of the Freikorps, the marinebrigade of (Hauptmann) Lowenfeld: from the Jagerkorps, commanded by General Maercker; and from the Escherich Organisation" This statement is quite convincingly contradicted by the historian James M. Diehl,who states that "unlike the military associations, (the Sturmabteilung) had never been involved in the (Bavarian) Civil Guard or Free Corps movements, but instead had originated as a small, specialized force with a political party.

Certainly former Freikorpskampfer, namely Hauptmann Hermann Ehrhardt of the Brigade Ehrhardt, did become involved in the organization of the early SA, but it is imperative to point out that the Sturmabteilung was the result of the chaotic environment of the early 1920s; itwas created for a specific purpose, that being to serve the political furtherance of the struggling NSDAP. In view of the rivalries that the Party had to contend with in these early years it could be said that theSA was largely responsible for the survival of the Nazi Party. Until Hitler became the head of the German Workers Party, the DAP was perhaps the weakest, most impoverished and and insignificant of the parties of both the left and right wings. When he attended his first meeting, held in a dingy back room of the Sterneckerbrau in Munich, he said to himself, "Furtcherlich, furtcherlich! Das war ja eine Vereinsmeierei Allerangster Art und Weise! (How dreadful! This is a wretched little group of the feeblest sort!" He opened the door to the room where the meeting was being conducted and beheld the entire membership of the DAP'S committee - four men. But soon Hitler became the chairman of the Party and in 1920, he christened it with a more influential-sounding name - The National Socialist German Workers Party.

As Hitler began to enjoy some popularity, a strong-arm squad was necessary to guard him when he spoke in public, for he spared no one with his criticisms and vicious verbal attacks. The next stage in the evolution of the SA came in February 1920 in the form of a group of volunteers (Zeitfreiwillingen), who were reputedly members of a mortar unit of the Munich Reichswehr. Their responsibility was to guard theentrances to the meeting place and the podium against attacks. These Zeitfreiwillingen, clad in the field grey of the Reichsrwehr, were illegally armed with blackjacks and pistols which had been procured for them by Hauptmann Ernst Rohm. While Rohm had not entirely cast his lot with Hitler, he did become the unofficial ordnance specialist in waffenschiebungen, or the illegal procuration of arms. In the 1920s Rohm was the chief of staff to the military commandant of Munich, General Franz Ritter von Epp, and he had also served as a general staff officer in the Schutzbrigade Epp of the 7th Bavarian Division. Both he and von Epp supported the Black Reichswehr, the government troops who were illegally armed, according to the specifications of the Treaty of Versailles. After the attempt by Wolfgang Kapp to overthrow the government in March 1920, the field grey uniform was forbidden within the NSDAP. Now that the closely watched, Rohm and von Epp were forced to curtail their support of covert para-military nationalistic societies.

Hitler worked aroung the uniform ban by clothing his guards in civilian dress, with the Party brassard as the only outward indication of their affiliation with the NSDAP. The Zeitfreiwillingen were also givena new name; they were now designated as Ordenertruppe, Whose purpose was, in Hitler's own words, (to maker) it possible to hold meetings, which without (then Ordnertruppen) would have been simply prevented by the enemy." The Ordentruppe were soon disbanded as the government began cracking down on antagonistic societies. However, they reemerged under the Intentionally misleading name of "Gymnastic and Sport Detachment" in the summer of 1920. The term Turn-und Sportabteilung was a paper-thin disguise for a group of men - a small party army which was used not only as guards at meetings, but also to harass and fight the opponents of the NSDAP. In November 1920 the Turn-und-Sportabteilung was better organized and placed under the command of the twenty-three year old Emil Maurice, an ex-convict and former watchmaker. Therefore Maurice was technically the first leader, though by no means the first Stabschef ( a term which had not yetcome into use) of the Turn-und Sportabteilung.

The title of Gymnastic and Sport Detachment perhaps fooled no one, but it pacified the government, which feared more civil war between rival para-military groups. But this "SA" continued to carry out its function, in spite of what its new name implied. Kurt G.W. Ludecke described them as they appeared at a gathering of the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arteiter-Partei at the Zirkus Krone in Munich on August 11, 1922.

"...I found the Zirkus so jammed that there was scarcely room for a pin to drop. Around the platform was grouped a guard of SA men..., husky fellows who looked ready to cope with any situation. I could see the need for them, for it was apparent that the Nazis, more than any other in those days, were daring to assail the Jews, the Communists, the bourgeois round-heads, denouncing what they believed evil. More (SA men) encircled the raena and flanked the aisle weading to the tribune. All of them wore red armbands, bearing the now famous symbol - a black swastika in a white circle."

As Hitler gained political and psychological ground during the 1920s, his opponents were watchful for an opportunity to crush his Party publicly and damage his growing influence. And due to this expanding prominence Hitler realized that he would be threatened as never before, therefore in addition to this Tern-und-Sportabteilung, he established a Saalschutz (hallguard) to further insure strength in any situation. The men of the Saalschutz were hand chosen by Hltler, and he instructed them to fight showing absolutely no mercy. He expected no less from them than a bloodbath; and each man knew that if he did not perform accordingly that it would mean serious consequences from him - he was even threatened with punishment by death. Hitler vowed to personally tear the Party Kampfbinde from the sleeve of any of his men who showed cowardice or pity.

In the summer of 1921 Maurice left the Turn-und-Sportabteilung and was replaced by an ex-naval junior officer and former member of the Brigade Ehrhardt, Leutnant Hans Ulrich Klintzsch. By early August the SA was still officially referred to as the Gymnastic and Sport Detachment, and the first serious attempt to increase enrollment was made when an advertisement was placed in the Volkischer Beobachter that year. Unlike recruitment campaigns conducted by the Army, the SA directed its pitch to those German youths who were too young to have been veterans of the Great War, roughly the ages of seventeen through twenty-three. Since the SA was to be political and not military, it did not necessarily seek veterans to serve in its ranks, but it was placed under the supervision of the Munich Reichswehr for a time. At 'Hitler's request Hauptmann Ehrhardt loaned several of his officers to aid in the reorganization of the SA; Ehrhardt also gave the SA money to buy supplies.

What the SA lacked in finances, it compensated for in a sort of twisted patriotic fervor. According to both Nazi legend and respected historians, the SA proved itself to be a valuable asset to Hitler in a decisive Saalschlacht on November 4, 1921 at the Hofbrauhaus am Platzl, when about seven hundred opponents of the Party, both Communists and Socialists, attempted to break up the meeting. The Festsaal of the Hofbrauhaus had been chosen because, as Hitler explained, ". . . we considered (it to be) most unsuitable for a Sprengund (disruption). We had feared it in larger halls, especially in the Zirkus." Ludecke claims that only fifty Party members were there, but the Munich SA had reported only a month earlier that it had listed on its rolls more than three hundred members. While there is a major discrepancy in estimates of the number of SA men at the meeting, the Nazis were definitely greatly outnumbered. Quite remarkably, a lively account of the evening's fight was recorded by an elderly woman, a shopkeeper by the name of Frau Schweyer, whose modest establishment had been frequented by Hitler in the early years (he often bought turnips and radishes there). The meeting was scheduled to begin at eight o'clock that evening, and a large crowd of men and women had turned out to hear Hitler speak. Guards were posted at the entrances and around the speaker's platform.

Parteigenosser Hermann Esser opened the meeting with a few remarks and then introduced Hitler. The many Communists in the crowd heckled him for a moment, and then settled back and allowed him to speak for more than an hour. Frau Schweyer noticed that "whenever more beer was called for, instead of giving up the empty mugs, fresh ones were brought, and the old ones placed under tables." Indeed trouble was in the making. Suddenly a voice in the crowd shouted, "Freiheit!" and a mug crashed against the floor. "A real battle it was!" I shan't forget it as long as I live. If I hadn't kept my head low over the table, like all the rest of us women were told to do, sure as fate it should have been clean knocked off my shoulders. The beer mugs were flying around that night something alarming." During the hail of beer steins Hitler made no attempt to take cover, nor was he injured. Whether by accident, or as he claimed, in order to protect Hitler, Rudolf Hess was hit in the head by a mug that had been thrown at the speaker.

By sheer force, and with the aid of broken chair and table legs the SA bodily threw their blutuberstromtig opponents out the doors and windows of the Hofbrauhaus and onto the street. Hitler watched as the Communists and Socialists were beaten and then Esser got to the platform and announced that : "die versammlung geht weiter...." Hitler concluded his speech and the meeting ended upon the arrival of the police, who informed the Nazis that they would have to pay for the damages to the Hofbrauhaus. Hitler was so impressed by the performance of the SA and the Saalsthatz that he officially proclaimed that November 4, 1921 was the founding day of the SA,' now called the Sturmabteilung der NSDAP, Emil Maurice, recently retired from the SA, and Rudlof Hess apparently proved themselves to be quite good fighters. An SA publication distributed around 1934 asked, rather smugly, "What does a number mean? An experience of battle, a fight in the barroom, in injury of (one's) own body, a burning scar, and the sight of a marching brown column mean much more than numbers." The battle of November 4, 1921, which lasted less than a half-hour, perhaps won more converts to the Movement than did Hitler's speech. The towns people were amazed, for they had suffered so greatly under the Communists proclaimed Soviet Republic in Munich, and under Kurt Eisner's Socialists. Until this night no one had really stood up to them and accepted their challenge to fight - and won.

Hitler later commented on the significance of the Saalschlacht of November 4: "For the first time the opponents of our movement succeeded in interfering in one of our meetings in an extremely disruptive manner. With this gathering the need for the founding of our SA had for the first time become clear to even the simplest minds. The opponent must know that every attempt to disrupt gatherings will meet with ruthless resistance. . . ."

Hitler began working to fashion the SA into a political force that would be the carrier of National Socialist propaganda and intimidation, but Rohm, who still belonged to the Reichswehr and had not yet joined the NSDAP, completely disagreed. He thought that the SA should be trained like an army and, what's more, he wanted the command of the Sturmabteilung from Klintzsch. Without consulting Hitler, Rohm assembled some one hundred men from the 19th Minenwerferkompanie, led by a Hauptmann Streck, to begin this training. The youthful Klintzsch would have been no problem for a strong willed person like Rohm, but Hitler put a stop to Rohm's plans. Hitler had clearly expressed his idea of of the SA's purpose in a speech in Munich on November 30, 1921. Referring to the SA as his Sturmtrupp, he told a gathering of SA men that it was their responsibility to harass and disrupt their opponents' meetings. SA men stationed throughout the hall were to heckle the speaker until he made his position on the Jewish question known. The SA as an Army was out of the question. As the SA adequately performed its tasks, it quickly gained a reputation for being a group of ruthless and vicious thugs, to which Hitler remarked: "This makes me uncommonly happy, for I expect that my efforts and my Party will become feared and at the same time known." He went on to explain that the SA was ". . . trained to attack (its opponents) blindly. But not because it - as it was babbled in stupid German national circles - idolized the rubber truncheon, but because it realized that (even) the greatest spirit can be eliminated if its carrier is beaten to death by a rubber truncheon. . . .''

Jill Halcomb, "The SA - A Historical Perspective", Crown/Agincourt, 1985