English Summary/英文概要： An unswervingly loyal, highly disciplined militant force is as essential to the establishment and maintenance of a dictatorship as the dictator himself. Many factors contributed to the emergence of the Third Reich, and prominent among them were the actions of Hitler’s earliest paramilitary force, the Sturmabteilungen (SA, Storm Troops), and the men chosen by the Führer to lead it. Although Hitler ultimately culled the SA of its most revolutionary elements, there remained within it and the other party-affiliated organizations a spirit of fanatical, sometimes mindless worship of its supreme leader.

This first volume, based on official personnel files and other contemporary documentation, analyzes the lives and careers of the thirteen highest-ranking SA leaders—men who held the ranks of Oberster SA-Führer and SA-Stabschef.

Michael D. Miller was born in Torrance, California in 1971. A US Navy veteran (1989–1993) who served in Sardinia and Spain, he is the author or co-author of seven books on the senior leadership of the Third Reich. His interest in European history dates back to 1978. He currently works as a certified peer specialist for the Department of Veterans Affairs in California.

About Andreas Schulz

Andreas Schulz was born in Stendal (Altmark) in 1965. After completing his studies in Magdeburg, he worked as a hydraulic engineer. For over a decade, he has served in the Bundespresseamt (Federal Press Office) of the German government.