Franz Pfeffer von Salomon (19 February 1888 – 12 April 1968) during the Nazi regime known as Franz von Pfeffer, was the first Supreme Leader of the ''
Sturmabteilung
The (; SA; literally "Storm Detachment (military), Detachment") was the original paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party. It played a significant role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s. Its primary purposes were providing pro ...
'' (SA) after its re-establishment in 1925. Pfeffer resigned from his SA command in 1930 and was expelled from the
Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...
in 1941. He died in 1968.
Early years
Pfeffer was born the son of a
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...
n bureaucrat, the oldest of seven children. He was from a noble family of the
Lower Rhine
The Lower Rhine (german: Niederrhein; kilometres 660 to 1,033 of the river Rhine) flows from Bonn, Germany, to the North Sea at Hook of Holland, Netherlands (including the Nederrijn or "Nether Rhine" within the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta); ...
. After graduating from the
gymnasium he studied law at the
University of Heidelberg
}
Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public university, public research university in Heidelberg, B ...
. He worked briefly as a law clerk prior to starting a military career. He attended military school for two years and entered military service in October 1910. He became a ''
Fahnenjunker
''Fahnenjunker'' (short Fhj or FJ, en, officer cadet; ) is a military rank of the Bundeswehr and of some former German armed forces. In earlier German armed forces it was also the collective name for many officer aspirant ranks. It was establi ...
'' (officer candidate) and served in Infantry Regiment No. 13 (1st Westphalian) throughout the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...
on the
Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to:
Military frontiers
*Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany
*Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany
*Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...
in both combat and staff positions, earning the
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia e ...
1st and 2nd Class. Discharged with the rank of ''
Hauptmann
is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian, and Swiss armies. While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has and originally had the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' literally ...
'' at the war’s end in November 1918, he became active in the ''
Freikorps
(, "Free Corps" or "Volunteer Corps") were irregular German and other European military volunteer units, or paramilitary, that existed from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. They effectively fought as mercenary or private armies, reg ...
''. He formed and led the Westphalian ''“Freikorps von Pfeffer”'' in the
Baltic states
The Baltic states, et, Balti riigid or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term, which currently is used to group three countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, ...
, the
Ruhr and
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia ( pl, Górny Śląsk; szl, Gůrny Ślůnsk, Gōrny Ślōnsk; cs, Horní Slezsko; german: Oberschlesien; Silesian German: ; la, Silesia Superior) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia, locate ...
until March 1920. He then participated in the failed
Kapp Putsch
The Kapp Putsch (), also known as the Kapp–Lüttwitz Putsch (), was an attempted coup against the German national government in Berlin on 13 March 1920. Named after its leaders Wolfgang Kapp and Walther von Lüttwitz, its goal was to undo th ...
and was detained for a time, but granted an amnesty in 1921. He was very active in organizing
resistance groups to put an end to the
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
occupation of the Ruhr
The Occupation of the Ruhr (german: link=no, Ruhrbesetzung) was a period of military occupation of the Ruhr region of Germany by France and Belgium between 11 January 1923 and 25 August 1925.
France and Belgium occupied the heavily indus ...
(1923–25). He began to be involved in right wing politics, joining the ''
Völkisch-Social Bloc
The Völkisch-Social Bloc ("Völkisch-Sozialer Block" or "Völkisch-Sozialer-Block" or "VSB" or "V-S-B") was a right-wing electoral alliance in post World War I Germany. Its philosophy was loosely aligned with that of the NSDAP (Nazi Party).Extensi ...
'' in 1924 and becoming the Chairman of its ''Landesverband'' (State Association) in the
Province of Westphalia
The Province of Westphalia () was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946. In turn, Prussia was the largest component state of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918, of the Weimar Republic and from 1 ...
from May 1924 to March 1925.
Nazi Party and SA career
Pfeffer joined the Nazi Party in March 1925 (membership number 16,101) shortly after the ban on it in the aftermath of the
Beer Hall Putsch
The Beer Hall Putsch, also known as the Munich Putsch,Dan Moorhouse, ed schoolshistory.org.uk, accessed 2008-05-31.Known in German as the or was a failed coup d'état by Nazi Party ( or NSDAP) leader Adolf Hitler, Erich Ludendorff and oth ...
was lifted. He was named ''
Gauleiter
A ''Gauleiter'' () was a regional leader of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) who served as the head of a '' Gau'' or ''Reichsgau''. ''Gauleiter'' was the third-highest rank in the Nazi political leadership, subordinate only to ''Reichsleiter'' and to th ...
'' of Westphalia on 27 March 1925. In September 1925, he became a member of the
National Socialist Working Association
The National Socialist Working Association, sometimes translated as the National Socialist Working Community (German: ''Nazionale Sozialiste Arbeitsgemeinschaft'') was a short-lived group of about a dozen Nazi Party ''Gauleiter'' brought together ...
, a short-lived group of northern and western German ''Gauleiters'', organized and led by
Gregor Strasser
Gregor Strasser (also german: Straßer, see ß; 31 May 1892 – 30 June 1934) was an early prominent German Nazi official and politician who was murdered during the Night of the Long Knives in 1934. Born in 1892 in Bavaria, Strasser served in ...
, which unsuccessfully sought to amend the
Party program
A political party platform (US English), party program, or party manifesto (preferential term in British & often Commonwealth English) is a formal set of principle goals which are supported by a political party or individual candidate, in order ...
. It was dissolved in 1926 following the
Bamberg Conference The Bamberg Conference (german: Bamberger Führertagung) included some sixty members of the leadership of the Nazi Party, and was specially convened by Adolf Hitler in Bamberg, in Upper Franconia, Germany on Sunday 14 February 1926 during the "wilde ...
.
Pfeffer remained ''Gauleiter'' in Westphalia until 7 March 1926 when his
Gau
Gau or GAU may refer to:
People
* Gaugericus (–626), Bishop of Cambrai
* Gau Ming-Ho (born 1949), Chinese mountaineer
* Franz Christian Gau (1790–1854), German architect and archaeologist
* James Gau (born 1957), Papua New Guinean politi ...
was merged with Gau North Rhineland to form ''Großgau'' Ruhr. He then ran the large new Gau in a
triumvirate
A triumvirate ( la, triumvirātus) or a triarchy is a political institution ruled or dominated by three individuals, known as triumvirs ( la, triumviri). The arrangement can be formal or informal. Though the three leaders in a triumvirate are ...
of sorts with ''Gauleiters''
Joseph Goebbels
Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazi politician who was the '' Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, and then Reich Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to ...
and
Karl Kaufmann
Karl Kaufmann (10 October 1900 – 4 December 1969) was a German politician who served as a Nazi Party ''Gauleiter'' from 1925 to 1945 and as the ''Reichsstatthalter'' (Reich Governor) of Hamburg from 1933 to 1945.
Early life
Kaufmann was the ...
. Pfeffer was simultaneously the ''Gau SA-Führer''. However, disputes and jealousies between them led to a reorganization ordered by
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
on 20 June 1926 with Kaufmann remaining as the sole ''Gauleiter''.
In August 1926, Pfeffer was charged by Hitler with the leadership of the entire SA. This was formalized on 1 November, when he was granted the title ''
Oberster SA-Führer
The Supreme SA Leader (german: Oberster SA-Führer), was the titular head of the Nazi Party's paramilitary group, the (SA).
History
To centralize the loyalty of the SA, Hitler personally assumed command of the entire organization in 1930 and ...
'' (Supreme SA Leader). He was the first SA commander upon its re-establishment in 1925, following its temporary abolition in 1923 in the wake of the abortive Beer Hall Putsch.
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...
became Pfeffer's secretary in Munich.
Pfeffer set about strengthening and reorganizing the SA. He established seven new regional level SA-''
Oberführer
__NOTOC__
''Oberführer'' (short: ''Oberf'', , ) was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) dating back to 1921. An ''Oberführer'' was typically a NSDAP member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographic ...
'' commands in March 1928. In February 1929, their title was changed to OSAF-''Stellvertreter'' (Deputy Supreme SA Leader). During his tenure, the SA expanded from around 30,000 to over 60,000. On 1 April 1930, Pfeffer was made ''Korpsführer'' of the newly established National Socialist Automobile Corps, the forerunner of the
National Socialist Motor Corps
The National Socialist Motor Corps (german: Nationalsozialistisches Kraftfahrkorps, NSKK) was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) that officially existed from May 1931 to 1945. The group was a successor organisation to the ol ...
(NSKK).
Pfeffer developed fundamental disagreements with Hitler about the nature of the SA. Whereas Hitler tried to place limitations on the autonomy of the SA, Pfeffer sought to strengthen the organization and make it more independent of the Party organization. Pfeffer saw the SA as a military/revolutionary institution that would eventually displace the ''
Reichswehr
''Reichswehr'' () was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first years of the Third Reich. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshaped ...
'' to become a mass people’s army and overthrow the
Weimar Republic
The German Reich, commonly referred to as the Weimar Republic,, was a historical period of Germany from 9 November 1918 to 23 March 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is also r ...
. Hitler, however, favored a legal seizure of power through the electoral process. In his view, the SA's job was to assist in the party's propaganda efforts through leafleting, to provide security at Party rallies and, when necessary, to battle political opponents in the streets. Pfeffer demanded (at a Nazi leadership conference held on 2 and 3 August 1930) that the SA be represented on the NSDAP electoral list in the upcoming ''
Reichstag'' elections and that it be granted three secure seats in the ''Reichstag''. Hitler refused and Pfeffer submitted a letter of resignation on 12 August, effective 29 August. Hitler accepted Pfeffer's resignation and on 2 September assumed personal command of the SA as ''Oberster SA-Führer''. He then summoned
Ernst Röhm
Ernst Julius Günther Röhm (; 28 November 1887 – 1 July 1934) was a German military officer and an early member of the Nazi Party. As one of the members of its predecessor, the German Workers' Party, he was a close friend and early ally ...
to return to Germany from
Bolivia
, image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
to effectively run the SA as its ''
Stabschef
''Stabschef'' (, " 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 is ...
'' (Chief of Staff), since Hitler had no interest in running the day-to-day operations of the SA. Röhm took up his new post in January 1931.
Later years
Pfeffer remained a member of the SA on active service with its General Inspectorate until April 1933. He was then put into the reserve leadership cadre of the SA. He was, however, elected to the ''Reichstag'' on 6 November 1932.
Pfeffer was now treated with suspicion in Nazi party circles. Following
Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Walter Richard Hess (Heß in German; 26 April 1894 – 17 August 1987) was a German politician and a leading member of the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. Appointed Deputy Führer to Adolf Hitler in 1933, Hess held that position un ...
’s flight to Scotland in May 1941, Pfeffer was briefly arrested and released. However, he was expelled from the party on 14 November 1941 and from the ''Reichstag'' on 27 November. He was by that point essentially retired, living on his estate in
Pommern
Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...
. Following the failed assassination attempt on Hitler in the
20 July 1944 plot, he was arrested again and this time held for several months. He survived the Second World War, even commanding a ''
Volkssturm
The (; "people's storm") was a levée en masse national militia established by Nazi Germany during the last months of World War II. It was not set up by the German Army, the ground component of the combined German ''Wehrmacht'' armed forces, ...
'' division near the war’s end. He was then briefly interned in
Heilbronn
Heilbronn () is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, surrounded by Heilbronn District. With over 126,000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state.
From the late Middle Ages, it developed into an important trading centre. A ...
by the Allies until 1946. He was active in the Hessian State Association of the
German Party during the late 1940s and early 1950s. He lived in
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...
until 1960 and then in
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
, passing away in 1968 at the age of 80.
Family
His brother,
Friedrich Pfeffer von Salomon Friedrich may refer to:
Names
*Friedrich (surname), people with the surname ''Friedrich''
*Friedrich (given name), people with the given name ''Friedrich''
Other
*Friedrich (board game), a board game about Frederick the Great and the Seven Years' ...
(1892–1961), was an SA-''
Obergruppenführer
' (, "senior group leader") was a paramilitary rank in Nazi Germany that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA) and adopted by the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) one year later. Until April 1942, it was the highest commissio ...
'', who served as the Police President in
Kassel
Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel and the district of the same name and had 201,048 inhabitants in December 2 ...
(1933–1936) and the Nazi Party ''
Regierungspräsident'' in Wiesbaden (1936–1939; 1941–1943)
Awards and decorations
*1914
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia e ...
2nd Class
*1914
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia e ...
1st Class
*1918
Wound Badge
The Wound Badge (german: Verwundetenabzeichen) was a German military decoration first promulgated by Wilhelm II, German Emperor on 3 March 1918, which was first awarded to soldiers of the German Army who were wounded during World War I. Between t ...
in Black
, -
See also
*
Gausturm
A Gausturm (plural Gaustürme) was an organizational unit of the SA in Nazi Germany.
They were the biggest unit until 1928. They were created by Franz Pfeffer von Salomon
Franz Pfeffer von Salomon (19 February 1888 – 12 April 1968) during t ...
Notes
Weblink
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References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pfeffer von Salomon, Franz
1888 births
1968 deaths
Burials at Munich Waldfriedhof
Gauleiters
German Army personnel of World War I
German untitled nobility
Heinrich Himmler
Kapp Putsch participants
Members of the Reichstag of Nazi Germany
Members of the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic
Military personnel from Düsseldorf
National Socialist Working Association members
Nazi Party officials
Nobility in the Nazi Party
People from the Rhine Province
Prussian Army personnel
Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class
Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 2nd class
Sturmabteilung officers
20th-century Freikorps personnel
Volkssturm personnel