Defunct Defunct Stahlhelm-Fraktion (German, 'Steel Helmet Faction') is the hard-line or right-wing faction of a political party in Germany, most notably the German CDU.
[1][2][3][4] The term refers to the hawkish, i.e. pro-military positions often taken by such groups and comes from the Stahlhelm, the steel helmet historically used by German soldiers.
It was originally used of pro-military politicians in the Weimar Republic who were members of the Der Stahlhelm, an ex-servicemen's organisation which acted as the paramilitary wing of the German National People's Party.
[5] Some prominent members of this informal grouping (the name was coined by its opponents) such as Alfred Dregger had been members of the NSDAP during the war.
[6][7][8] Members of the CSU – even those ideologically similar to the Stahlhelm Fraktion – were usually not considered part of the group.