Standarte (Nazi Germany)

Standarten) was a paramilitary unit of Nazi Party (NSDAP), Sturmabteilung (SA), NSKK, NSFK, and Schutzstaffel (SS).

After the death of Ernst Röhm in 1934, new SA-Stabschef Viktor Lutze reorganized the SA to include the creation of an SA-Standarte, consisting of six battalions of volunteers that were headquartered in different locations throughout Germany:[1] it guarded sensitive SA, state and NSDAP offices in Berlin, Hannover, Hattingen, Krefeld, Munich, Ruhr, Stetten and Stuttgart.

All SS organizations – such as the Allegemeine-SS and the Reiter-SS, but also the SS-Totenkopfverbände (SS-TV) and the SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-VT) were divided into Standarten.

[9] Then in November 1933, on the 10th anniversary of the Beer Hall Putsch, the Sonderkommando was given the name, Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler (LAH).

[10] After the annexation of Austria, the new SS-Standarte "Der Führer" arose from the merger of the Austro-German SS and parts of the SS-Standarten "Deutschland" and the LSSAH.

[15] The unit took part in the annexation of Austria and was responsible for the security during the Benito Mussolini's visit to Germany.

It took part in the invasion of Poland attached to the 14th Army[15] On 26 June 1933, Himmler appointed then SS-Oberführer Theodor Eicke the Kommandant of the Dachau concentration camp.

[16] Following the Night of the Long Knives in the summer of 1934, Eicke – who played a role in the affair by shooting SA chief Ernst Röhm – was promoted and officially appointed Inspector of Concentration Camps and Commander of SS-guard formations.

[20] On 17 August 1938 Hitler decreed, at Himmler's request, the SS-TV to be the official reserve for the SS-VT.[21] By October 1939, a new SS military division the SS-Totenkopf was formed.

[22] The Totenkopf was initially formed from concentration camp guards of the Standarten of the SS-TV, police and SS reservists and soldiers from the SS-Heimwehr "Danzig.

Members of other SS militias were also transferred into the division in early 1940; all these units were involved in multiple massacres of civilians, political leaders and prisoners of war.