Viktor Lutze
| Viktor Lutze | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 28 December 1890 Bevergern, German Empire |
| Died | 2 May 1943 (aged 52) Potsdam, Nazi Germany |
| Allegiance |
 German Empire Weimar Republic Nazi Germany
|
| Service/branch |
German Army Sturmabteilung (SA) |
| Years of service | 1912–1943 |
| Rank | Stabschef SA |
| Commands held | SA-Gruppe Nord, Sturmabteilung |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards | 1914 Iron Cross, second and first class Cross of Honour 1914–1918 Combatants Brunswick Rally Badge German Order (Posthumous) |
Viktor Lutze (28 December 1890 – 2 May 1943) was the commander of the Sturmabteilung ("SA") succeeding Ernst Röhm as Stabschef. He died from injuries received in a car accident. Lutze was given an elaborate state funeral in Berlin on 7 May 1943.
Lutze was born in Bevergern, Westphalia, in 1890. He later joined the German Army in 1912, and obtained officer rank. He served with the 55th Infantry Regiment. He fought in the 369th Infantry Regiment and 15th Reserve Infantry Regiment during the First World War. Thereafter, Lutze became a merchant and joined the police force.
Lutze joined the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP; Nazi Party) in 1922, and the SA in 1923. He became an associate of Franz Pfeffer von Salomon, the first leader of the SA. Together, they determined the structure of the organisation.
He also worked with Albert Leo Schlageter in the resistance/sabotage of the Belgian and French occupation of the Ruhr in 1923. He became the deputy Gauleiter for the Ruhr in 1926. His organization of the Ruhr for the SA became a model for other regions. In 1930, he was elected to the Reichstag as a representative for Hannover-Braunschweig. In October 1931, he organized a huge joint rally in Braunschweig (Brunswick) of SA and SS men to show both strength in strife-weary Germany and loyalty to their leader, Adolf Hitler. This was before Hitler came to national power as Chancellor of Germany in January 1933. Over 100,000 men attended the rally hosted by SA-Gruppe Nord under the leadership of Lutze. At the rally, the SA assured Hitler of their loyalty and Hitler in turn increased the size of the SA with the creation of 24 new Standarten (regiment-sized formations). Hitler never forgot this show of loyalty by Lutze. A badge was made to commemorate the event. Lutze rose through the ranks and by 1933 was a SA-Obergruppenführer. In March 1933, he was appointed police president of Hanover and later its provincial governor and state counselor.
...
Wikipedia