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Sturmabteilung

Sturmabteilung

1 9.9
A group of armed people who supported Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany and used violence to attack opponents
  • noun
  • /ˈʃtʊrmˌɑːbtaɪlʊŋ/
translation icon : Sturmabteilung
  • "Bart" has shown himself to be a ready candidate for the Sturmabteilung.
  • Sturmabteilung (SA)

Examples

  • The Sturmabteilung was crucial in Hitler's rise, acting as the Nazi Party's paramilitary force.

  • They said her actions were reminiscent of North Korea, the Sturmabteilung (i.e., Nazi enforcers).

    Academic text (2016)
  • Beside its evocation of the Nazis' brown-shirted Sturmabteilung (SA), the group has much in common with the Soviet-era Komsomol (Communist Youth League), which was the main avenue for upward mobility among Soviet-era youth.

    Academic text (2010)
  • During the early 1930s, the Sturmabteilung played a significant role in enforcing Nazi policies and instilling fear.

  • Members of the Sturmabteilung were often referred to as the brownshirts due to their distinctive uniforms.

Synonyms

SA
vsSturmabteilung
  • Offensive
3 9.9

A violent Nazi group that helped Hitler rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s

is the original German name rather than the short label
Storm Troops
vsSturmabteilung
  • Offensive
9.0

A Nazi armed group that used violence to help Hitler gain power

is the original German name rather than an English translation

Surface Forms

Etymology

Sturmabteilung comes from the German words Sturm meaning 'storm' or 'attack' and Abteilung meaning 'division' or 'unit', so it literally means 'storm division' or 'assault unit'. That's why the name fits the violent Nazi militia that helped Hitler rise to power before it later lost influence.