Gauleiter

A Gauleiter was a leader of a regional branch of the NSDAP (more commonly known as the Nazi Party) or the head of a Gau or of a Reichsgau. The German word Leiter means leader, whilst the Gau is translates most closely to the English shire.

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The title of Gauleiter was first established in 1925 after the Nazi Party reorganized following the failed Beer Hall Putsch. By 1928, Gauleiter had also became a Nazi paramilitary rank, and would eventually become the second highest such position, ranking only below the rank of Reichsleiter. The insignia for the rank of Gauleiter consisted of two oak leaves worn on a brown colored collar patch.

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Until 1938, a junior Gauleiter rank also existed which was known as Stellvertreter-Gauleiter (Proxy-Gauleiter). A Proxy-Gauleiter wore a single oak leaf, similar to a Gauleiter, however this position was abolished by the start of World War II.

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In theory, a Gauleiter was merely a representative of the Nazi Party who served to coordinate regional Nazi party events and also served to "advise" the local government. In practice, Gauleiters were unquestioned rulers of their particular areas of responsibility. The local government establishment merely existed as a rubber stamp for the Gauleiter.

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NSDAP: REDIRECT Nazi Party...

Nazi Party: The National Socialist German Workers' Party (, abbreviated NSDAP), commonly known in English as the Nazi Party (from the Ger. pronunciation of Nationalsozialist), was a political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945. It was known as the German Workers' Party (DAP) before the name was changed in 1...

Reichsgau: A Reichsgau was a province within the Greater Germany of 1938 to 1945 (from the start of territorial annexation to the fall of the Third Reich). It was formed from the words "Reich", meaning "realm" or "empire" and "gau", a deliberately medieval-sounding word meaning "shire" or "region". There were ...