Party Reorganisation 1924-8

• Hitler relaunched the newly legal NSDAP in a Munich meeting on 27 February 1925.
• A new Party secretary, Philipp Bouhler and Party treasurer, Franz Schwarz, were appointed to improve organisation and financing of the Party.
• A new women’s section, called the German Women’s Order, was set up as well as a National Socialist Students League for 14-18 year olds.
• The Party organisation was divided into 35 regions (‘Gaue’), each run by a Gauleiter. Hitler also tried to make links to big businesses to improve party finances.
• The SA grew to 400,000 members by 1930 but Hitler distrusted their increasing loyalty to Ernst Rohm so he was removed as their leader from 1925-30.
• Hitler set up a new bodyguard unit known as the Schutzstaffel (SS) which came under the control of Heinrich Himmler in 1926 who introduced black uniforms and helped raise its numbers to 3000 by 1930.