Editing Nazi Party (section)

=== Paramilitary groups ===
[[File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-P049500, Berlin, Aufmarsch der SA in Spandau.jpg|thumb|The [[Sturmabteilung|SA]] in Berlin in 1932. The group had nearly two million members at the end of 1932.]]

In addition to the Nazi Party proper, several paramilitary groups existed which "supported" Nazi aims. All members of these paramilitary organisations were required to become regular Nazi Party members first and could then enlist in the group of their choice. An exception was the [[Waffen-SS]], considered the military arm of the SS and Nazi Party, which during the Second World War allowed members to enlist without joining the Nazi Party. Foreign volunteers of the Waffen-SS were also not required to be members of the Nazi Party, although many joined local nationalist groups from their own countries with the same aims. Police officers, including members of the [[Gestapo]], frequently held SS rank for administrative reasons (known as "rank parity") and were likewise not required to be members of the Nazi Party.

A vast system of [[Nazi Party paramilitary ranks]] developed for each of the various paramilitary groups. This was part of the process of {{lang|de|Gleichschaltung}} with the paramilitary and auxiliary groups swallowing existing associations and federations after the Party was flooded by millions of membership applications.{{sfn|Steber|Gotto|2018|p=91}}

The major Nazi Party paramilitary groups were as follows:
* {{lang|de|[[Schutzstaffel]]}} (SS): "Protection Squadron" (both {{lang|de|[[Allgemeine SS]]}} and [[Waffen-SS]])
* {{lang|de|[[Sturmabteilung]]}} (SA): "Storm Division"
* {{lang|de|[[National Socialist Flyers Corps|Nationalsozialistisches Fliegerkorps]]}} (NSFK): "National Socialist Flyers Corps"
* {{lang|de|[[National Socialist Motor Corps|Nationalsozialistisches Kraftfahrerkorps]]}} (NSKK): "National Socialist Motor Corps"

The [[Hitler Youth]] was a paramilitary group divided into an adult leadership corps and a general membership open to boys aged fourteen to eighteen. The [[League of German Girls]] was the equivalent group for girls.