The SA and Political Violence

Active learning works for this topic because students need to grapple with the mechanics of how democracy was dismantled through legal and extra-legal means. By engaging in debates, evidence analysis, and structured discussions, students confront the reality that oppression often wears the mask of legitimacy, making the historical processes tangible and memorable.

• Year 11
• History
• 3 activities
• 15 min–40 min

Learning Objectives

1. Explain the primary functions of the SA within the Nazi Party's organizational structure.
2. Analyze the methods used by the SA to intimidate political opponents and disrupt public meetings.
3. Evaluate the impact of SA violence on the perceived legitimacy of the Weimar Republic's democratic processes.
4. Assess the extent to which the SA's actions created an atmosphere of fear that influenced electoral outcomes in 1932.

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 30 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Fire Evidence

Students act as 'historical detectives' examining the evidence surrounding the Reichstag Fire. They look at the arrest of Marinus van der Lubbe and the Nazi response, debating whether it was a lucky break for Hitler or a planned 'false flag' operation.

Prepare & details

Explain the primary functions of the SA in the Nazi Party's rise to power.

Facilitation Tip: For Collaborative Investigation, assign small groups distinct primary sources (police reports, Nazi propaganda, communist testimonies) to encourage close reading and peer accountability.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Role Play

⏱ 40 min·Whole Class

Mock Parliamentary Debate: The Enabling Act

Set up the classroom as the Kroll Opera House. Some students represent the Nazis (using intimidation), while others represent the Centre Party and the SPD. They must decide whether to vote for the Act, experiencing the atmosphere of fear that surrounded the actual vote.

Prepare & details

Analyze the role political violence played in the German elections of 1932.

Facilitation Tip: In the Mock Parliamentary Debate, assign roles (Nazi supporter, centrist, communist) to push students to defend positions they may not personally hold, deepening empathy and critical analysis.

Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging

Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 15 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The End of Liberty

Students read the terms of the 'Protection of People and State' decree. They discuss in pairs which suspended right (e.g., freedom of press, freedom of assembly) was most damaging to the opposition's ability to fight back.

Prepare & details

Assess the extent to which the SA's actions contributed to the breakdown of law and order.

Facilitation Tip: During Think-Pair-Share, circulate to listen for misconceptions about legality versus morality, and redirect discussions to the 'veneer of legality' concept explicitly.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Teachers should emphasize the dual nature of Nazi tactics—using violence to intimidate while simultaneously manipulating legal and parliamentary procedures. Avoid framing Hitler’s rise as inevitable; instead, focus on contingency and human agency. Research in historical thinking suggests students benefit from confronting primary sources directly to challenge oversimplified narratives about power and control.

What to Expect

Students will understand how the Nazis exploited crises to legislate authoritarian control while maintaining a façade of legality. Success looks like students articulating the sequence of events, the role of institutions like the Reichstag, and the function of violence in consolidating power, supported by specific evidence from activities.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Collaborative Investigation, watch for students assuming the Reichstag Fire was definitively started by the Nazis. Correction: Have groups weigh contradictory evidence (e.g., van der Lubbe’s confession, Nazi inconsistencies) and present findings to the class, modeling how historians handle uncertainty.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After Collaborative Investigation, provide students with a short primary source quote describing an SA rally. Ask them to write two sentences explaining how this event contributed to an 'atmosphere of fear' and one specific function the SA served for the Nazi Party.

Discussion Prompt

During the Mock Parliamentary Debate, pause mid-debate to pose: 'To what extent was political violence, specifically the actions of the SA, a necessary component for the Nazi Party's rise to power by 1933?' Facilitate a 5-minute discussion where students must support arguments with SA activities (e.g., intimidation at rallies, disruption of opposition meetings) and their consequences.

Quick Check

After Think-Pair-Share, present students with a list of actions (e.g., 'holding rallies', 'protecting Nazi speakers', 'clashing with communists', 'disrupting opposition meetings'). Ask them to identify which actions were primarily carried out by the SA and explain the intended effect of at least two on political opponents.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask early finishers to draft a speech as a centrist Reichstag member explaining why they voted for or against the Enabling Act, citing the climate of fear and political pressure.
• Scaffolding: Provide a graphic organizer for the Think-Pair-Share with sentence stems like 'The SA contributed to fear by...' and 'The Enabling Act allowed Hitler to...' to guide struggling students.
• Deeper exploration: Have students compare the Reichstag Fire Decree and Enabling Act to other historical examples of emergency legislation (e.g., Patriot Act) to analyze patterns of state overreach.

Key Vocabulary

SA (Sturmabteilung)	The original paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party, known for its brown uniforms and its role in street violence and intimidation.
Brownshirts	A common nickname for the SA, derived from the color of their uniform shirts, symbolizing their street presence and aggressive tactics.
Political intimidation	The use of threats, harassment, or violence to discourage individuals or groups from participating in political activities or expressing opposing views.
Atmosphere of fear	A pervasive sense of anxiety and apprehension within a society, often created by political violence or repression, which discourages dissent and free expression.
Gleichschaltung	The Nazi policy of 'coordination' or bringing all aspects of society under the control of the Nazi Party, which was facilitated by the suppression of opposition.