Karl Kraft (SA member)

Karl Kraft (born March 11, 1893 in Traunstein , † after 1945) was a German SA leader, most recently with the rank of SA group leader. During the Second World War he led the SA in southwest Germany.

Life and activity

Kraft was a son of the pastor Christoph Kraft and his wife Marie, b. May. On August 1, 1913, Kraft joined the 1st Railway Regiment.

From August 1914 to November 1918 Kraft took part in the First World War, in which he was awarded the Iron Cross of both classes. During the war he was first used with the railroad troops in Belgium and northern France, before switching to the infantry in November 1914. On March 18, 1918, he was promoted to first lieutenant.

After the war, Kraft joined the Kovno Voluntary Reserve Corps until it was disbanded after the final evacuation of Lithuania. He then attended a fishing school and then settled in mills.

In May 1928, Kraft joined the NSDAP (Mgl-No. 88.620). In August 1929 Kraft also joined the NSDAP's street combat group, the Sturmabteilung (SA), in which he enjoyed a career as a functionary in the following years.

On September 29, 1932, Kraft took over the leadership of SA Standard 4 in Rosenheim . In 1933 Kraft was appointed leader of the Chiemgau SA sub-group. On March 15, 1934, Kraft was appointed leader of the SA Brigade 84.

In the Reichstag elections of April 1938, Kraft ran for a seat in the National Socialist Reichstag on the “List of the Führer for the election of the Greater German Reichstag”, but did not get enough votes to be elected.

On May 1, 1938, Kraft was appointed staff leader of the SA Group Southwest.

On July 15, 1940, Kraft was entrusted with the representative management of the SA Group Southwest. On February 1, 1942, Kraft was raised by the representative leader of the Südwest group to the permanent leader of this group, which he initially led (until March 31, 1943) as part of an "mdFb" position (entrusted with the leadership), and then led it from April 1, 1943 until the collapse of the Nazi dictatorship in May 1945 as a regular leader.

Promotions

• January 1, 1930: SA Sturmführer
• June 1, 1931: Sturmbannführer
• November 1932: Standartenführer
• June 1, 1933: SA Oberführer
• April 10, 1938: SA Brigade Leader
• January 30, 1942: SA group leader

literature

• Bruce Campbell: The SA Generals and the Rise of Nazism , 2015.
• Erich Stockhorst: 5000 people. Who had which role in the third Reich? , P. 248.