![\"Reichsbanner](\"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Bundesarchiv_Bild_102-05973_Brandenburg-Havel_Reichsbanner-Gautag-1.jpg\")
Membership and organisation<\/h3>\n
Membership of the organisation was open to former servicemen. They would march at party meetings and act as a protection squad against attacks from the extremist paramilitary groups. As fighting with the KPD and Nazi\u2019s intensified in the early 1930\u2019s a special unit, The Iron Fist, was established to deal with the more violent approach they were combating. They also restructured their organisation and introduced a Youth Wing.<\/p>\n
Size of the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold<\/h3>\n
The Reichsbanner Schwartz-Rot-Gold was not a small organisation by any means. Party records show that at the time the Nazi\u2019s banned the Reichsbanner organisation, there were approximately 3 million signed up members and some 250,000 youth members.<\/p>\n
The Reichsbanner organisation was banned by the Nazi\u2019s following the Enabling Act<\/a>.<\/p>\n After the organisation was banned many of its members were arrested. Other members looked to join underground movements.<\/p>\n Some leading members of the Reichsbanner movement continued to resist the Nazi\u2019s throughout the course of the Third Reich. For example:<\/p>\n Walter\u00a0Schmedemann, operated a resistance cell until being arrested and sent to Sachenhausen. Whilst imprisoned he worked to ensure that forced labourers were fed.<\/p>\n Karl Henrich and Theodor Haubach operated an illegal, underground, version of the Reichsbanner organisation that reputedly had 1000 members. Henrich spent much of the remainder of his life in concentration camps and prisons. Haubach spent some time in prison but was released in 1935. He made contacts with members of the Kreisau Circle<\/a>. After the July Bomb Plot<\/a> he was again arrested. He was found guilty of treason and executed in January, 1945.<\/p>\n Unification of Germany<\/a> – Political systems within the Second Reich<\/a> – German Society during the Second Reich<\/a> – Collapse of the Second Reich<\/a><\/p>\n Interim Government<\/a> –\u00a0Founding of the Weimar Republic<\/a> –\u00a0Impact of the First World War on Germany<\/a> –\u00a0The Treaty of Versailles and its impact on Germany<\/a> –\u00a0Weimar Constitution<\/a> –\u00a01919-1923: Years of Crisis?<\/a> –\u00a0Spartacist Uprising<\/a> –\u00a0Kapp Putsch<\/a> – Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold<\/a> – Reparations<\/a> –\u00a0Hyperinflation in Germany, 1923<\/a> –\u00a01924-1928: A Golden Era?<\/a> – 1925 Presidential Election<\/a> – Gustav Stresemann<\/a> –\u00a0German Foreign Relations 1919-1932<\/a> –\u00a0Germany in the Great Depression<\/a> \u00a0–\u00a0Failings of the Weimar Republic<\/a> – Dada Movement<\/a><\/p>\n The Munich Putsch<\/a> –\u00a0Did the Economic Crisis of 1923 help the Nazi’s?<\/a> –\u00a0Origins of the Nazi Party<\/a> –\u00a0Rise of the Nazi Party<\/a><\/p>\n Totalitarian Regime in Nazi Germany<\/a> –\u00a0How did Hitler consolidate power?<\/a> –\u00a0Mein Kampf<\/a> –\u00a0Nazi methods of control<\/a> –\u00a0Opposition to the Nazi Regime<\/a> –\u00a0Organisation of the Nazi Party<\/a> –\u00a0Fuhrerprinzip<\/a> –\u00a0Kristallnacht<\/a> –\u00a0Youth and Education<\/a> –\u00a0Goering and the 2nd 4 Year Plan<\/a> –\u00a0Anti-Jewish Boycott, 1933<\/a> –\u00a0Nazi Anti-Semitism<\/a> –\u00a0DAF (The German Labour Front)<\/a> –\u00a0Propaganda in Germany 1919-39<\/a> –\u00a0Economic Policy of the Nazi Party<\/a> – Kreisau Circle<\/a> – The Confessing Church<\/a> – Catholic Church<\/a> – Edelweiss Pirates<\/a><\/p>\n Ludwig Beck<\/a> – Dietrich Bonhoeffer<\/a> – Bishop Clemens von Galen<\/a> – Carl Goerdeler<\/a> – Robert Ley<\/a> – Helmuth von Moltke<\/a> – Martin Niemoller<\/a> – Erwin Rommel<\/a>\u00a0– Hjalmar Schacht<\/a> – Sophie Scholl<\/a> – Albert Speer<\/a> – Claus von Stauffenberg<\/a> –\u00a0Fritz Todt<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold was a paramilitary organisation established to defend the Weimar Republic from attacks from the KPD (Communists) and right wing extremists. The organisation was formed in 1924 by former members of the armed services who were supportive of the Weimar Republic. Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold had representatives from the 3 main centrist parties:… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":789,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":100,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-31281","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tActivities of members after the organisation was banned<\/h3>\n
Germany 1919 – 1945 Links<\/h2>\n
The Second Reich<\/h3>\n
Weimar Republic<\/h3>\n
Rise of the Nazi Party<\/h3>\n
Nazi Germany<\/h3>\n
Biographies<\/h3>\n