Sturmabteilung (German for "Storm Division") was the original paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party that played a significant role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in 1920s and 1930s. Its members were largely purged and their leader Ernst Röhm, was executed during the Night of the Long Knives, superseded by the Schutzstaffel despite SA continued to exist until 1945.
The SA were colloquially called Brownshirts (Braunhemden) due to the color of their uniform's shirts.
