Editing Reichsleiter (section)


{{short description|Second-highest political rank of the Nazi Party}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Infobox military rank
| name           = {{lang|de|Reichsleiter}}
| native_name    = 
| image          = Reichsleiter.svg
| image_size     = 100px
| alt            =
| caption        = Flag 1939–1945
| image2         = {{nowrap|[[File:Reichsleiter collar tabs.svg|100px]] [[File:30 Reichsleiter (руководитель имперского значения) NSDAP SVG.svg|100px]]}}
| image_size2    = 
| alt2           =
| caption2       = Pre and post 1939 insignia
| image3         = Reich-Reichsleiter armband.svg
| image_size3    = 100px
| alt3           =
| caption3       = Armband
| country        = {{flag|Nazi Germany}}
| service branch = {{flagicon image|Flag of the NSDAP (1920–1945).svg}} [[Nazi Party]]
| abbreviation   = RL
| rank group     =
| rank           = Paramilitary rank
| NATO rank      = 
| Non-NATO rank  = 
| pay grade      = 
| formation      = 2 June 1933
| abolished      = 8 May 1945
| higher rank    = {{lang|de|[[Führer]]}}
| lower rank     = {{lang|de|[[Gauleiter]]}}
| equivalents    = 
| history        = 
}}

'''{{lang|de|Reichsleiter}}''' ({{IPA|de|ˈʁaɪ̯çsˌlaɪ̯tɐ|-|De-Reichsleiter.ogg}}, {{translation|national leader or {{lang|de|Reich}} leader}}) was the second-highest political rank in the [[Nazi Party]] (NSDAP), subordinate only to the office of {{lang|de|[[Führer]]}}. {{lang|de|Reichsleiter}} also functioned as a [[paramilitary]] [[ranks and insignia of the Nazi Party |rank]] within the NSDAP and was the highest rank attainable in any Nazi organisation.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/imt/nca/nca-01/nca-01-06-organization.html |title= The Organization of the Nazi Party & State |website= nizkor.org |publisher= [[The Nizkor Project]] |access-date=13 April 2016 |archive-date=9 November 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161109221505/http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/imt/nca/nca-01/nca-01-06-organization.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Each {{lang|de|Reichsleiter}} reported directly to the {{lang|de|Führer}}, [[Adolf Hitler]]. Men of the rank {{lang|de|Reichsleiter}} collectively formed part of the ''Reichsleitung'' (Reich leadership) of the NSDAP, which was originally located in the "[[Brown House, Munich|Brown House]]" in [[Munich]]. Each {{lang|de|Reichsleiter}} was in charge of a broad area of responsibility in the party. Hitler originally established the rank of {{lang|de|Reichsleiter}} on 2 June 1933 and appointed 16 individuals to that rank.<ref>Dietrich Orlow: The Nazi Party 1919-1945: A Complete History, Enigma Books, New York, 2010, p. 263. {{ISBN|978-1-929631-57-5}}.</ref> Subsequently, a further 6 individuals were appointed to the rank between 1933 and 1938: von Epp, Frick, Bormann, Lutze, Hierl and Huhnlein.<ref>[https://www.axishistory.com/books/182-germany-political-organizations/nsdap/4943-reichsleiters-of-the-nsdap "Reichsleiters of the NSDAP"] in [https://www.axishistory.com Axis History] Retrieved 27 June 2020.
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