Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The De-Sturmabteilung.ogg Sturmabteilung, abbreviated SA, functioned as a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party. It played a key role in Adolf Hitler''s rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s. SA men were often called "brownshirts" for the colour of their uniforms; this distinguished them from the Schutzstaffel, who wore black and brown uniforms. Brown-coloured shirts were chosen as the SA uniform because a large batch of them was cheaply available after World War I, having originally been ordered during the war for colonial troops posted to Germany''s former African colonies.