American Stahlhelm

For the German paramilitary organization see: Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten

File:American Stahlhelm, 1933.png

The American Stahlhelm also known as the Steel Helmets was the military auxiliary to the German-American organization Friends of New Germany.

History

Approximately 430,000 Germans arrived in the United States between 1919 and 1933. There were fundamental differences between these migrants and the 5,500,000 of their ancestors who had arrived earlier. The organization was founded by 34 German veterans of World War I in the mid 1920s.

Since November 1933, the group was headed by former Berlin wine dealer Hauptmann Georg Schmitt (since November 1933) and further modeled itself after the Stahlhelm veteran's organisation in the Weimar Republic. Schmitt, as a delegate to the United States and successor to Heinz Spanknöbel (who was deported), came on business, but also for the purpose of coordinating the American units of the Stahlhelm, German monarchist war veterans group, with the policies of the Stahlhelmbund in Germany. George F. Mayer, his uncle, and George F. Mayer, a cousin, said that Schmitt, some time ago, had already spent two years in the USA one year of which was in Milwaukee.

In December 1933, the American Stalhelm had approximately 2,500 German war veterans in the cities of Chicago, Detroit, New York City, Newark, Houston, and Los Angeles. An estimated 35 percent of the membership were US citizens.

Henry Otto Spier was the New York commander of the American Stahlhelm.

See also

• Stahlhelm
• Ordnungs Dienst
• Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten

Further reading

• Prof. Sander A. Diamond: The Nazi Movement in the United States. 1924–1941. Cornell University Press, Ithaca (NY) 1974
• Martin Kerr: The History of American National Socialism, 2017
  • Part I: 1924-1936
  • Part II: 1936-1941

External links

• Schmitt Before Grand Jury, in: "jewish Daily Bulletin", 10 November 1933, p. 2