<P> In the aftermath of World War I and during the German Revolution of 1918 -- 19 , Freikorps consisting largely of World War I veterans were raised as right - wing paramilitary militias , ostensibly to fight on behalf of the government against the Soviet - backed German Communists attempting to overthrow the Weimar Republic . However , the Freikorps also despised the Republic and were involved in assassinations of its supporters . The Freikorps were widely seen as a precursor to Nazism , and many of their volunteers ended up joining the Nazi militia , the Sturmabteilung ( SA ) . An entire series of Freikorps awards also existed . </P>
<P> In the aftermath of World War I and during the German Revolution of 1918 -- 19 , Freikorps consisting largely of World War I veterans were raised as right - wing paramilitary militias , ostensibly to fight on behalf of the government against the Soviet - backed German Communists attempting to overthrow the Weimar Republic . However , the Freikorps also despised the Republic and were involved in assassinations of its supporters . The Freikorps were widely seen as a precursor to Nazism , and many of their volunteers ended up joining the Nazi militia , the Sturmabteilung ( SA ) . An entire series of Freikorps awards also existed . </P>
who constituted the free crops in weimar republic
who constituted the free crops in weimar republic
consisting largely of World War I veterans
consisting largely of World War I veterans