Night of the Long Knives

The Night of the Long Knives(The Blood Purge) Hitler had an abundance of power due to the enabling act that was granted to him by President Hindenburg. Even with all his power, Hitler still felt threatened by the SA leaders. This lead to the Night of the long Knives June 29th, 1934. This purge was only the beginning of his conquest to be the dictatorial power of Germany. What happened on the Night of the Long Knives? And why did Hitler arrange it. What happened during the Night of the Long Knives? This event saw the wiping out of he SA leaders and other people that angered Hitler. Hitler ordered his SS troops to arrest the leaders of the SA and political figures. Hitler assembled a fairly large group of SS and regular police, and went to the Hanselbauer Hotel in Bad Wiessee. Ernest Rohm and his followers were staying there. Upon arriving at the hotel, Hitler personally arrested Rohm and high ranking officers of the SA. Hitler then headed back to Munich where he addressed an assembled crowd of party members and SA members, saying “the worst treachery in world istory. ” Hitler told the crowd that “undisciplined and disobedient characters and asocial or diseased elements” would be annihilated. When he arrived back in Berlin, he radioed to Goring saying the codeword “kolibri” to let loose the execution squads on more unsuspecting people. Hitler also used this purge to make a move on the conservatives he found unreliable. Himmler, Goring and Hitler himself ordered the SS against old enemies. Kurt von Schliecher George Strasser (angered Hitler by resigning from the party) and Gustav Ritter von Kahr former Bavarian state commissioner who brought down the Beer Hall Putsch in 1923) The reasons why this purge happened was because Hitler feared that someone would try and over throw him, Rohm and the SA had the power to do so if they wanted (Rohm was the leader of the SA, the SA had a force of over 3 million men). So Hitler did what he thought needed to happen. He got rid of the problems and anyone else he thought had the power to overthrow him. The Night of the Long Knives did not just remove those who opposed or threatened Hitlers position.

It also got the army to sign an oath that Hitler needed. The army saw the SA as a threat to their authority because the SA outnumbered them, also Rohm spoke about taking over the regular army by including them with the ranks of the SA. This alarmed the army leaders. Hitler then made a pact with the army. If Rohm and the other SA leaders were removed then the army would be in control of the SA. However for that to occur the army had to sign an oath of loyalty to Hitler. Hitler told the public of this gruesome even on July 13th 1934. Hitler told the Reichstag. in this hour I was responsible for the fate of the German people, and I thereby I became the supreme judge of the German people. I gave order to shoot the ringleaders in this treason, and I further gave the order to cauterize down to the raw flesh the ulcers if this poisoning of the wells in our domestic life. Let the nation know that its existence- which depends on its internal order and security- cannot be threatened with impunity by anyone! And let it be known for all the time to come that if anyone raises his hand to strike the state, then certain death is his lot” – Adolf Hitler, July 13th, 1934. he aftermath of the Night of the Long Knives aka “The Blood Purge. ” Hitler got away with his purge because Hitler had the cabinet approve a measure on July 3rd that declared “The measures taken on June 30th to July 1st and 2 to suppress treasonous assaults are legal as acts of self-defense by the State. ” A new law was added which was signed by Hitler, Franz Gurtner, and the Minister of the interior Wilhelm Frick. The new law legalized the murderes committed during the purge under treason. The army applauded the Night of the Long Knives nd President Hidenburg expressed his “profoundly felt gratitude” and he congratulated Hitler. Hitler rewarded Himmler by giving him control of the SS. Himmler would now only answer to Hitler. Also Hitler game himself President as well as Chancellor, a new role called ‘Der Fuehrer’. He also made himself head of the armed forces, who swore an oath of loyalty. Adolf Hitler was now in complete control after President Hindenburgs death in August. The Night of the Long Knives occurred on June 29th 1934. Many high ranking officers of he SA were killed, including several of Hitlers partners executed in the purge. After the purge Hitler created another Nazi organization called the Schutzstaffel or also known as the SS. The SS became the most feared arm in Nazi Germany. The Night of the Long Knives was an action to get rid of those disagreeing with Hitler or getting in the way of his rise to power. He was scared that someone would attempt to overthrow him. The result was the rise of an even greater/ stronger paramilitary for the Nazis.