The night of the long knives

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  • The Night of the Long Knives
    • Hitler removes his enemies/ opponents
    • Ernst Rohm
      • Leader of the SA
      • Suspicious of Hitler
      • Biggest threat to Hitler
      • Talk that he was going to make the SA in to a 2nd German Army
      • Hitler feared that Rohms control over 4 million SA men made him a potentially dangerous rival
    • 29th - 30th June 1934
      • Hitler sent men to arrest or kill Rohm
        • Also killed Chancellor von Schleicher a fierce critic of Hitler
        • Suggested Hitler himself travelled to Munich and arrested him at gun point
          • Taken to prison
            • 1.7.1934 ** officers sent by Hitler gave Rohm a gun and told him to shoot himself
              • He was defiant so shot by an ** officer
      • To do the same to other leaders of the SA
      • Also removed other political leaders
      • Altogether several hundred (400) people killed or improsoned
      • Hitler claimed those that were killed or imprisoned were going to overthrow the government
        • Hitler therefore declared the killings legal
      • This night/ purge became known as the Night of the Long Knives and was a triumph for Hitler
        • It stamped out potential opposition within the Nazi party
        • Sent out a powerful message to the party about Hitlers ruthlessness and brutality
        • Showed Hitler was now free to act above the law
        • Hindenburg thanked Hitler for his determined action which nipped treason in the bud.
          • 2.8.1934 Hindenburg died and no new president appointed
            • The powers of Chancellor and president were joined
              • Hitler was the Supreme Leader (Fuhrer)
        • Following this the army swore an oath of loyalty to the Fuhrer
          • The SA had been ruthlessly destructed
            • Anticipated backlash from the SA did not come there was no second revolution
              • The ** had established themselves as Hitlers main instrument of terror.
                • Hitler had total control over Germany
                • Hitler made plans to make Germanys army a great military power again
          • Oath to stay out of politics and serve Hitler
      • ** men broke in to homes of Rohm and other leaders

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