NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES

• What happened in the Night of the Long Knives?

  • 1934 Hitler ordered the SA to go on leave for the entire month
  • He arranged meeting with SA leaders
  • Before dawn, Hitler and a group of best bodyguards (SS) stormed into a hotel
  • They arrested and executed the leaders of the SA and people who were against Hitler
  • Rohm was shot
  • Kurt von Schleicher who made Hitler Chancellor was also shot
  • As many as 400 people were killed
• Impact of The Night of the Long Knives 1

  • All leading Nazis that did not agree with Hitler were killed
  • This night caused the SA to have no political power
  • SS led by Himmler emerged new group for Hitlers security and later became Police State with Gestapo
  • Violence and terror were controlled by SS and were more co-operated
• Impact of The Night of the Long Knives 2

  • This showed that Hitler got away with murder, establishing murder was part of what the Nazi government did
  • Hitler gained public support for his actions as he claimed Rohm and SA had been planning a revolution
  • Hitler claimed he had been acting as a supreme judge secured armys support which is vital in Hitler becoming President and Chancellor