Night of the Long Knives

• When was the Night of the Long Knives?

  It started on the 30th of June 1934 until the 2nd of July 1934.
• What was the Night of the Long Knives?

  Hitler brought unsuspecting SA leaders to Bad Wiesse in Bavaria to be arrested and executed, and other exiled politicians were arrested and executed.
• How many deaths were recorded over the Night of the Long Knives?

  Over 3 days, 77 official deaths were recorded but around 400 were killed.
• Why did the Night of the Long Knives happen?

  • Brownshirts (SA) had over 2 million members after 1933 and most were powerful thugs who wanted to commit violence.
  • Ernest Rohm, head of the SA, became very powerful and wanted a German military with the SA in the centre. He also wanted to be Minister of Defence but Hitler and other Nazi leaders viewed his power as a threat.
  • Hitler needed to win over the military and Hindenburg who did not like the SA because of their violent and unpredictable nature; using the army to disband the SA made him favourable.
• How did Ernest Rohm die in the Night of the Long Knives?

  Rohm was put into a room with a loaded gun, forced to kill himself. However, he initially refused and stated that if Hitler wanted him dead, he should kill him. Rohm was later found dead.
• How did Hitler make the Night of the Long Knives legal?

  On the 3rd of July 1934, Hitler made the purge legal by making it seem like defence of the government.
• Did the Night of the Long Knives gain Hitler any support?

  Yes! This gained Hindenburg and military support as Hitler had disbanded an unpredictable unofficial police force.
• What other SA officials were killed on the Night of the Long Knives?

  Kurt von Schleicher and Gustav von Kahr were both killed, consolidating Hitler's support over the Nazi party.