1.1.8 The Night of the Long Knives

• Werner von Blomberg, head of the German army, viewed the SA as an ill-disciplined, working class group of thugs
• Whilst the SA was made up of former soldiers, the SS was made of middle-class, disciplined young men
• Himmler wanted the SS to develop independently from the SA . Goering wanted to become head of the army
• 85 were killed and 1,000 were arrested during the 'Rohm purge'. 100,000 members of the SA were expelled during August and September 1934
• Consequences of Rohm purge:

  1. Hitler consolidated power
  2. Persuaded army to support him
  3. Reduced power of traditional nationalists
• Rohm's hatred for the aristocracy worried traditional elites. His violent SA threatened the position of the army
• Rohm, Von Schleicher and Gregor Strasser were killed in the Night of the Long Knives
• To ensure the support of the army after Hindenburg's death, Hitler promised to remove Rohm and SA leaders