knight of long knives

• Night of the Long Knives

  Between 30th June 1934 and July 2nd 1934, 85 leaders of the SA were arrested and shot. Hitler also used the opportunity to kill people who had crossed him over the years. General von Schliecher was killed. Gustav von Kahr was killed.
• SA

  • Led by Ernst Rohm
  • By 1934 there were 2.5 million men in the SA
  • Before 1933, the SA had been really important
  • Now they were less important
• Ernst Rohm: 'When we weren't in power I had a really important job within the Nazis. I helped Hitler become Chancellor and now I've been forgotten about'
• The 'Second Revolution'

  • Ernst Rohm said there needed to be a second Nazi revolution
  • In this revolution the SA would take over the German Army
• The SA

  • Thugs
  • In July 1933 they stopped being reserve policeman because they spent all day drinking and fighting
• Ernst Rohm

  • Loves fighting
  • Loves drinking
  • Is openly gay
• The German Army

  • Had only 100,000 men in it
  • If the 2.5 million men from the SA joined the German Army would be overwhelmed
  • The German Army leadership did not want the SA to take over the army
• Who do I back?

  The Nazi SA with 2.5 million men or the non-Nazi German army with 100000 men?
• Options

  • Merge the German Army with the SA. Put Ernst Rohm in charge.
  • Merge the German Army with the SA. Put An Army General in charge.
  • Allow some SA men to join the army, but not all 2.5 million.
  • Keep things as they are.
  • Kill the leadership of the army and put Ernst Rohm in charge.
  • Kill the leadership of the SA. Make sure the army has nothing to do with the SA.
• The SS

  • Part of the SA
  • Hitler's bodyguards
  • Led by Heinrich Himmler
  • Carried out the Night of the Long Knives
• The army were so grateful to Hitler

  They agreed to swear an oath of allegiance to him
• Hitler was now in charge of the army
• Hindenburg died

  August 2nd 1934
• Hitler became the President of Germany as well as the Chancellor
• Der Furher

  The new title given to Hitler