Night of the Long Knives

On 30 June 1934, Adolf Hitler led a purge against his fellow Nazi leaders. Hitler believed that the SA (Brownshirts) were becoming too powerful and threatened his leadership. Consequently, Hitler executed the leaders of the Brownshirts along with many other of his opponents. This event has come to be known as the Night of the Long Knives (1934).

The Night of the Long Knives Summary

Here is a brief timeline outlining the events of the Night of the Long Knives in Germany:

Origins of the SA

The SA was founded in 1921 by Adolf Hitler. The organisation consisted of Freikorps (Free Corps) members in its early days.

Utilised by Hitler, the SA threatened political opponents, guarded Nazi party meetings, intimidated voters during elections, and marched in Nazi rallies.

Fig. 1 - SA Emblem

In January 1931, Ernst Rohm became the leader of the SA. An ardent anti-capitalist, Rohm wanted the SA to become Germany's primary military force. By 1933, Rohm had somewhat achieved this. The SA grew from 400,000 members in 1932 to nearly 2 million in 1933, some twenty times larger than the German Army.

Hitler's Obstacles

In May 1934, four obstacles prevented Hitler from holding absolute power:

• Ernst Rohm: Throughout 1934, there were plans to reorganise Germany's army; the Reichswehr was soon to be replaced by a new Wehrmacht. Ernst Rohm wanted to have the SA incorporated into the Wehrmacht. This would make him an incredibly powerful figure and potential rival to Hitler.

• Paul von Hindenburg: President Paul von Hindenburg was still in office. If he wished, Hindenburg could stop Hitler by handing over control to the Reichswehr.

• Tensions between the Nazi elite and the SA: Throughout the early stages of Hitler's chancellorship, there were significant tensions between the Nazi hierarchy and the SA. The SA, led by the anti-capitalist Rohm, wanted to remove the conservative elite from office. Hitler disagreed with this, believing that the transition had to be moderate, gradual, and as democratic as possible.

Fig. 2 - Ernst Rohm

Night of the Long Knives 1934

Let's examine the planning process behind the Night of the Long Knives.

On 11 April 1934, Adolf Hitler and Minister of Defence General Werner von Blomberg met onboard the Deutschland cruise ship. They struck a deal whereby Hitler would destroy the SA in exchange for the army's support. Initially, Hitler was still unsure about sacrificing Rohm; Hitler met one final time with Rohm to try to reach an agreement regarding conservatives in government positions. After an unsuccessful five-hour meeting, Hitler finally agreed to sacrifice Rohm.

In June 1934, Hitler and Goring drew up a list of those to be executed; the list was called the 'Reich List of Unwanted Persons' with the operation codenamed 'Hummingbird'. Hitler justified Operation Hummingbird by framing Rohm, fabricating that Rohm was planning a coup against him.

Fig. 3 - National Defense Measures

Night of the Long Knives Germany

On 30 June 1934, the SA hierarchy was summoned to a hotel in Bad Wiesse. There, Hitler arrested Rohm and the other SA leaders, alleging that Rohm was plotting to overthrow him. Over the following days, the SA leaders were executed without trial. Despite being initially pardoned, Rohm was sentenced to death and given a choice between suicide or murder; Rohm chose murder and was swiftly executed by the SS on 1 July 1934.

Night of the Long Knives Victims

It was not just the SA that was purged during the Night of the Long Knives. Several other perceived political opponents were executed without trial. Other Night of the Long Knives victims include:

• Ferdinand von Bredow, head of Germany's military intelligence services.
• Gregor Strasser, Hitler's second-in-command in the Nazi Party until 1932.
• Kurt von Schleicher, the former Chancellor.
• Edgar Jung, conservative critic.
• Erich Klausener, Catholic professor.
• Gustav von Kahr, Bavarian ex-separatist.

Aftermath of the Night of the Long Knives

By 2 July 1934, the SA had collapsed, and the SS had total control of Germany. Hitler entitled the purge the 'Night of the Long Knives' – a reference to the lyrics from a popular Nazi song. He stated that 61 people had been executed and 13 had committed suicide. However, most accounts argue that as many as 1,000 deaths occurred during the Night of the Long Knives.

President Hindenburg congratulated the efficiency with which Hitler acted against the SA. Hindenburg died the following month, giving Hitler total control of Germany.

Hitler Night of the Long Knives

Soon after the execution of Rohm, Hitler tried to take control of Austria. On 25 July 1934, Austrian Nazis attempted to take over the Austrian government, murdering Chancellor Englebert Dollfuss.

Fig. 4 - Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss

Despite killing Dolfuss, the coup ultimately failed, gleaning widespread condemnation from the European states. Italian leader Benito Mussolini strongly criticised the actions of Germany, sending four divisions of troops to the Austrian border. Hitler denied all responsibility for the attempted coup, sending his condolences for the death of Dollfuss.

Consequences of the Night of the Long Knives

There were several consequences of Hitler's Night of the Long Knives:

• The collapse of the SA: The Night of the Long Knives saw the collapse of the once-powerful SA.

• Increased power of the SS: After the Night of the Long Knives, Hitler granted the SS independent status from the SA.

• Hitler became judge, jury, and executioner: While justifying the Night of the Long Knives, Hitler proclaimed himself the 'supreme judge' of Germany, essentially placing himself above the law.

• The German Army decided their allegiance: The hierarchy of the German Army condoned the actions of Hitler during the Night of the Long Knives.

It's hard to fully comprehend how one summer's night could have such an impact on European history; within a mere matter of hours, Hitler had purged his political opponents and established himself as the 'supreme judge of Germany'. The removal of his internal enemies and the subsequent death of President Hindenburg allowed Hitler to combine the offices of the President and Chancellor. With his power consolidated and his political rivals killed, Adolf Hitler had quickly become the all-powerful dictator of Nazi Germany.