Finally, Hitler used the purge to attack or eliminate German critics of his new regime, especially those loyal to Vice-Chancellor Franz von Papen, as well as to settle scores with old enemies.[a]. Gring declared that the communists had planned a national uprising to overthrow the Weimar Republic. From the airport they drove to the Bavarian Interior Ministry, where they assembled the leaders of an SA rampage that had taken place in city streets the night before. The Enabling Law allowed them to do this under the guise of legality. By 1935, over 1,600 newspapers had been closed. This new law gave Hitler the power to rule by decree rather than passing laws through the Reichstag and the president. How seriously Hitler took the socialist character of National Socialism was to remain one of the main causes of disagreement and division within the Nazi party up to the summer of 1934. Night of the Long Knives (1962) - Wikipedia As the SA were known for being violent and unruly, many saw this as a legitimate move by the government to ensure public order. illusion Goebbels engineered the media coverage following the attack to present it as a preventative measure, in response to the SAs plan to overthrow the government. Night of the Long Knives: Summary & Victims | StudySmarter government, under President Hindenburg. The resources all include suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and come in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change. The SA also ran a violent campaign of terror against any and all opponents of the Nazi regime. [45] Then, on 13 July 1934,[52] Hitler justified the purge in a nationally broadcast speech to the Reichstag: If anyone reproaches me and asks why I did not resort to the regular courts of justice, then all I can say is this. was 10.99. In Rhm's view, President Hindenburg's appointment of Hitler as chancellor on 30 January 1933 had brought the Nazi Party to power, but had left unfulfilled the party's larger goals. There were 4 main reasons why the Night of the Long Knives occurred: Ernst Rhm had become too powerful with 3 million SA loyal to him. A very large number of the Freikorps believed that the November Revolution had betrayed them when Germany was alleged to be on the verge of victory in 1918. Despite his earlier agreement with Hitler, Rhm still clung to his vision of a new German army with the SA at its core. Centuries of jurisprudence proscribing extrajudicial killings were swept aside. [71], In late 1934early 1935, Werner von Fritsch and Werner von Blomberg, who had been shamed into joining Hammerstein and Mackensen's rehabilitation campaign, successfully pressured Hitler into rehabilitating Generals von Schleicher and von Bredow. At least 85 people died during the purge, although the final death toll may have been in the hundreds,[b][c][d] with high estimates running from 700 to 1,000. Despite this, on the whole, Gleichschaltung was largely successful. [20] Although Schleicher was in fact unimportant by 1934, increasingly wild rumours that he was scheming with Rhm to re-enter the corridors of power helped stoke the sense of crisis. [64] One retired captain, Erwin Planck, seemed to realize this: "If you look on without lifting a finger", he said to his friend, General Werner von Fritsch, "you will meet the same fate sooner or later. [29], In preparation for the purge, both Himmler and Heydrich assembled a dossier of manufactured evidence to suggest that Rhm had been paid 12 million (EUR 29.1million in 2023) by France to overthrow Hitler. And let it be known for all time to come that if anyone raises his hand to strike the State, then certain death is his lot. Until then, Lippert had been one of the few executioners of the purge to evade trial. This continued when a young Dutchcommunist, Van der Lubbe was arrested for the crime. Whilst Gleichschaltung aimed to reach every aspect of rule in Germany, this was not always possible. [35] Goebbels emphasised this aspect in subsequent propaganda justifying the purge as a crackdown on moral turpitude. The Nazi Party used the atmosphere of panic to their advantage, encouraging anti-communism. Through the use of primary sources, students will gain a deeper understanding of the motivations, actions, and consequences of the Night of the Long Knives. Rhm is pictured here on the left next to Rudolf Hess, who was the deputy Fhrer from 1933-1941. He dismissed seven ministers - one-third of the cabinet - and . [24] Before Hitler left, and at the request of Presidential State Secretary Otto Meiner, Foreign Minister Baron Konstantin von Neurath ordered the German Ambassador to Italy Ulrich von Hassell without Hitler's knowledge to ask Mussolini to tell Hitler that the SA was blackening Germany's good name. Enraged, Hitler tore the epaulets off the shirt of Obergruppenfhrer August Schneidhuber, the chief of the Munich police, for failing to keep order in the city the previous night. He then told Hitler that Hindenburg was close to declaring martial law and turning the government over to the Reichswehr if Hitler did not take immediate steps against Rhm and his brownshirts. [31] On 27 June, Hitler moved to secure the army's cooperation. Historian Gavin Mortimer explains how Hitler nearly came unstuck as early as 1934 - and that the bloody purge that followed was a warning of horrors to come . While all of these men were veterans of the Nazi movement, only Rhm continued to demonstrate his independence from, rather than his loyalty to, Adolf Hitler. "[55] Reich Justice Minister Franz Grtner, a conservative who had been Bavarian Justice Minister in the years of the Weimar Republic, demonstrated his loyalty to the new regime by drafting the statute, which added a legal veneer to the purge. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The next German minister there was Papen, with the mission of steering Austro-German relations into a friendly and normal channel again. Soon after arriving in Vienna, he told the U.S. minister, George S. Messersmith, that all of southeastern Europe, to the borders of Turkey, was Germanys natural hinterland and that achieving control of Austria was to be the first step in that direction. Night of the Long Knives: Jonathan Petropoulos Prisons soon became stretched for space. On 25 April 1933, the Law Against Overcrowding in Schools and Universities was issued, restricting the number of Jewish students. After Hitler and most of the army officers had left, however, Rhm declared that he would not take instructions from "the ridiculous corporal" a demeaning reference to Hitler. Answer (1 of 5): if you were Ernst Rohm, or former conniving Chancellor Gen von Schleicher or his wife, the consequences were terminal. He held the same position with Rhm as I held with Himmler. [57][58], A special fund administered by SS General Franz Breithaupt was set up for the relatives of the murdered, from which they were cared for at the expense of the state. [12] Although nicknamed the "Rubber Lion" by some of his critics in the army for his devotion to Hitler, Blomberg was not a Nazi, and therefore represented a bridge between the army and the party. In response, Hitler met Blomberg and the leadership of the SA and SS on 28 February 1934. Only the SPD opposed it. Rhm was given the nickname "The Machine Gun King of Bavaria" in the early 1920s, since he was responsible for storing and issuing illegal machine guns to the Bavarian Freikorps units. Night Of The Long Knives: What Happened & Why? | HistoryExtra Corrections? The Night of Long Knives was the purge of the SA leadership and other political opponents from the 30 June 1934 to the 2 July 1934. You gave these parties 14 years to ruin Germany! Conservatives in the army, industry and politics placed Hitler under increasing pressure to reduce the influence of the SA and to move against Rhm. [25] While Mussolini's criticism did not win Hitler over to acting against the SA, it helped push him in that direction.[25]. They understood the need to appear moderate and take over slowly by democratic means where possible, maintaining the stability and illusion of a democracy. By the end of 1934, the Nazis had managed to infiltrate and take control of every major aspect of German government. [33] On 28 June Hitler went to Essen to attend the wedding celebration and reception of Josef Terboven; from there he called Rhm's adjutant at Bad Wiessee and ordered SA leaders to meet with him on 30 June at 11:00. On 7 April 1943, the SS shut down the Chemno death camp for the first time. [41], The regime did not limit itself to a purge of the SA. You give Hitler power and time by voting HITLER!. The Night of the Long Knives - Jewish Virtual Library 8. [37] Meanwhile, the SS arrested the other SA leaders as they left their train for the planned meeting with Rhm and Hitler. Let the nation know that its existence which depends on its internal order and security cannot be threatened with impunity by anyone! Night of the Long Knives | History | tutor2u This would allow them to rule unopposed and unhindered by coalition governments. [69] The memo went on to demand that Hindenburg punish those responsible, and criticized Blomberg for his outspoken support of the murders of Schleicher and Bredow. The SA evolved out of the remnants of the Freikorps movement of the post-World War I years. Excellency, save Germany for the fourth time! In conclusion, this lesson plan on Night of the Long Knives Rohm Source Investigation, provides an in-depth examination of one of the most controversial events in modern history. [13], If the regular army showed contempt for the masses belonging to the SA, many stormtroopers returned the feeling, seeing the army as insufficiently committed to the National Socialist revolution. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. 5. impact of nazi foreign policy mrmarr 4.9K views . On 25 June, General Werner von Fritsch placed the Reichswehr on the highest level of alert. It established Hitler as "the supreme leader of the German people", as he put it in his 13 July speech to the Reichstag. Many of the prisoners were tortured and abused. Tes paid licenceHow can I reuse this? The History Learning Site, 9 Mar 2015. In 1933, up to 200,000 people were seized and imprisoned by the SA and the SS. Many of those that were harassed by the SA and the SS or imprisoned in camps were terrified to speak out about their ordeal fearing that they would be further abused or re-imprisoned. How did the Night of the Long Knives help to create a dictatorship out of a democracy? Paul von Hindenburg was the president of the Weimar Republic from the 12 May 1925 until his death on the 2 August 1934. [He] died with words "Heil Hitler" on his lips. Ernst Rhm was murdered in the event known as the Rhm Putsch, or the Night of Long Knives. Hitler formally adopted this title in April 1942, thus placing himself above the reach of the law de jure and de facto. The consolidation of power that had begun barely a month before with the purge of Rhm and the SA was complete. Carried out primarily by the SS and the Gestapo, over 150 people were murdered and hundreds more were arrested. The undersigned Generals and senior officers swear to preserve to the last breath their loyalty to you and the Fatherland. Leading members of the leftist-leaning Strasserist faction of the Nazi Party, including its leader Gregor Strasser, were also killed, as were establishment conservatives and anti-Nazis, such as former Chancellor Kurt von Schleicher and Bavarian politician Gustav Ritter von Kahr, who had helped suppress Hitler's Munich Beer Hall Putsch in 1923. "Rhm was given the opportunity to draw the consequences of his treacherous behaviour," said Hitler in . Hitler's entire life was one of making key-life and death-strategic decisions, successfully. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Despite some initial efforts by local prosecutors to take legal action against those who carried out the murders, which the regime rapidly quashed, it appeared that no law would constrain Hitler in his use of power. The Night of the Long Knives was a turning point for the German government. July 13th 1962: The Night of the Long Knives - Politics.co.uk : Why did Hitler order the massacre of hundreds of Nazis. This resource hasn't been reviewed yet. The trial of Van der Lubbe following the Reichstag fire. In his speech to the Reichstag on 13 July justifying his actions, Hitler denounced Schleicher for conspiring with Rhm to overthrow the government; Hitler alleged both were traitors working in the pay of France. [25] During the summit in Venice, Mussolini upbraided Hitler for tolerating the violence, hooliganism and homosexuality of the SA, which Mussolini stated were ruining Hitler's good reputation all over the world. The Night of Long Knives was the purge of the SA leadership and other political opponents from the 30 June 1934 to the 2 July 1934. [32] Blomberg and General Walther von Reichenau, the army's liaison to the party, gave it to him by expelling Rhm from the German Officers' League. This photograph was taken the same day, showing the Reichstag still burning. However, the threat of a declaration of martial law from Hindenburg, the only person in Germany with the authority to potentially depose the Nazi regime, put Hitler under pressure to act. The Night of the Long Knives (in addition to Hindenburgs deatha few months later) helped Hitler and the Nazi Party to consolidate absolute power in Germany by removing their political opposition. Leading officers in the SS were shown falsified evidence on 24 June that Rhm planned to use the SA to launch a plot against the government (Rhm-Putsch). At first, its architects seemed split on how to handle the event. Also killed that night were hundreds of other perceived . NHS services across England will face major disruption throughout today as nurses walk out in a 28-hour strike over pay. 9. "[74], Hitler named Viktor Lutze to replace Rhm as head of the SA. Not content solely with the leadership of the SA, Rhm lobbied Hitler to appoint him Minister of Defence, a position held by the conservative General Werner von Blomberg. The speed and scale of the reshuffle caused it to be associated by its critics with the 1934 Night of the Long Knives in Nazi Germany . She even compared him to Frederick the Great, the 18th-century king of Prussia.[2]. Zanu PF's Night of the Long Knives - Nehanda Radio By May, lists of those to be "liquidated" started to circulate amongst Gring and Himmler's people, who engaged in a trade, adding enemies of one in exchange for sparing friends of the other. The Nazis improvised. The Nazis also took several more steps to reduce their political opposition legally. Night of the Long Knives: newspaper coverage, Third Reich: The Rhm affair and the Night of the Long Knives, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/Night-of-the-Long-Knives, Spartacus Educational - Night of the Long Knives, History Learning Site - The Night of the Long Knives, Alpha History - The Night of the Long Knives, German soldiers swearing allegiance to Adolf Hitler. Rhm, however, wanted to eliminate the generalship of the Prussian aristocracy altogether, using the SA to become the core of a new German military. It was a mass murder planned by the SS for the SA and their members. Through these aspects the Nazis suppressed any opposition to their power, and were able to start the road from democracy to a dictatorship. Lippert was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison.[50]. AQA 8145 - Night of the Long Knives | Teaching Resources Courtesy of The Wiener Holocaust Library Collections. Other sets by this creator. Wiskemann, Elizabeth, "The Night of the Long Knives", This page was last edited on 9 April 2023, at 02:08. On 1 July, at Hitler's behest, Theodor Eicke, Commandant of the Dachau concentration camp, and his SS adjutant Michael Lippert visited Rhm. approved a bill legalising the purge as emergency defence measures. [83], Before its execution, the purges instigators referred to the plans under the codename Hummingbird (German: Kolibri), the word used to command execution squads into action on 30 June. [18], Finally, in early 1934, the growing rift between Rhm and Hitler over the role of the SA in the Nazi state led former chancellor General Kurt von Schleicher to start playing politics again. Whilst the pseudo-legal measures were one factor that helped the Nazis to consolidate power, another was terror and intimidation. [28] Hitler had hesitated for months in moving against Rhm, in part due to Rhm's visibility as the leader of a national militia with millions of members. leaders knew consequences of questioning Hitler - role of SA was reduced - membership dropped from 2.9 million to 1.6 million. Gring instructed police stations to burn "all documents concerning the action of the past two days". If that was indeed true then, as a legal matter, the law was entirely unnecessary and redundant. Goebbels soon radicalised each of these areas, ensuring that they advocated Nazi ideas. The Centre Partys vote was crucial. The Night of the Long Knives was extremely significant in the establishment of the Nazi dictatorship and ultimately Hitler's power. 1 Quoted in Richard J. Evans, The Third Reich in Power (New York: Penguin Books, 2005), 37-38. The Nazi adoption of the phrase for an upcoming violent event was well known even to the foreign press, with the 2 August 1932 issue of The Times reporting that: Prominent Nazi leaders have played upon the imaginations of their followers..with such phrases as the night of the long knives and a vengeance for every Nazi killed.[79]. It will first explore this topic in chronological order, from the Reichstag Fire through to the death of President Hindenburg, and then explore it thematically in the last section. persecution Fearing that the paramilitary SA had become too powerful, Hitler ordered his elite SS guards to murder the organization's leaders, including Ernst Rhm. The Nazis immediately used the Enabling Law to remove civil rights. For the full article, see Night of the Long Knives . "A very calm and easy going mailman," the diarist Victor Klemperer wrote, "who is not at all National Socialist, said, 'Well, he simply sentenced them.'" Hitler's desire to consolidate his power and settle old scores, Desire of Ernst Rhm and the SA to continue "the National Socialist revolution" versus Hitler's need for relative social stability so that the economy could be refocused to rearmament and the German people acclimated to the need for expansion and war, Hitler's need to bring the Reichswehr under his control, Significant reduction in the regime's opposition, Strengthening of relationship between Hitler and the military. Updates? Hitler announced to those present that the SA would act as an auxiliary to the Reichswehr, not the other way around. On the 31 January 1933, Hitler, conscious of his lack of a majority in the Reichstag, immediately called for new elections to try and strengthen his position. Blomberg, Hitler and Goebbels. Goering, Himmler, and Heydrich, Hitler's new head of internal security for the SS, got together and drew up a list of opponents to Hitler's new Government, while Goebbels publicly accused Ernst Rhm of planning a takeover or 'Putsch'. Night of the Long Knives | Date, Victims, Summary, & Facts [69] Finally, Hammerstein and Mackensen asked that Hindenburg reorganize the government by firing Baron Konstantin von Neurath, Robert Ley, Hermann Gring, Werner von Blomberg, Joseph Goebbels and Richard Walther Darr from the Cabinet. Vice-Chancellor Franz von Papen only narrowly escaped inclusion among the victims, and he was dismissed from the vice-chancellorship three days later (July 3). Some of those executed by Hitler were once considered close allies and friends. Night of the Long Knives - SlideShare The first concentration camp, Dachau, opened in a broken-down munitions factory on the 20 March 1933, imprisoning primarily political prisoners. The news of it was received with consternation and disgust in the other European capitals, but the shock was greatest in Rome. Although Hitler ordered him released days later, Papen no longer dared to criticize the regime and was sent off to Vienna as German ambassador.[43]. To take control of cultural policy, the Nazis appointed Joseph Goebbels as Minister for Public Engagement and Propaganda on the 13 March 1933. [m] Years later, in November 1945, while being interviewed by psychologist Gustave Gilbert in his cell during the Nuremberg trials, Gring angrily justified the killings to Gilbert, "It's a damn good thing I wiped them out, or they would have wiped us out!"[85]. Plenary: Form a circle of 6-8 students and paraphrase passport everything you have learnt about the Night of the Long Knives. On 15 April 1945, Bergen-Belsen camp was liberated by the British Army. The destiny of our country is at stake. Rhm was a potential rival to Hitler's position. "[67] The extent of the massacre and the relative ubiquity of the Gestapo, however, meant that those who disapproved of the purge generally kept quiet about it. You were murdered June 30-July 2, 1934, the Night of the Long Knives. While Nazism was not exclusively or even primarily a working-class phenomenon, the SA fulfilled the yearning of many unemployed workers for class solidarity and nationalist fervour. Shortly after Hindenburgs death, Hitler announced that offices of the chancellor and the president were to be combined to create one position, the Fhrer and chancellor. Once inside Rhm's cell, they handed him a Browning pistol loaded with a single cartridge and told him he had ten minutes to kill himself or they would do it for him. "[35] Having heard nothing in the allotted time, they returned to Rhm's cell at 14:50 to find him standing, with his bare chest puffed out in a gesture of defiance. The Foreign Office even complained of instances where brownshirts manhandled foreign diplomats. [21], As a means of isolating Rhm, on 20 April 1934, Gring transferred control of the Prussian political police (Gestapo) to Himmler, who, Gring believed, could be counted on to move against Rhm. Rhm was the leader of the Nazi Brownshirts . On the 2 May 1933 trade unions were banned. The Night of the Long Knives, June 1934 - gcsehistory.com Religion and The Bloody Chamber. Despite this improvement, the Nazis still did not command a majority in the Reichstag. Under pressure from Hitler, Rhm reluctantly signed a pledge stating that he recognised the supremacy of the Reichswehr over the SA. [69], Hindenburg never responded to the memo, and it remains unclear whether he even saw it, as Otto Meiner, who decided that his future was aligned with the Nazis, may not have passed it along. It targeted potential threats to Hitler's power, particularly within the NSDAP's fast-growing and politically vocal paramilitary wing, the Sturmabteilung or SA. isabellaaellis. . Thus from June 30 to July 2, 1934, which the chancellor later titled the Night of the Long Knives, Hitler purged any and all opposition in his way to a dictatorship. What were the consequences of the Night of the Long Knives? [84], The Night of the Long Knives represented a triumph for Hitler, and a turning point for the German government. , First was his old comrade Ernst Rhm, chief of staff of the SA (Sturmabteilung; German: Assault Division), or Brownshirts. The Nazis had the support of the DNVP, and had banned the communist party, the KPD, from attending. [38] Joseph Goebbels, who had been with Hitler at Bad Wiessee, set the final phase of the plan in motion. The atmosphere of uncertainty following the Reichstag Fire secured many voters for the Nazi party. Reichswehr Within weeks of Rhms death, Hitler made an attempt to settle the question of union with Austria through simple violence. As the stormtroopers were hustled off to prison, Hitler assembled a large group of SS and regular police, and departed for the Hanselbauer Hotel in Bad Wiessee, where Ernst Rhm and his followers were staying.[36]. The Night of the Long Knives - Nazi Germany [63], Former Kaiser Wilhelm II, who was in exile in Doorn, Netherlands, was horrified by the purge. [38], Although Hitler presented no evidence of a plot by Rhm to overthrow the regime, he nevertheless denounced the leadership of the SA. The Night of the Long Knives is regarded as an important political episode that had far-reaching consequences, not only in Nazi Germany but across the world. "[46], Some SA members died saying "Heil Hitler" because they believed that an anti-Hitler SS plot had led to their execution. [37] Arriving back at party headquarters in Munich, Hitler addressed the assembled crowd. This hysteria helped to turn the public against the communists, one of the Nazis main opponents, and 4000 people were imprisoned. This event reputedly occurred during the fifth century Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, when Vortigern and the British leaders were invited to discuss peace and the Saxon leader Hengist commanded his men to draw their Seax (the infamous long knives) and massacre the unarmed Britons. An atmosphere of panic and terror followed the event. We want to wait till Papa Hindenburg is dead, and then the SA will march against the army. Rhm demurred, telling them, "If I am to be killed, let Adolf do it himself. Hess, present among the assembled, even volunteered to shoot the "traitors". Gleichschaltung was applied across every possible aspect of government policy. [76], According to Albert Speer, "the Right, represented by the President, the Minister of Justice, and the generals, lined up behind Hitler the strong left wing of the party, represented chiefly by the SA, was eliminated. Source starter, video introducing the night of the long knives, source analysis assessing causes and consequences of the night of the long knives, describe 4 mark question built in and overall judgement building on the learning sequence of the most significant reason Hitler was able to establish a dictatorship. , who had previously been a separate organisation, now swore a personal allegiance to Hitler. A telegram purportedly from the ailing Hindenburg, Germany's highly revered military hero, expressed his "profoundly felt gratitude", and congratulated Hitler for "nipping treason in the bud",[61] although Hermann Gring later admitted during the Nuremberg trials that the telegram was never seen by Hindenburg, and was actually written by the Nazis. On 1 April 1933, the Nazi Party led a nationwide boycott of Jewish-owned businesses across Germany. retrospectively [78], The term "long knives" as a metonym for treachery and violence had been used to describe the Treason of the Long Knives since this incident was recorded in the 9th century Historia Brittonum. Civil Service During the years of the rise of the Nazi Party, the SA had been instrumental in helping the party to gain support. A firefighter in the burnt out ruins of the Reichstag building. Just two months later, on 14 July 1933 the Nazis used the Enabling Act to ban all political parties except the Nazi Party. Nazi propaganda presented the murders as a preventive measure against an alleged imminent coup by the SA under Rhm the so-called Rhm Putsch. People could be imprisoned for any or no reason. Both Kurt von Schleicher, Hitler's predecessor as Chancellor, and his wife were murdered at their home. Hitler told the gathered officials, "The stream of revolution has been undammed, but it must be channelled into the secure bed of evolution. [i] Rhm, as one of the earliest members of the Nazi Party, had participated in the Munich Beer Hall Putsch, an attempt by Hitler to seize power by force in 1923. They had placed many in the first The leaders of the SA were ordered to attend a meeting at a hotel in Bad Wiesse, Bavaria. Whilst the purge focused on the SA, the Nazis also used the event to eliminate other political opponents, such as the former chancellor Kurt von Schleicher. [15] In January 1934, Rhm presented Blomberg with a memorandum demanding that the SA replace the regular army as the nation's ground forces, and that the Reichswehr become a training adjunct to the SA.[16]. Reorganisation and the Bamberg Conference, The role of economic instability in the Nazi rise to power, The role of political instability in the Nazi rise to power, The role of the conservative elite in the Nazi rise to power. The Night of the Long Knives is a harrowingif little knownevent in the history of the Troubles, but it served as an important link in the torturously slow process of transitioning from .