Hitler Takes Control - 1934 Flashcards
Why did Hitler want to eliminate the SA?
SA demanding Nazis introduce major social change, but Hitler worried their left-wing ideas would alienate groups he depended on most, i.e. the middle class, businessmen and industrialists
Leader of SA, Ernst Rohm, believed Hitler’s takeover followed by ‘Second Revolution’ which army would be crushed & SA would become Germany’s new army
Some Nazi high command like Goering & Himmler believe Rohm’s open gay damaging Nazi image
SA had two million members & wanted to take over smaller army - Hitler didn’t want to annoy military as it could overthrow him & he needed them to co-operate with his foreign policy
Hitler believed SA was only group that could stop him achieving dictatorship
What happened on the ‘Night of the Long Knives’?
Hitler moved against anyone he thought got in his way of dictatorship & executed them on 29-30th June 1934
100-200 people killed - including key Nazi leaders, like Ernst Rohm along with journalists, etc.
Previous chancellor Kurt Von Schleicher
How did Hitler justify the ‘Night of the Long Knives’?
Claimed that SA were homosexual & plotting against Germany
On 3rd July, government approved law stating that “the measures taken on 30th June and 1st and 2nd July to supress the acts of high treason are legal”
Both army leadership & president Von Hindenburg spoke of their appreciation for actions Hitler had taken
Why was the ‘Night of the Long Knives’ so important?
Destroyed all opposition to Hitler within the Nazi Party
Gave more power to SS, which became more important than Nazi Party in running dictatorship
Discouraged potential opponents as they knew they would be dealt with ruthlessly
How did Hitler make himself Führer?
Von Hindenburg died on 2nd August 1934
On 1st August, Hitler passed new law combining roles of president & chancellor - named ‘Fuhrer’
He gained control of the army in a number of ways:
He increased his popularity with them by eliminating SA - army disliked SA because it was setting itself up as rival
Members of army had to swear personal Oath of Allegiance (i.e. unconditional obedience) to Hitler, not Germany
Hitler kept army out of politics by keeping it busy with conscription and later rearmament
He held a referendum on 19 August 1934 - almost 90 per cent voted approved Hitler becoming Führer
Law for Protection of People & State meant local government shut down & replaced by reich councils
