Night of the Long Knives

Question 1

When did this occur?

Answer 1

30th June 1934

Question 2

Why did Hitler fear the SA/Rohm?

Answer 2

• Rohm merged army veterans with Stahlhelm with the SA (members up to 3 million)
• Rohm opposed Hitler’s policies (about Krupp, etc)
• Rohm was a threat to Hitler’s leadership
• SA undermined Nazi image of control/order

Question 3

Why did the army fear the SA?

Answer 3

Rohm wanted the SA to replace the German Army (too thuggish) and the army was only 100,000 compared to the SA

Question 4

How did Himmler exploit this and why?

Answer 4

`He claimed that Rohm was plotting a coup because they wanted to reduce the SA’s power and increase the SS’s status, Hitler believed him

Question 5

What happened to Rohm?

Answer 5

He was arrested and shot in Stadelheim

Question 6

What happened to Von Schleicher?

Answer 6

`Shot alongside his wife in the streets

Question 7

What happened to VP?

Answer 7

Under house arrest/later became ambassador of Austria

Question 8

What happened to Gregor Strasser?

Answer 8

Shot whilst locked in Gestapo

Question 9

Total killed?

Answer 9

400, including 150 senior members of the SA (shot without trail)

Question 10

After Von Hind’s death, Hitler did what?

Answer 10

• He moved in to take supreme power, declaring himself Fuhrer (gave himself powers of both chancellor and president)
• He made the army swear an oath of loyalty to him (‘holy’) and they wanted to avoid the SA taking over

Question 11

Why did the army matter to Hitler more than SA?

Answer 11

Hitler wanted expand Germany (lebensraum)