Night of the Long Knives ( Consolidation of Power )

Question 1

How did membership of the SA grow ?

Answer 1

• went from a membership of around 500,000 in January 1933, the organisation grew to around 3 million - strong a year later

Question 2

What recognised the SA’s powers legally ?

Answer 2

• activities gained legal authority
• in late February 1933, the SA and Stahlhelm were merged and became recognised as ‘ auxiliary police ‘

Question 3

What was SA violence like ?

Answer 3

• Much of the violence of the SA against Nazis’ political opponents, and against Jews, was unplanned, uncoordinated and piecemeal.

Question 4

How did Hitler view the Nazi Revolution ?

Answer 4

• In July 1933, Hitler was able to declare the Nazi revolution was over
• he acquired dictatorial powers and all other parties had been banned

Question 5

How did Ernst Rohm and the SA view the Nazi Revolution ?

Answer 5

• The Nazi Revolution was far from over and the SA were determined to continue with their violence until they achieved the Second Revolution

Question 6

What was Ernst Rohms aims for the SA ?

Answer 6

• For the SA to become the nucleus of a new national militia that would eventually absorb and replace siting army

Question 7

Why did the SA start to feel frustrated ?

Answer 7

• began to have a limited influence
• felt resentment at the way former conservative opponents of the Nazis were allowed to join the Nazi Party and take important jobs in local and central government.

Question 8

How did the army view the SA ?

Answer 8

• ambitions of the SA and its leader Ernst Rohm were regarded as a serious threat by the army leaders

Question 9

Why was support of the army important for Hitler ?

Answer 9

• army remained the only institution with the power to remove Hitler from office
• they were loyal to Hindenburg
• the army was not a Nazified institution

Question 10

When was the Night of the Long Knives ?

Answer 10

• 30 June 1934

Question 11

What was Hitler’s reaction / response of the NOTLK ?

Answer 11

• Hitler addressed the Reichstag on 13 July, accepting full responsibility for the executions
• he said, he was acting, as the ‘ supreme judge ‘ of the German people and had been compelled to act in order to save the country from an SA coup

Question 12

What was the Night of the Long Knives ?

Answer 12

• ruthless purge of the SA
• SS, acting on Hitler’s orders, eliminated the leadership of the SA and many other political opponents

Question 13

What was the impact of the NOTLK ?

Answer 13

• secured the army’s support
• Hitler also gained public support for his apparently decisive actions

Question 14

What was the impact of the NOTLK for the SA ?

Answer 14

• SA declined sharply after NOTLK, by October 1935, its membership had declined to 1.6 million
• Without Rohm as its leader, its political power was destroyed

Question 15

Victims of the NOTLK ?

Answer 15

• included Rohm and other leaders of the SA
• At least 84 were executed and another 1000 or more arrested
• Hitler took the opportunity to remove other opponents and settle some old scores : Among other victims were General Schleicher, Gregor Strasser and Gustav von Kahr

Question 16

Role of Papen in the cause of the NOTLK ?

Answer 16

• Papen made a Speech at Marburg University on the 17th June, in which he criticised Nazi excesses.
• Papen called for an end to terror and for Hitler to clamp down on the SA’s call for a Second Revolution. Speech had Hindenburg’s approval and was reported in the press.
• this increased pressure on Hitler to deal with the problem

Question 17

Short term cause of the NOTLK ?

Answer 17

• Bloomberg, again with Hindenburg’s support, threatened to declare martial law and give the army power to deal with the SA, matters came to a head.