As a result, a political struggle within the party grew, with those closest to Hitler, including Prussian premier Hermann Gring, Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels, Reichsfhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler, and Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess, positioning themselves against Rhm. During the 1920s and 1930s, the SA functioned as a private militia used by Hitler to intimidate rivals and disrupt the meetings of competing political parties, especially those of the Social Democrats and the Communists. As such, the Nazis consolidation of power relied on maintaining the illusion of a stable democracy. Whilst Gleichschaltung aimed to reach every aspect of rule in Germany, this was not always possible. The reshuffle took place against a backdrop of . Others killed included Gregor Strasser, a former Nazi who had angered Hitler by resigning from the party in 1932, and Gustav Ritter von Kahr, the former Bavarian state commissioner who had helped crush the Beer Hall Putsch in 1923. [11] Rhm saw violence as a means to political ends. This act was reinforced by the German Civil Service code of 26 January 1937, which retired any judges or judicial official who would not intervene in cases and rule in favour of the Nazis. The Night of Long Knives, also known as the Rhm Putsch, was the purge of the SA leadership and other political opponents from 30 June 1934 to 2 July 1934. What were Hitler's and the Nazi Party's ideas? Moonlight glistened on numerous silvery revolvers, contrasting with the sinister black uniforms. On 25 June, General Werner von Fritsch placed the Reichswehr on the highest level of alert. The atmosphere of terror that had followed the Reichstag Fire, and Hindenburgs and von Papens support, made the proposal seem legitimate and, to some, necessary. The Night of the Long Knives was a purge that took place in Nazi Germany. Night of the Long Knives. [41] Several leaders of the disbanded Catholic Centre Party were also murdered in the purge. 1. To a lesser extent, the Sturmabteilung (SA), a Nazi paramilitary organization, remained somewhat autonomous within the party. Rhm, however, wanted to eliminate the generalship of the Prussian aristocracy altogether, using the SA to become the core of a new German military. Grtner also declared in cabinet that the measure did not in fact create any new law, but simply confirmed the existing law. British cartoon by David Low, 1934 They salute with both hands, now! Night of the Long Knives (Classroom Activity) When the Nazi Party was first formed it was an anti-capitalist movement. He left Neudeck with the intention of both destroying Rhm and settling scores with old enemies. Reset Your Hosts File. July 13th 1962: The Night of the Long Knives - Politics.co.uk PDF Coercion and Consent in Nazi Germany - British Academy Gring's personal police battalion also took part in the killings. This hysteria helped to turn the public against the communists, one of the Nazis main opponents, and 4000 people were imprisoned. . We want to wait till Papa Hindenburg is dead, and then the SA will march against the army. The Night of the Long Knives. Hitler was shrewd enough to understand that he could never fully consolidate his grip on the country without the support of the army. 54 Night Of The Long Knives Premium High Res Photos IN THE CHILLY DAWN OF JUNE 30, 1934, TWO BLACK MERCEDES-BENZ automobiles wound their way around the misty western edge of Tegernsee Lake in the . Deprived of Communist party meetings to disrupt, the stormtroopers would sometimes run riot in the streets after a night of drinking; they would attack passers-by and then attack the police who were called to stop them. The Night of the Long Knives was a turning .

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