Latest / The History of Germany: Kingdoms, War, and Rebuilding Europe — Fexingo History / The Night of the Long Knives: Hitler Purges the SA
Transcript
- Lucas: So, we've talked about how Hitler became chancellor in 1933, and how the Reichstag fire gave him emergency powers. But by mid-1934, his hold on power was still fragile in some ways. Luna: Fragile? He was already dictator, wasn't he? Lucas: In name, yes, but there were powerful forces he hadn't fully controlled. The SA — the Sturmabteilung, the brownshirts — had grown to nearly three million men under Ernst Röhm. They saw themselves as the true revolutionary army of the Nazi movement, and they wanted to replace the traditional German army, the Reichswehr. Lucas: Röhm was a close friend of Hitler, but he was also a rival. He talked openly about a 'second revolution' to redistribute wealth and break the power of the old elites. That terrified the industrialists and the conservative generals. Luna: So Hitler had to choose between the SA and the regular army. Lucas: Exactly. And the army's leadership made it clear: they would only support Hitler if he reined in the SA. They saw the brownshirts as a mob that threatened their monopoly on military force. Plus, President Hindenburg was old, and when he died, Hitler wanted the army's backing to combine the presidency and chancellorship. Lucas: Meanwhile, Heinrich Himmler and Hermann Göring were quietly building a case against Röhm. The SS and the Gestapo spread rumours that Röhm was plotting a coup. Whether true or not, it gave Hitler the excuse he needed. Luna: What exactly happened on the night? Lucas: The purge ran from June 30 to July 2, 1934. Hitler personally flew to a spa town called Bad Wiessee, where Röhm and other SA leaders were staying. They were arrested in their beds — some were shot on the spot. In Berlin, Göring and Himmler directed the SS to execute dozens more. Lucas: The list of victims went beyond the SA. They killed former Chancellor Kurt von Schleicher and his wife, Gregor Strasser — a former Nazi rival — and even conservative critics like Edgar Jung. The total number executed is estimated between 85 and 200, though some say more. Luna: Wait, why kill Schleicher? He wasn't in the SA. Lucas: He was a political enemy from the old guard, and Hitler wanted to eliminate anyone who could potentially challenge him. Schleicher had been chancellor and had even tried to split the Nazi movement. By killing him, Hitler sent a message that no one was safe. Lucas: Röhm wasn't killed immediately. Hitler hesitated, but eventually gave the order. He was shot in his cell on July 1. The official story was that he was killed trying to escape. Luna: And the public reaction? Lucas: Remarkably, many Germans accepted it. Hitler's propaganda portrayed the purge as a necessary crackdown on a homosexual conspiracy and a coup attempt. The army thanked Hitler for restoring order. Hindenburg sent a telegram expressing 'profound gratitude'. Lucas: Legally, the government passed a law on July 3 retroactively declaring the killings 'legal acts of self-defense by the state'. That set a terrifying precedent: the regime could murder with impunity. Luna: So the SA was neutered, and the SS gained power. Lucas: Exactly. The SS became an independent organization under Himmler, and its influence skyrocketed. The army pledged personal loyalty to Hitler, and when Hindenburg died in August, Hitler merged the presidency and chancellorship. The 'Night of the Long Knives' removed the last obstacles to absolute rule. Lucas: It also showed that Hitler was willing to murder anyone, even old friends, to secure power. That ruthlessness became a hallmark of the Nazi regime. Luna: It's chilling how quickly they normalized political murder. Lucas: Yes, and the silence of the conservative elites — the generals, the judges, the civil servants — who looked the other way because they got what they wanted: order and a curb on the SA's radicalism. That compromise sealed the fate of Germany.