Latest / The History of Germany: Kingdoms, War, and Rebuilding Europe — Fexingo History / The Night of the Long Knives: Hitler's Purge of the SA
Transcript
- Lucas: So, we've talked a lot about how Hitler came to power, but one event that really cemented his control was something that happened just a few months after he became chancellor — the Night of the Long Knives. Luna: That's the purge of the SA, right? Ernst Röhm's stormtroopers? Lucas: Exactly. But it wasn't just about the SA. Hitler used that night to settle a lot of old scores and eliminate anyone he saw as a threat — inside and outside the party. It happened over June 30th and July 1st, 1934. Lucas: You know, if something we talk about today feels worth a coffee to you, that's the link — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's what keeps this show ad-free. Luna: Yeah, honestly it's a small thing that makes a big difference for us. Lucas: So the SA, the Sturmabteilung, had been the Nazi party's paramilitary wing. By 1934 they had over three million members. Röhm saw them as the nucleus of a new 'people's army' that would replace the traditional Reichswehr. That put him directly at odds with the army leadership. Luna: And Hitler needed the army's support, didn't he? Lucas: Absolutely. Hindenburg was still president, and the army was a key pillar of the old conservative elite. Hitler knew that if he wanted to succeed Hindenburg, he'd need the generals on his side. Röhm's ambition threatened that. Lucas: But there were others who wanted Röhm gone too. Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS, and Hermann Göring saw the SA as a rival. They fed Hitler reports that Röhm was planning a coup — whether true or not. Luna: So Hitler bought into that? Lucas: He played along, or maybe he genuinely feared it. Either way, on June 30th he flew to Munich, personally arrested Röhm at a resort in Bad Wiessee, and ordered the SS to start executing SA leaders across the country. Lucas: But the purge didn't stop at the SA. Hitler used the opportunity to kill other political enemies. Kurt von Schleicher, the former chancellor, was shot in his home. Gregor Strasser, a former Nazi rival, was arrested and executed. Even conservative critics like Edgar Jung were murdered. Luna: So it was a way to clean house entirely. Lucas: Exactly. The official death toll was put at around 85, but modern estimates range much higher — maybe hundreds. And it was all done outside the legal system. Hitler later had the Reichstag retroactively approve the killings as 'state necessity'. Luna: That's chilling. So the rule of law just collapsed. Lucas: It did. And the army was complicit. They'd been given a list of people to be killed, including two of their own generals, and they didn't protest. In return, the Reichswehr pledged loyalty to Hitler, and when Hindenburg died in August, Hitler merged the presidency and chancellorship. Luna: So the Night of the Long Knives really was the moment Hitler became the absolute ruler. Lucas: It was a turning point. The SS emerged as the main instrument of terror, the army was co-opted, and any internal opposition within the Nazi party was crushed. From then on, Hitler's word was law. Lucas: But there's also a personal dimension. Röhm and Hitler had been close — they were on first-name terms. The betrayal was brutal. Röhm was given a chance to commit suicide, but when he refused, he was shot in his cell. Luna: That's a grim end for someone who helped build the Nazi movement. Lucas: It was. And it sent a clear message: no one was indispensable. The Nazi revolution was now complete, and the next phase — the march toward war — could begin. Luna: I feel like this is one of those events that doesn't get as much attention as Kristallnacht or the Reichstag fire, but it's just as important. Lucas: Absolutely. It's the moment the Nazi state really became a dictatorship in practice, not just in name. And it shows how easily institutions can be dismantled when those in power are willing to use violence. Luna: Thanks for unpacking that. It's a lot to take in, but it makes the whole picture clearer.