Facts about the brutal anti-Nazi action taken by Hitler to consolidate his own power base

1. The Night of the
Long Knives; Death of
Hindenburg, Oath of
Allegiance

2. Hitler was increasingly
powerful within Germany. His
control of the police and
security forces meant most
were scared to challenge him.
However Hitler worried that he
faced rivalry from within his
own party and supporters. He
took violent action to end this
possibility.

3. Hitler’s power in Germany was
strong but not absolute.
The Enabling Act meant that
the Fuhrer controlled
Germany, but Hitler feared
being removed as Fuhrer.
Hitler was also concerned that
the Army had not sworn
allegiance to him.

4. Hitler's key worry was the SA.
Led by Ernst Rohm, they were a
revolutionary group. Their two
million members meant they
were bigger than the army.
Rohm had suggested merging
his SA with the Reichswehr,
creating a powerful group. It
was claimed he was plotting a
second revolution to achieve
socialism in Germany.

5. By 29 June 1934, Hitler had
decided to take action to stop
any potential opponent to his
power. He secured the support
of the army to tackle the SA.
Hitler sent members of the SS
to kill his rivals. Over two days
(29th-30th June), the SS carried
out arrests of SA leaders, and
other rivals to Hitler.

6. Men such as former Chancellor
Kurt von Schleicher, Nazi
organiser Gregor Strasser and
SA leader Ernst Rohm were
arrested. Others close to Vice-
Chancellor Papen were targeted.
Some were shot during the
purge, others were bludgeoned
to death. Rohm refused to
commit suicide and was shot.

7. The total death rate from the
Night of the Long Knives is
debated. At the time estimates
ranged from up to 1000
people killed, but generally
the figure is now agreed to be
around 90.
Hitler had been advised to take
these actions by the Italian
fascist leader, Benito
Mussolini.

8. News of the purge began to
spread, but Goebbels prevented
newspapers from publishing
lists of the dead. It was claimed
Hitler had stopped an
attempted coup.
On 3 July 1934, Hitler and then
the Cabinet then agreed a law
which made the Night of the
Long Knives a legal act.

9. On 13 July 1934, Hitler
addressed the Reichstag. This
was the first time Germans
were officially told about the
events in June.
Hitler said that those killed
had been involved in treason
against Germany. He also
warned that other people
doing likewise would face the
same fate.

10. The Night of the Long Knives
helped Hitler secure his
control of Germany.
The army praised his actions,
and he was also given the
support of President
Hindenburg. Many ordinary
Germans believed the rumour
that Schleicher and Rohm were
working with France.

11. On 2 August 1934, just over
one month after the Night of
the Long Knives, President
Hindenburg died, aged 86.
Hindenburg had been a
national hero, and Hitler had
faced some limits on his
power. Now that Hindenburg
was dead, this was no longer
the case.

12. The day before Hindenburg’s
death, on 1 August 1934, Hitler
knew that the President was
close to death. Thus the Cabinet
passed a law that after
Hindenburg’s death the offices
of Chancellor and President
would be merged.
Hitler then became head of state
and the head of government.

13. Hitler held a referendum on
19 August 1934, asking the
German people if they agreed
with merging the roles of
President and Chancellor.
90% voted yes.
In passing this law, Hitler had
actually violated the Enabling
Act, which said that he could
not interfere with the
Presidency.

14. Leaders of the army hoped that
with a weakened SA, they
would have a stronger influence
in Germany.
It was proposed that, after
Hindenburg’s death, soldiers
should make an oath of
allegiance to Hitler. The
Generals hoped this would
mean that both groups were
formally linked.

15. After the President’s death,
the army made an oath of
personal loyalty to Hitler.
However instead of increasing
the army’s power it simply
undermined the Generals and
emphasised Hitler’s power.
Instead the SS became the
most powerful of the military
forces in Germany.

16. Historians’ views
• Stephen Lee: The SA were the true revolutionaries and the
purge was an attempt by Hitler to consolidate his own power.
• Dick Geary: The 30 June purge increased Hitler’s popularity as
it showed that the Nazi state “would brook no opposition”.
• Roderick Stackelberg: Despite “the extra-legal nature” of the
purge and its brutality, “many Germans regarded it as evidence
that the Nazis repudiated the extra-legal violence of the SA”.
• Michael Burleigh: The purge showed Hitler’s contempt for the
law in retrospectively legalising mass murder.