The Night of the Long Knives was extremely significant in the establishment of the Nazi dictatorship and ultimately Hitler’s power. This night of brutal murder and elimination of the Sturm Abteilung (SA) gave Hitler the support of the army, which he need for both the creation of a totalitarian state and his future foreign policy and also relieved the pressures on Hitler. However, The Night of the Long Knives was also the continuation of many other events, which could be described as equally as important, such as the Enabling Act and the Reichstag Fire.Ernst Rohm a professional soldier and once a close friend of Adolf Hitler was a major threat against Hitler’s power and reign.
Rohm was a natural rebel who had strong revolutionary views, more instinctive than ideological. He once commented that he had more in common with Communists than with the bourgeoisie. In 1933 he was appointed to the Cabinet, but tension grew over his view that the SA should be a major force for a revolution. His unruly actions and behavior further worried the conservatives, who Hitler needed to please.In the end his political sense overrode his friendship and decided to eliminate Rohm.
The removal of Ernst Rohm pleased the powerful of supporters of Hitler who had complained about Rohm previously. Adolf was also aware that Rohm and the SA had power to remove him as leader. His death ultimately reassured Hitler, his power and his supporters. One reason why the Night of the Long Knives took place was due to the ideology of the SA. The SA was promoted as being rather more left wing than what Hitler had intended.
The major goal of the SA as a political and military movement was the idea of a 'Second Revolution. ' This was a set of extreme and liberal reforms of the SA, which were verging on socialism. This included pushing for nationalisation of major industrial firms, expanding worker control, confiscation and redistribution of the estates of the old aristocracy and also social equality. These reforms were highly conflicting from Hitler's ideology as an extreme capitalist. Therefore, one reason why Hitler had to abolish the SA was that their ideology was contradictory to Hitler's beliefs as a very strong Nazi.Almost in unification, the army praised the Night of the Long knives even though, general Kurt von Schleicher and Ferdinand von Bredow were among the many victims.
The ill President Hindenburg, who was viewed as Germany’s military hero, sent a telegram expressing his “profoundly felt gratitude” and congratulated Hitler for, “nipping treason in the bud”. Although many Germans approached the official news of the events as described by Josef Goebbels with doubtfulness, many others though took the government at its word, and believed Hitler had saved Germany from chaos and destruction.The Night of the Long knives represented a triumph for Hitler and a turning point for the German government. It established Hitler’s image as “the supreme judge of the German people”. This event also sent a clear message to the public that even the most notable Germans were affected from arrest or even summary execution should the Nazi regime view them as a threat. Due to the Night of the Long Knives, it established a pattern of violence that would characterize the Nazi regime and desensitise the German citizens from executions of millions in the future.
The Night of the Long Knives helped Hitler, as almost all of his political enemies were wiped out during these nights. This meant the only force still capable of removing him from power was the army, which soon swore an oath of alliance. The Night of the Long Knives also achieved the German people’ to become much more obedient and accepting to the violence of the Nazi regime. This Night ensured Hitler’s power and future reign in Germany.
