Night of the Long Knives 1. Despite this, on the whole, Gleichschaltung was largely successful. [34], At about 04:30 on 30 June 1934, Hitler and his entourage flew to Munich. How seriously Hitler took the socialist character of National Socialism was to remain one of the main causes of disagreement and division within the Nazi party up to the summer of 1934. Background Hitler was Chancellor (Prime Minister), but not yet completely in control. [56] Germany's legal establishment further capitulated to the regime when the country's leading legal scholar, Carl Schmitt, wrote an article defending Hitler's 13 July speech. She even compared him to Frederick the Great, the 18th-century king of Prussia.[2]. Political instability in the Weimar Republic, Hyperinflation and the invasion of the Ruhr, Strength and weaknesses of the Weimar Republic. Rhm demurred, telling them, "If I am to be killed, let Adolf do it himself. By early 1934, this vision directly conflicted with Hitler's plan to consolidate power and expand the Reichswehr. [37] Sepp Dietrich received orders from Hitler for the Leibstandarte to form an "execution squad" and go to Stadelheim Prison where certain SA leaders were being held. Night of the Long Knives, in German history, purge of Nazi leaders by Adolf Hitler on June 30, 1934. "They give . "[67] The extent of the massacre and the relative ubiquity of the Gestapo, however, meant that those who disapproved of the purge generally kept quiet about it. Hitler feared that the SA and Ernst Rhm, their leader, were a potential threat to his leadership. [63] During a meeting with Polish Ambassador Jzef Lipski on 22 May 1935, Hitler told Lipski that Schleicher was "rightfully murdered, if only because he had sought to maintain the Rapallo Treaty. , who had previously been a separate organisation, now swore a personal allegiance to Hitler. [19] Schleicher criticized the current Hitler cabinet, while some of Schleicher's followers such as General Ferdinand von Bredow and Werner von Alvensleben started passing along lists of a new Hitler cabinet in which Schleicher would become vice-chancellor, Rhm minister of defence, Heinrich Brning foreign minister and Gregor Strasser minister of national economy. The speed and scale of the reshuffle caused it to be associated by its critics with the 1934 Night of the Long Knives in Nazi Germany.. The Reichstag, the German lower house of parliament, was set on fire on the 27 February 1933. President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Hitler chancellor on 30 January 1933. Background Hitler was Chancellor (Prime Minister), but not yet completely in control. Many of those that were harassed by the SA and the SS or imprisoned in camps were terrified to speak out about their ordeal fearing that they would be further abused or re-imprisoned. In response to conservative pressure to constrain Rhm, Hitler left for Neudeck to meet with Hindenburg. "[83], Before its execution, the purges instigators referred to the plans under the codename Hummingbird (German: Kolibri), the word used to command execution squads into action on 30 June. [76], According to Albert Speer, "the Right, represented by the President, the Minister of Justice, and the generals, lined up behind Hitler the strong left wing of the party, represented chiefly by the SA, was eliminated. From the airport they drove to the Bavarian Interior Ministry, where they assembled the leaders of an SA rampage that had taken place in city streets the night before. [31] On 27 June, Hitler moved to secure the army's cooperation. Join MyTutor Squads for free (and fun) help with Maths, Coding & Study Skills. Blomberg, who had been meeting with the president, uncharacteristically reproached Hitler for not having moved against Rhm earlier. This fear was On the 4 October 1933, it was declared that all editors must be Aryan. 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. He left Neudeck with the intention of both destroying Rhm and settling scores with old enemies. Doug and Tony land in nineteenth century Asia, meet Rudyard Kipling and become involved in the conflict between the British and local tribesman for control of the Khyber Pass. It shows the Nazis using violenc. However, to gain power Adolf Hitler built up a close and friendly relationship with Germany's industrialists. The SA (sometimes known as the "Stormtroopers" or "Brownshirts") was the paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party that played a key role in the Nazi . . In response, Hitler met Blomberg and the leadership of the SA and SS on 28 February 1934. Hitler had made it clear that he was the supreme ruler of Germany who had the right to be judge and jury, and had the power to decide whether people lived or died. The message of the cartoon "They Salute with Both Hands Now" is that in the Night of the Long Knives, Hitler turned on his previously loyal supporters, the SA, in order to consolidate his position by eliminating the threat of Ernst Rohm and the SA and winning over the Army. Under pressure from Hitler, Rhm reluctantly signed a pledge stating that he recognised the supremacy of the Reichswehr over the SA. The Night of Long Knives was the purge of the SA leadership and other political opponents from the 30 June 1934 to the 2 July 1934. Chancellor Adolf Hitler, urged on by Hermann Gring and Heinrich Himmler, ordered a series of political extrajudicial executions . It established Hitler as "the supreme leader of the German people", as he put it in his 13 July speech to the Reichstag. On 25 June, General Werner von Fritsch placed the Reichswehr on the highest level of alert. The Nazis also took steps to ensure they couldnt be openly opposed in the press. Also available as: Gift Options Download Options. : Why did Hitler order the massacre of hundreds of Nazis in June 1934? [82] However, the term was soon adopted by the Nazis themselves to invoke what they saw as justifiable and necessary measures taken by Germanic peoples against an enemy. 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. "[74] Hearing of the murder of former Chancellor Kurt von Schleicher and his wife, he also commented, "We have ceased to live under the rule of law and everyone must be prepared for the possibility that the Nazis will push their way in and put them up against the wall! In this image the narrative present is about the incident now known as the Night of the Long Knives (June 29th/30th 1934), when . [42] The Gestapo also murdered Erich Klausener, the leader of Catholic Action, and a close Papen associate. Hold me on this night of the long knives Hold me on this night of the long knives It's coming (Shame about your neighbourhood) It's coming (Shame about your neighbourhood) There's a flood on the street, there's a tide and it's coming in now Yet the concrete burns at the back of your skull And they're saying it's a wave but it feels like a . [12] Although nicknamed the "Rubber Lion" by some of his critics in the army for his devotion to Hitler, Blomberg was not a Nazi, and therefore represented a bridge between the army and the party. Hitler did not exercise absolute power, however, despite his swift consolidation of political authority. The Night of the Long Knives was "an act of carnage" which had come out of the blue. By 1935, over 1,600 newspapers had been closed. A more succinct understand of the years between 1920 - 1945 of Hitler would be hard to find. But Hitler was in power in 1934, and there was no opposition left . In the years preceding the purge, the term "long knives" had become a popular description of treachery in Germany and was used as a criticism of Nazi actions and deceitfulness. Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 2020-03-19 01:01:54 Boxid IA1794905 Camera USB PTP Class Camera Collection_set printdisabled External-identifier urn:oclc:record:1150935398 The SA traced its dramatic rise in numbers in part to the onset of the Great Depression, when many German citizens lost both their jobs and their faith in traditional institutions. It was all three of these men that were responsible for this night, because Hitler asked Goering and Goebbels to compile a list of disloyal SA members,; this list formed the basis of those killed on the Night of the Long Knives. You give Hitler power and time by voting HITLER!. Conservatives in the army, industry and politics placed Hitler under increasing pressure to reduce the influence of the SA and to move against Rhm. The message of the cartoon "They Salute with Both Hands Now" is that in the Night of the Long Knives, Hitler turned on his previously loyal supporters, the SA, in order to consolidate his position by eliminating the threat of Ernst Rohm and the SA and winning over the Army. [35] Goebbels emphasised this aspect in subsequent propaganda justifying the purge as a crackdown on moral turpitude. The three men that stand in front of the SA are Hitler (standing aggressively with an armband that reads: the double cross- a pun about the swastika and Hitlers betrayal), Goering (who is dressed as a violent god of war, showing how the Nazis have abandoned democracy and now rule by terror), and Goebbels (shown as Hitlers poodle, since in Britain, where this cartoon was published,he was seen to be cowardly and extremely loyal to Hitler). They understood the need to appear moderate and take over slowly by democratic means where possible, maintaining the stability and illusion of a democracy. consolidate [63] Franois-Poncet was not declared persona non grata as would have been usual if an ambassador were involved in a plot against his host government. Others were appalled at the scale of the executions and at the relative complacency of many of their fellow Germans. Facebook Twitter Email Copy Link. In 1933, up to 200,000 people were seized and imprisoned by the SA and the SS. [75] Lutze did little to assert the SA's independence in the coming years, and the organization lost its power in Germany. In addition to this, there was a mutual dislike between the traditional conservative elite who maintained many key positions in the government and the army during the first years of the Third Reich and the SA. Given that the purge claimed the lives of so many prominent Germans, it could hardly be kept secret. [21] Brning fled to the Netherlands while Schleicher dismissed the tip-off as a bad practical joke. "[63] The statements that Schleicher had been killed because he wanted to partition Poland with the Soviet Union were later published in the Polish White Book of 1939, which was a collection of diplomatic documents detailing GermanPolish relations up to the outbreak of the war. Find Night Of The Long Knives stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. [41], The regime did not limit itself to a purge of the SA. While all of these men were veterans of the Nazi movement, only Rhm continued to demonstrate his independence from, rather than his loyalty to, Adolf Hitler. It's Friday Cartoon Images67,818 Happy Friday Stock Photos and Images. Additionally, Hitler was uncomfortable with Rhm's outspoken support for a "second revolution" to redistribute wealth. Through these aspects the Nazis suppressed any opposition to their power, and were able to start the road from democracy to a dictatorship. Surrounding this scene, members of the Army and SS stand with their weapons pointing towards the SA members. [62] General von Reichenau went so far as to publicly give credence to the lie that Schleicher had been plotting to overthrow the government. 3. Chancellor Adolf Hitler, urged on by Hermann Gring and Heinrich Himmler, ordered a series of political extrajudicial executions intended to consolidate his power and alleviate the concerns of the German military about the role of Ernst Rhm and the Sturmabteilung (SA), the Nazi's paramilitary organization, known colloquially as "Brownshirts". Blomberg and many of his fellow officers were recruited from the Prussian nobility and regarded the SA as a plebeian rabble that threatened the army's traditional high status in German society. kato-eng. With the army limited by the Treaty of Versailles to one hundred thousand soldiers, its leaders watched anxiously as membership in the SA surpassed three million men by the beginning of 1934. oppression Hitler's task would not be simple, however, as the SA made up a large part of Nazism's most devoted followers. The SS also murders several conservative critics of the Nazi regime including . [35] Schneidhuber was executed later that day. Overall, what is the meaning of the cartoon? It will first explore this topic in chronological order, from the Reichstag Fire through to the death of President Hindenburg, and then explore it thematically in the last section. Paul von Hindenburg was the president of the Weimar Republic from the 12 May 1925 until his death on the 2 August 1934. [47], Rhm was held briefly at Stadelheim Prison[j] in Munich, while Hitler considered his future. It was named Der Fhrer schtzt das Recht ("The Fhrer Upholds the Law"). Goebbels became responsible for controlling the national media, film, theatre, arts, and other cultural aspects. ", followed by 12,263 people on Pinterest. [18], Finally, in early 1934, the growing rift between Rhm and Hitler over the role of the SA in the Nazi state led former chancellor General Kurt von Schleicher to start playing politics again. Finally, Hitler used the purge to attack or eliminate German critics of his new regime, especially those loyal to Vice-Chancellor Franz von Papen, as well as to settle scores with old enemies.[a]. The Night of the Long Knives not only removed the SA leaders but also got Hitler the army's oath that he so needed. The SS found Breslau SA leader Edmund Heines in bed with an unidentified eighteen-year-old male SA senior troop leader. The primary instruments of Hitler's action, which carried out most of the killings, were the Schutzstaffel (SS) paramilitary force under Himmler and its Security Service (SD), and Gestapo (secret police) under Reinhard Heydrich. Select from premium Night Of The Long Knives of the highest quality. A copy of the original film, before Rhm was edited out, was found in the 1980s in the German Democratic Republic's film archives. Upon returning to Berlin, Goebbels telephoned Gring at 10:00 with the codeword Kolibri to let loose the execution squads on the rest of their unsuspecting victims. [68] Besides working for the rehabilitation of Schleicher and Bredow, Hammerstein and Mackensen sent a memo to Hindenburg on 18 July setting out in considerable detail the circumstances of the murders of the two generals and noted that Papen had barely escaped. A variety of studies Your Excellency has thrice before saved Germany from foundering, at Tannenberg, at the end of the War and at the moment of your election as Reich President. Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. David Low responded to what became known as the Night of the Long Knives by producing a cartoon that deeply angered Hitler. The first concentration camp, Dachau, opened in a broken-down munitions factory on the 20 March 1933, imprisoning primarily political prisoners. Also killed that night were hundreds of other perceived opponents of Hitler. The S.A. were becoming lawless by the early 1930's and were causing some Germans to turn against the Nazis. 2. Ernst Rhm was murdered in the event known as the Rhm Putsch, or the Night of Long Knives. Mr Maracin has filtered out much of the historical minutia belabored by other historians of Nazi Germany during this period and given us a quick 209 page read for those with a mild passing interest on how this to barbarism came to be. [30] At Hitler's direction, Gring, Himmler, Heydrich and Victor Lutze drew up lists of people in and outside the SA to be killed. Scribd is the world's largest social reading and publishing site. The Censorship is really evident when . Then followed a series of extrajudicial killings, in which scores of officials were assassinated. However, following Hitler being elected chancellor, the SA, and particularly Rhm, were keen to continue the revolution and replace the traditional conservative elite with Nazis. They used any space they could get their hands on to create temporary camps. wikipedia notes: The Night of the Long Knives (German: Nacht der langen Messer) or "Operation Hummingbird," was a purge of Adolf Hitler's potential political rivals in the Sturmabteilung (SA). Whilst the purge focused on the SA, the Nazis also used the event to eliminate other political opponents, such as the former chancellor Kurt von Schleicher. Moonlight glistened on numerous silvery revolvers, contrasting with the sinister black uniforms. The SA were dramatically reduced in size, dropping by 40% to 1.8 million by 1935. Now that the NSDAP had seized the reins of power in Germany, he said, it was time to consolidate its control. The atmosphere of uncertainty following the Reichstag Fire secured many voters for the Nazi party. He was now a dictator. 3. [48] Eicke and Lippert then shot Rhm, killing him. Just two months later, on 14 July 1933 the Nazis used the Enabling Act to ban all political parties except the Nazi Party. "[74], Hitler named Viktor Lutze to replace Rhm as head of the SA. Search ID: CS308675. [24] Before Hitler left, and at the request of Presidential State Secretary Otto Meiner, Foreign Minister Baron Konstantin von Neurath ordered the German Ambassador to Italy Ulrich von Hassell without Hitler's knowledge to ask Mussolini to tell Hitler that the SA was blackening Germany's good name. It did not escape Klemperer's notice that many of the victims had played a role in bringing Hitler to power. A combat veteran of World War I, Rhm had recently boasted that he would execute 12 men in retaliation for the killing of any stormtrooper. Consumed with rage, Hitler denounced "the worst treachery in world history". At first, its architects seemed split on how to handle the event. Terror and intimidation became one of the main ways that the Nazis sought to control or suppress their opposition, and Germans in general. [7] Complaints of "overbearing and loutish" behaviour by stormtroopers became common by the middle of 1933. . "[46], Some SA members died saying "Heil Hitler" because they believed that an anti-Hitler SS plot had led to their execution. Hitler entitled the purge the 'Night of the Long Knives' - a reference to the lyrics from a popular Nazi song. Hess, present among the assembled, even volunteered to shoot the "traitors". Night of the Long Knives: Directed by Paul Stanley. The Nazis consolidation of power can be grouped into three main themes: pseudo-legality, terror and intimidation and pseudo-moderation. [79] This story would be popularized across western Europe in the 12th century as part of the History of the Britons by Geoffrey of Monmouth, which introduced many of the Arthurian legends to Germany.[80][81]. The Night of the Long Knives: Hitler's Rise to Power - Part 2 | History DocumentaryWatch 'The Night of Long Knives - Part 1' here: https://youtu.be/7CeX6jBau. The Nazis used the guise of moderationto conceal their rapid consolidation of power. Night of the Long Knives. 95.7% of the population voted. Among the few exceptions were General Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord and Field Marshal August von Mackensen, who started a campaign to have Schleicher rehabilitated by Hitler. A firefighter in the burnt out ruins of the Reichstag building. The destiny of our country is at stake. The murders of SA leaders were also intended to improve the image of the Hitler government with a German public that was increasingly critical of thuggish SA tactics. It was during this speech that Hitler gave the purge its name: Night of the Long Knives (a phrase from a popular Nazi song). by Gring and Himmler, who gave Hitler news of Rhm organising a potential With these measures in place, the Nazification of the judicial system was complete. The process primarily took place between 1933-1934. , was then given the choice of suicide or murder. Following the purge, the Nazis sculpted the media coverage to portray the event as a preventative measure against a revolutionary, violent, and uncontrollable force, rather than a series of political murders. Once inside Rhm's cell, they handed him a Browning pistol loaded with a single cartridge and told him he had ten minutes to kill himself or they would do it for him. The Night of the Long Knives - Free download as Word Doc (.doc / .docx), PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. . The Night Of The Long Knives. July 1-13, 1934 Editorials, opinion pieces, letters-to-the-editor, and political cartoons regarding the "Night of the Long Knives". [75] Hitler expressly told him to stop SA funds from being spent on limousines and banquets, which he considered evidence of SA extravagance. Local governments proved more difficult to infiltrate, and even at the end of 1945 only 60% of local mayors were Nazi Party members. Whilst Gleichschaltung aimed to reach every aspect of rule in Germany, this was not always possible. The day after the Reichstag fire, the 28 February 1933, Hindenburg signed a decree giving Hitler emergency powers. However, soon after the purge Hitler himself would name the events the "Night of the long knives" in a public speech on 13 July 1934 defending the actions (despite the violence taking place over several days). Most officers are too old and have to be replaced by young ones. The Night of the Long Knives. On the 28 February 1933, President Hindenburg signed the Emergency Decree for the Protection of the German People. 1922 1923 1925 1943 1944 Albert Speer Art Auschwitz autobahn British Pathe Cartoon cartoons Catholic Church Chancellor Dada Denmark Disney Document Documentary Film Final Solution Four Year Plan Goebbels Hindenburg Hitler Holocaust Hyperinflation Jews July Bomb Plot . The SA were the thugs who Hitler had used to help him come to power. The elections were neither free or fair. On the 23 March 1933, Hitler proposed the Enabling Law to the Reichstag. [37] Arriving back at party headquarters in Munich, Hitler addressed the assembled crowd. I have the earlier 2005 History Channel video of Night of the Long Knives - before it was Heavily Censored to remove all references to the fact that the Nazis were founded and led by Boy Raping Diseased Homo-Anal Coprophile Ephebophiles, including Founder Ernst Rohm and his male prostitute protege Hitler. They had defended his meetings, and attacked opponents. [4] The violent confrontations between the two contributed to the destabilization of the Weimar Republic. Hitler arrived and personally placed Rhm and other high ranking SA leaders under arrest. Both Kurt von Schleicher, Hitler's predecessor as Chancellor, and his wife were murdered at their home. The Freikorps were nationalistic organizations primarily composed of disaffected, disenchanted, and angry German combat veterans founded by the government in January 1919 to deal with the threat of a Communist revolution when it appeared that there was a lack of loyal troops. Behind the backdrop there are a group of bodies laying on the foor with the Nazi Swastika on their arms, this could be the SA. [38] Joseph Goebbels, who had been with Hitler at Bad Wiessee, set the final phase of the plan in motion. ", Last edited on 28 February 2023, at 06:34, Night of the Long Knives (disambiguation), The History Place Triumph of Hitler Night of the Long Knives, German Culture The Third Reich Consolidation of Power, The German Embassy in the United States The Era of National Socialism, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Night_of_the_Long_Knives&oldid=1142048294, Operation Hummingbird, Rhm Putsch (by the Nazis), The Blood Purge. "[77], Rhm was purged from all Nazi propaganda, such as The Victory of Faith, the Leni Riefenstahl film about the 1933 Nuremberg rally, which showed Rhm frequently alongside Hitler. British cartoon by David Low, 1934 They salute with both hands, now! Gring alone had over a thousand people arrested. Hitler was shrewd enough to understand that he could never fully consolidate his grip on the country without the support of the army. The Nazi adoption of the phrase for an upcoming violent event was well known even to the foreign press, with the 2 August 1932 issue of The Times reporting that: Prominent Nazi leaders have played upon the imaginations of their followers..with such phrases as the night of the long knives and a vengeance for every Nazi killed.[79]. Reichswehr And let it be known for all time to come that if anyone raises his hand to strike the State, then certain death is his lot. Carried out primarily by the SS and the Gestapo, over 150 people were murdered and hundreds more were arrested. Share Image. 3. Cartoonist: des MONDE. [He] died with words "Heil Hitler" on his lips. Hitler's desire to consolidate his power and settle old scores, Desire of Ernst Rhm and the SA to continue "the National Socialist revolution" versus Hitler's need for relative social stability so that the economy could be refocused to rearmament and the German people acclimated to the need for expansion and war, Hitler's need to bring the Reichswehr under his control, Significant reduction in the regime's opposition, Strengthening of relationship between Hitler and the military. This continued when a young Dutchcommunist, Van der Lubbe was arrested for the crime. Gring's personal police battalion also took part in the killings. Although many Germans approached the official news of the events as described by Joseph Goebbels with a great deal of scepticism, many others took the regime at its word, and believed that Hitler had saved Germany from a descent into chaos. Moreover, it was not just the Reichswehr that viewed the SA as a threat. 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. The Foreign Office even complained of instances where brownshirts manhandled foreign diplomats. The SA used to be fiercely loyal to Hitler, and so would salute him with the Nazi salute (with one hand). Unblocked games. 8 study hacks, 3 revision templates, 6 revision techniques, 10 exam and self-care tips. This is a crucial part of Hitler's consolidation of power. A telegram purportedly from the ailing Hindenburg, Germany's highly revered military hero, expressed his "profoundly felt gratitude", and congratulated Hitler for "nipping treason in the bud",[61] although Hermann Gring later admitted during the Nuremberg trials that the telegram was never seen by Hindenburg, and was actually written by the Nazis. Definition of night of the long knives in the Idioms Dictionary. 1. [32] Blomberg and General Walther von Reichenau, the army's liaison to the party, gave it to him by expelling Rhm from the German Officers' League. [69], Hindenburg never responded to the memo, and it remains unclear whether he even saw it, as Otto Meiner, who decided that his future was aligned with the Nazis, may not have passed it along. The Party had generally been aligned with the Social Democrats and Catholic Church during the rise of Nazism, being critical of Nazi ideology, but voting nonetheless for the Enabling Act of 1933 which granted Hitler dictatorial authority. [k] Signed into law by Hitler, Grtner, and Minister of the Interior Wilhelm Frick, the "Law Regarding Measures of State Self-Defence" retroactively legalized the murders committed during the purge. 2 Lucy S. Dawidowicz, The War against the Jews, 1933-1945 (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1975), 82. They were often given a free rein on their activities and were violent and difficult to control.
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