June 30, 1934: the Night of the Long Knives, Hitler's purge of those standing in his way

VA Viper ^ | 06/30/2018 | Harpygoddess

[harpygoddess]

The Night of the Long Knives was a purge that took place in Nazi Germany from June 30 to July 2, 1934, when the Nazi regime carried out a series of political murders.

When Hitler rose to power in early 1933, he owed much of his success to the muscle of his Nazi Storm Troopers, the SA, a violent, ruthless army headed by Ernst Röhm, Hitler’s long-time friend. Röhm and his Storm Troopers brought Germany into submission by gaining control of the streets gangster-style and violently eliminating Hitler’s political enemies.

However, a threatening, revolutionary force was no longer useful now that Hitler was firmly in power. Hitler wanted to “go legit” and win over the regular army generals, the leaders of industry, and the German people. Most everyone in Germany disliked the SA, who were seen as the arrogant, bullying, murderous thugs that they were, and Hitler knew he needed to curtail their power to increase and solidify his own.

Hitler and the head of the German army, Werner von Blomberg, signed a secret agreement in which Hitler promised Blomberg’s army absolute control of the military (with precedence over the SA); and von Blomberg pledged the army’s backing when Germany’s 86-year-old president Paul von Hindenburg died and Hitler claimed the presidency. But von Hindenburg informed Hitler that the SA must be brought to heel ASAP, or he would declare martial law in Germany and let the army run the show.

On the night of June 30, units of the SS arrested the leaders of the SA and other political opponents. Seventy-seven men were executed on charges of treason, though historians tend to think the figure is higher. Hitler also took the opportunity to assassinate anyone that he didn’t like, or had crossed him, or looked at him the wrong way.

[null and void]

Some day a title could be/have been “[dates]: the Decades of the Long Knives, Hillaryr’s purge of those standing in her way”.

[dfwgator]

Beria allegedly poisoned Stalin, telling the members of the Politburo, “I just saved you all.”

[dfwgator]

The history of the Nazi Party is riddled with infighting and positioning of of the inner circle for more power. It’s amazing that Hitler survived over 40 assassination attempts.

That's how Hitler wanted it, he wanted his successor to be ruthless and the best way was for Hitler to basically stand back and let the chips fall where they may. Some suggest he probably would have preferred Heydrich, which is one of the reason many others despised him, and didn't shed a tear when he was assassinated.

[Yaelle]

Note that Hitler used ganglike thugs to GET into power, even though he eliminated them once he got there. Much like the Kennedys using the mafia, then needing to dispose of them (at which they were not quite as successful as Hitler) afterward to keep power.

Think Antifa, BLM, hordes of non-Americans who could be brought against us lowly taxpayers due to their holy illegal status, who did come from violent lands... it’s not like they aren’t rallying right now today everywhere in this land or anything, so there is no way they could be brought to terrorize innocent towns....

[dfwgator]

The premise of the alternate history movie “Fatherland”, was that the Nazis were eliminating everybody with direct knowledge of The Holocaust.

[Yaelle]

I swear I didn’t read your post before I wrote mine but we came to the exact same conclusion.

[Yaelle]

Both Hillary Clinton and obama are gay and have killed many people.

---

While clearly both are gay, I don’t think their orientation has been causal in their murdering for power.

And both could have come out of the closet at any time in the past 5 years to thunderous applause, but chose not to. My guess: it would show them up as the natural liars they have always been.

[justa-hairyape]

No doubt Hillary would have performed her night of the long knives by now. Heck, every night with her in charge would have been a long knife night. And most of the useful idiots don’t realize, she would have been killing them. Dead Bernie-Bots would have littered the streets. Us Conservatives, we would have been drafted by now to fight her wars.

[faithhopecharity]

I’m glad I probably wont live long enough to be murdered by the dnc- sorozNazi regime to come Its definitely coming. And I’m no conspiracy nut

[shanover]

I know it is revisionist silliness, but it would have been magnificent to destroy Communism in the same time period.

[Huskrrrr]

Yes, good points.

[jmacusa]

Accusations of homosexuality were a common smear tactic in Germany at that time. Whether Rohm was really gay is debatable. Rohm was a personal friend of Hitler and who strongly felt that Hitler owed him big time for fighting the Communists and eliminating Hitlers opponents, Rohm was a WW1 veteran, like Hitler and he felt the SA should be the bearer of German arms and there was no way the Army was going to let that happen. And the German people were tired of all the chaos and violence in their midst. Hitler had to get rid of Rohm. It was that simple.

[sheik yerbouty]

Strutting poofters..

[SoCal Pubbie]

I don’t think there’s any doubt that Röhm was homosexual.

[ckilmer]

That’s not a majority opinion as to the reason for Stalin’s death.

Beria was killed soon thereafter by other members of the Politburo.

[dfwgator]

Röhm probably wasn’t thinking about a war down the road, like Hitler was. Hitler’s priorities were making sure he had the industrialists in his pocket to build his war machine, and that the Wehrmacht generals would support him. Offing Röhm and Company accomplished that.

[dfwgator]

Beria used to mock the people he executed in front of Stalin and imitate their crying.

Beria was crying like a little girl when his turn came.

[Fiji Hill]

On the night that Ernst Roehm died voices rang out
In the rolling Bavarian hills
And swept through the cities and danced in the gutters
Grown strong like the joining of wills

The Last Day of June, 1934--Al Stewart

[TigerClaws]

Homosexuals founded the Nazi party and were the leaders of the brownshirts.

Amazing the history that is too un-PC to be taught.

[SunkenCiv]

Hitler and the head of the German army, Werner von Blomberg, signed a secret agreement in which Hitler promised Blomberg’s army absolute control of the military (with precedence over the SA); and von Blomberg pledged the army’s backing when Germany’s 86-year-old president Paul von Hindenburg died and Hitler claimed the presidency. But von Hindenburg informed Hitler that the SA must be brought to heel ASAP, or he would declare martial law in Germany and let the army run the show. On the night of June 30, units of the SS arrested the leaders of the SA and other political opponents. Seventy-seven men were executed on charges of treason, though historians tend to think the figure is higher. Hitler also took the opportunity to assassinate anyone that he didn’t like, or had crossed him, or looked at him the wrong way.

Rohm was also openly gay, and much more outspoken and doctrinaire about socialism. After this purge, surviving SA members had to swear allegiance to Hitler, literally in his presence, or else. They were then subsumed into the SS, Waffen SS, or wherever else was considered an appropriate fit. Hitler was great at politics (of a certain practical kind, at least) but didn't understand military strategy or tactics, good thing for us.

Thanks harpygoddess.