Consolidation of Nazi Power - night of the long knives, death of hindenburg, oath of allegiance
Transcript of Consolidation of Nazi Power - night of the long knives, death of hindenburg, oath of allegiance
The Night of the Long Knives; Death of Hindenburg, Oath of
Allegiance
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.