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Creation of dictatorship (Part 2) (Impact of the Night of the Long Knives,…
Creation of dictatorship (Part 2)
Opponents Hitler wanted to get of
Karl Ernst - Killed because he was a potential threat to Hitler
Edmund Hennes - Key figure in the SA and was killed because he was a potential threat to Hitler
Gregor Strasser - Senior Nazi who had fallen out with Hitler and he was killed because he was a potential rival of Hitler within the Nazi Party
Gustav von Kahr - Killed in revenge for his role in defeating the Munich Putsch in 1923
Kurt von Schleicher - Former chancellor of Germany and a close ally of Hindenburg. He was killed because he was a rival of Hitler and a potential threat
Why was the Night of Long Knives necessary
Rohm threatened Hitlers relationship with the army
Rohm wanted to merge the Army and SA
Army regarded the SA as a group of hooligans and thugs
Army leaders regarded Rohm as a threat and consequently, the Army was very suspicious of HItler and the Nazis. Hitler was worried because of the power of the Army
Rohm's private life was an embarrassment to the Nazi Party
Rohm was a homosexual as were a number of the SA leaders
Since this was illegal this was embarrassing to Hitler and the Nazi Party
The fact the SA had been involved in violence across Germany during 1933-34 made some senior Nazis concerned that ordinary Germans might turn against Nazis
Rohm's ideas were to extreme and too socialist
His ideas had focused on the socialist party of the Nazis
Rohm wanted a greater equality and better rights for ordinary people
As a result, Rohm was seen as a threat to Hitler's improving relationship with big business leaders and Army leaders
Rohm was a powerful figure and a potential rival
Rohm's power worried some people because he was in charge of an army that contained 3 million men
Rohm's power made other NAzis jealous of him because they wanted to be as powerful as Rohm. Hitler was worried whether he could control Rohm
Impact of the Night of the Long Knives
Hitler had got rid of most of his main opponents
Once Hindenburg died on 2 August 1934, Hitler had drawn up a law for when he passed away
There would be no election for a new president
The positions of Chancellor and President would be combined
More then 90% (38 million) were cast in favour of Hitler becoming both chancellor and president
Hitler was now the unchallenged Fuhrer
Hitler's position was strengthen when the Atm swore an oath of allegiance to Hitler
The oath was possible because of the Night of the Long Knives. The event had
convinced
leader of the Army that they
could work with HItler
and he had got rid of the biggest threat which was the SA and Rohm. In return, they removed the threat of not giving their full support to Hitler
Gleichschaltung had been achieved