Consolidation of Power- Night of the Long Knives

Four Groups who Could Stop Hitler's Plans for Dictatorship

Army- Particularly the traditionalists in its leadership

Hidenburg- Old but still influential, with the theoretical power to bring down the govern.

Conservative Politicians- Group surrounding Papen

SA around Rohm- Rohm was manoeuvering the army to be disbanded + the SA replace it with the 'people 's militia'+ he wanted a 'Second Revolution ' which would remove all traces of the Weimar Constitution + establish a socialist regime in its place

4th June 1934= Hitler Held a Meeting with Rohm

H warned him to scale down SA actions

Tensions continued to mount, especially @ grassroots level of the SA -> widespread discontent + criticism as disillusionment + material disappointment took over

Rohm's 'Plot'

Blomberg, Minister of Defence, engineered 'eveidence' that Rohm had issued an order for the SA to arm itself

The evidence came from Goring + Himmler who both disliked Rohm -> said he was involved in a conspiracy aimed @ overthrowing the regime by force + merging the SA,SS and Whermeacht under his single command

29th June= Arrangements made to deal with Rohm -> 'Operation Hummingbird' <- Action taken 30th June

Nazi Actions

SA leaders were arrested, imprisoned + many executed

Other enemies of Hitler + the party were targeted-> Strasser, Gustav von Kahr and von Schleicher

Rumours of his homosexuality circulated <- Disapproval of conservative German people

Aftermath

Hitler's actions gained public approval

People were relieved as the threat from the SA had been eliminated

1st July @ Blomberg-> Praised Hitler's actions <- Showed devotion and loyalty

Major Consequences

Cabinet passed a law confirming that the actions had been lawful

Ended the threat from the SA

Assassination of several conservatives ended the opposition that had been buiolding that quarter

Bound the Wehrmacht more closely to Hitler

Rise of the SS

The discovery that the German people would accept summary executions was an important step on the road to the Holocaust