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Consolidation of Power- Night of the Long Knives - Coggle Diagram
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
Rumours of his homosexuality circulated <- Disapproval of conservative German people
Nazi Actions
SA leaders were arrested, imprisoned + many executed
Other enemies of Hitler + the party were targeted-> Strasser, Gustav von Kahr and von Schleicher
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
Cabinet passed a law confirming that the actions had been lawful
Major Consequences
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