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What was the Night of the Long Knives?

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Nazi SS troops march in formation carrying banners with swastikas and eagles at the 1933 Party Day rally in Nuremberg, Germany, with trees in the background. — Third Reich A Nazi Party rally at Nürnberg, Germany, in 1933.

The Night of the Long Knives, which took place on June 30, 1934, was a lethal purge of Nazi leadership orchestrated by Adolf Hitler to consolidate his absolute power over the Third Reich.12

Fearing that the paramilitary SA (Sturmabteilung) had become too powerful and threatened his relationship with the regular army, Hitler utilized the SS to execute the organization's leaders, including Ernst Röhm, without trial. The purge also targeted other perceived political enemies, such as former chancellor Kurt von Schleicher and Gregor Strasser.132

By eliminating these rivals, Hitler successfully neutralized calls for a "second revolution" and secured the support of the military establishment. Following the death of President Paul von Hindenburg shortly thereafter, Hitler merged the offices of president and chancellor, establishing himself as the undisputed dictator of Germany. This event marked a definitive turning point in the regime, cementing its totalitarian structure.321