Blood Purge

German history

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July 15, 2026

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The "Blood Purge," also known as the Night of the Long Knives, was a violent purge of Nazi leaders by Adolf Hitler on June 30, 1934. Fearing the paramilitary SA had become too powerful, Hitler ordered his elite SS guards to murder its leaders, including Ernst Röhm, as well as hundreds of other perceived opponents. This event eliminated obstacles to Hitler's absolute power, solidifying his control over Germany and paving the way for the Third Reich. A "blood purge" generally refers to the mass killing or execution of individuals deemed untrustworthy or undesirable within a political group.12

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fascism
Violence
Hitler’s infamous “Blood Purge” of June 1934, in which Röhm and other SA leaders were summarily executed, also claimed the lives of Kurt von Schleicher, the last chancellor of the Weimar Republic, and his wife, who were murdered in their home. To his critics Hitler replied, “People…
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Hitler’s infamous “Blood Purge” of June 1934, in which Röhm and other SA leaders were summarily executed, also claimed the lives of Kurt von Schleicher, the last chancellor of the Weimar Republic, and his wife, who were murdered in their home. To his critics Hitler replied, “People…
Read More