germany

Key Power Centers in Germany

• Three main power centers: Aristocracy (Junkers), Industrialists, Army.

Hitler's Rise to Power

• Elected as chancellor in 1933.

• Lacked absolute power, relied on industrialists and political elites.

• Did not have army support due to past associations with armed groups.

SA and Ernst Rohm

• SA (Stormtroopers/Brown Shirts) were paramilitary arms of the Nazi party.

• Rohm led the SA and viewed them as a potential replacement for the army.

• Rohm's socialist inclinations conflicted with Nazi establishment now reliant on industrialists.

• Rohm's homosexuality made him a liability for Hitler, who was conservative and shocked by impropriety.

Prelude to the Night of the Long Knives

• Rohm's political stance and ambitions clashed with Hitler's needs for army support.

• Hitler needed to eliminate the SA to secure military backing.

The Night of the Long Knives (June 29-30, 1934)

• Hitler announced a fabricated plot by Rohm and the SA to seize control.

• SS (led by Himmler) executed Rohm and about 400 others without trial.

• Hindenburg praised Hitler for decisive action, earning army support.

Aftermath

• Hitler consolidates power after Hindenburg’s death, demands loyalty from army officers.

• With army support secured, Hitler had control over all three power centers in Germany.

• Transition towards rearmament and pave the way to World War II began.