When Allies Became Enemies: The Night the Knives Came Out
German SS & SA Daggers
On the morning of June 30, 1934, Germany entered one of the most chilling and decisive phases of Adolf Hitler’s consolidation of power: the Night of the Long Knives. This internal purge, orchestrated by the Nazi regime, marked a brutal turning point in the Third Reich’s early history, as Hitler eliminated both real and perceived threats within his own ranks and solidified absolute authority. What began as a calculated operation to neutralize the leadership of the Sturmabteilung (SA) quickly expanded into a sweeping campaign of political violence.
The immediate catalyst for the purge was Hitler’s growing mistrust of Ernst Röhm, the charismatic leader of the SA. By 1934, the SA had swelled to nearly three million members—many of them disaffected war veterans and working-class nationalists—posing a potential threat to the traditional military and to Hitler's own grip on power. Röhm’s ambition to merge the SA with the Reichswehr under his command alarmed both the German Army and conservative political elites. Facing pressure from these quarters, and eager to win the loyalty of the military establishment, Hitler resolved to act decisively.
In the early hours of June 30, Hitler personally traveled to Bad Wiessee, where Röhm and other SA leaders were gathered. Röhm was arrested on the spot, and within hours, dozens of SA officers across the country were detained or executed. The purge, however, quickly extended beyond the SA. Gregor Strasser, a former rival within the Nazi Party, and General Kurt von Schleicher, the former Chancellor of Germany, were among those killed. Even individuals with tenuous connections to opposition circles were not spared.
The operation was carried out primarily by the Schutzstaffel (SS), under Heinrich Himmler, and the Gestapo. Though the violence continued for several days, the morning of June 30 stands as the formal beginning of the purge—a moment when political calculation gave way to extrajudicial killing under the pretext of national security.
When the dust settled, an estimated 85 to over 200 people had been killed, though the exact number remains unknown. On July 13, 1934, Hitler addressed the Reichstag and justified the actions by declaring himself “the supreme judge of the German people.” With the support of the army, which pledged allegiance to him personally shortly thereafter, Hitler emerged from the purge stronger than ever.
The Night of the Long Knives was more than a ruthless political maneuver—it was a signal to all of Germany that dissent would not be tolerated, even among former allies. It marked the end of any illusion of shared power within the Nazi regime and solidified the Führerprinzip—the leader principle—as the foundation of Nazi governance. What began in the early morning hours of June 30, 1934, was not merely a purge but a transformation of the German state into an instrument of terror and authoritarian control.