Chapter 27 - Hitler’s Germany - 1933-1939 (European States)
Hitler's Power Play The Night Of The Long Knives Unraveled
Table of content
🎨 Visualize: Hitler with his iconic mustache, standing atop a chaotic wave with a surfboard, trying to control the wave – which represents the SA (the radical wing of the Nazi Party).
The SA – Friend turned Foe
- Background
- SA (Sturmabteilung): Think of them as the original muscle behind Hitler's rise.
- Purpose: Helped Hitler to power by eliminating opposition.
- But by July 1933, they're a massive group and Hitler's thinking, "Uh oh, can I still control these guys?"
- The Problem
- Hitler worried he's losing control over SA.
- Needs support from conservative forces in Germany.
- Declares: "Hey, the Nazi revolution's over!" but SA leader Ernst Röhm's like, "Hold on a minute... No, it's not."
Real-world Example: Ever promised a friend something during hard times and then when things got better, found it hard to deliver on that promise? That's Hitler with the SA.
Why was Röhm unhappy?
- SA = radical wing, mostly working-class folks.
- Wanted more socialism, less pleasing conservative elites.
- Dreamed of a ‘people’s army’ – merging SA with the German army. 🚩 (Hint: Big threat to German army)
Real-world Example: It's like when a startup gets big. The early employees (SA) feel they deserve more since they helped the company grow. But the CEO (Hitler) has new stakeholders to please.
Röhm's Viewpoint
- Quote shows Röhm felt betrayed.
- Believed Hitler left behind his old friends for fancy generals.
- Pushed for something NEW and REVOLUTIONARY, but felt Hitler was stalling.
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Chapter 27 - Hitler’s Germany - 1933-1939 (European States)
Hitler's Power Play The Night Of The Long Knives Unraveled
Table of content
🎨 Visualize: Hitler with his iconic mustache, standing atop a chaotic wave with a surfboard, trying to control the wave – which represents the SA (the radical wing of the Nazi Party).
The SA – Friend turned Foe
- Background
- SA (Sturmabteilung): Think of them as the original muscle behind Hitler's rise.
- Purpose: Helped Hitler to power by eliminating opposition.
- But by July 1933, they're a massive group and Hitler's thinking, "Uh oh, can I still control these guys?"
- The Problem
- Hitler worried he's losing control over SA.
- Needs support from conservative forces in Germany.
- Declares: "Hey, the Nazi revolution's over!" but SA leader Ernst Röhm's like, "Hold on a minute... No, it's not."
Real-world Example: Ever promised a friend something during hard times and then when things got better, found it hard to deliver on that promise? That's Hitler with the SA.
Why was Röhm unhappy?
- SA = radical wing, mostly working-class folks.
- Wanted more socialism, less pleasing conservative elites.
- Dreamed of a ‘people’s army’ – merging SA with the German army. 🚩 (Hint: Big threat to German army)
Real-world Example: It's like when a startup gets big. The early employees (SA) feel they deserve more since they helped the company grow. But the CEO (Hitler) has new stakeholders to please.
Röhm's Viewpoint
- Quote shows Röhm felt betrayed.
- Believed Hitler left behind his old friends for fancy generals.
- Pushed for something NEW and REVOLUTIONARY, but felt Hitler was stalling.
Unlock the Full Content!
Dive deeper and gain exclusive access to premium files of History HL. Subscribe now and get closer to that 45 🌟