June 30, 1934: The “Night of the Long Knives” begins.
By July of 1933, the NSDAP was, by decree, the only legal political party in Germany; however, the Reischwehr was at best, apolitical and disdainful of Hitler, while the Sturmabteilung was rapidly proving itself to be more of a threat and a nuisance than an asset. The Night of the Long Knives was a purge (actually spanning three days) during which several political figures - mostly potential rivals - were murdered. Among those killed were Gregor Strasser, a former high-ranking Nazi official; Kurt von Schleicher, Germany’s Chancellor before Hitler; several allies of Franz von Papen, Hitler’s Vice-Chancellor and critic; and most importantly, Ernst Röhm, head of the SA.
With Röhm gone, Heinrich Himmler (pictured above, looking creepily at his rival) was now poised to take power - as head of Nazi Germany’s most powerful paramilitary organization, the Schutzstaffel, which would completely overshadow the SA within a few years. Even the Reichswehr (for the most part) their approved of the purge, because Röhm had been pushing for the SA to absorb the regular army into its ranks. President Paul von Hindenburg, who allegedly hated Hitler, congratulated him on “nipping treason in the bud”. Over eighty people in total were murdered during the purge. On July 13, Hitler admitted in a speech to the Reichstag that he had ordered the murders, and he promised that “if anyone raises his hand to strike the State, then certain death is his lot.“