Paramilitary Control and Political Violence
- The SA (Sturmabteilung), with over 2 million members by early 1934, intimidated political opponents, disrupted rival meetings, and helped enforce Nazi dominance in public life.
- Violence against communists and socialists was systematic, with opponents beaten, arrested, or driven underground.
- Street clashes and intimidation ensured opposition parties could not campaign freely, especially in early 1933 elections.
- The SA’s radical demands and independence threatened Hitler’s alliance with the army and industrialists.
- The Night of the Long Knives (30 June - 2 July 1934) purged SA leaders like Ernst Röhm and eliminated other political rivals, consolidating Hitler’s control of the Nazi Party and reassuring the army.
- The purge was retroactively legalised, showing the fusion of force and law in Nazi consolidation.
Night of the Long Knives (30 June – 2 July 1934)
- Purge of SA leadership, including Ernst Röhm, and other opponents such as Kurt von Schleicher.
- Official reports listed 85 deaths, but modern estimates suggest between 200 and 400 executions across Germany.
- The SA’s size had reached over 2.5 million members by 1934, dwarfing the 100,000-man Reichswehr and alarming the army.
- The purge removed a major threat, secured the army’s support, and ensured their oath of personal loyalty to Hitler after Hindenburg’s death.
- Retroactive legalisation through the Law Relating to National Emergency Defence Measures displayed how the regime fused violence with legality.
SS Expansion and Centralisation of Repression
- The SS (Schutzstaffel), originally Hitler’s bodyguard, grew under Heinrich Himmler into the elite enforcer of Nazi ideology, distinct from and superior to the SA.
- By 1936, Himmler controlled all German police forces, including the Gestapo and Kripo, creating a centralised security apparatus.
- The SD (Sicherheitsdienst), led by Reinhard Heydrich, acted as the intelligence service, monitoring loyalty and detecting dissent within and beyond the party.
- The SS became directly responsible for managing the growing concentration camp system, making it a core instrument of terror.
