Why was it called the night of long knives?

Answer 1

The Night of the Long Knives occurred on June 29 1934.

During this night, Hitler had the SS murder between 100 and 200 SA (the 'brownshirt' paramilitary) leaders whom he thought might pose him a threat in the future. Those killed included Ernst Rohm, the leader of the SA, whom Hitler saw as competition.

Answer 2

Hitler wanted to get rid of potential rivals to his power. The Night of the Long Knives was so that he could eliminate them e.g. Ernest Rohm who was in charge of the SA who were.a thuggery group who intimidated opponents e.g. The Communista and the Socialists. On the night the SS a group who were personally loyal to Hitler killed 90 people 50 of whom were SA leaders. Hitler also wanted the support of the army who wanted rid of Rohm who wished to merge the army and the SA together and be leader of them.

Answer 3

According to http://wapedia.mobi/en/Night_of_the_Long_Knives ,

The codename for the operation appears to have been chosen arbitrarily. The phrase "Night of the Long Knives" in the German language predates the massacre itself, and it also refers generally to acts of vengeance.

While it was being planned, it was known as Operation Hummingbird (the codeword to activate the execution squads on the day was 'Hummingbird'), but Hitler referred to it as "Night of the Long Knives" in a speech justifying the purge. It is more commonly referred to in Germany as the "Röhm-Putsch".

Answer 4

The night of the long knives was in 1934 when Hitler had gained the title of Chancellor but was becoming increasingly worried that his Sturmabteilung (SA/Brownshirts) were going to overthrow him. Therefore he organised a mass assissination when most of the officers were on leave. Nearly all the SA soldiers were arrested including its leader Ernst Rohm. Rohm was later executed after not commiting suicide.

Hitler, Goring and Himmler also used this opportunity to use the Gestapo to arrest and execute several old enemies, such as Gregor Strasser who left the Nazi party in 1932, Kurt Von Schleicher, the ex Chancellor, and his wife were murdered at their home, Gustav Ritter Von Kahr the ex Bavarian commissoner who stopped the Beer Hall Putsch in 1923...his body was found in woods days later and it was discovered he had been hacked to death with pickaxes.

Answer 5

Adolf Hitler's purge of the Nazi party and the Storm troopers (: Young J ,,. APEX(:

Answer 6

The 29-30 June Purge by Hitler on the SA predates WWII, and the SA was replaced by the SS.