As far as Hitler was concerned the SA had done by helping him to gain power. Now, it was no longer useful. In fact, Hitler had good reasons for wanting to get rid of it:
1. Roehm and many other SA men wanted a second, Socialist, revolution.
2. The SA was unpopular with businessmen.
3. It was unpopular with the army, who saw the SA as a "rival", and Hitler needed the army's support if he were to take over as President when Hindenburg died.
By the summer, Hindenburg was very sick. Hitler told the SA to take a month's leave in July.
Roehm told his men:
"I expect that on the 1st of August, the SA will be once more ready for duty. If the enemies of the SA are hoping that the SA will not return from leave, we are ready to let them enjoy the hope for a short time. The SA is, and remains, Germany's destiny."
He could not have been more wrong.
A meeting of SA leaders was fixed for 30th of June and Hitler had promised to attend. The night of 29-30th of June found the SA leaders at a village inn near Munich. There were no sentries on duty and no guards.
Just before 7 a.m. a number of cars drove into the village and sped to the inn. Hitler, carrying his dog-whip, went in and woke up a sleepy Ernst Roehm. "You're under arrest" he told him. He did the same in the other bedrooms.
At about 10 a.m., the SS began the round up in Berlin. Some "enemies" were just shot on the doorstep after they answered the bell. Many had no idea what was happening. The Munich police chief told his SS executioners, "Gentlemen I don't know what this is all about, but shoot straight."
In Munich, SS men shot a music critic called Willi Schmid. It was a mistake. They had really been after Wilhelm Schmidt, a local SA leader.
Roehm himself was shot in his prison cell after he refused to commit suicide. Hitler later said that he was sorry that he had to destroy Roehm.
This is a picture of Ernst Rohm (1887-1934):
Hitler admitted that 77 people died, but the real amount was probably much higher. Less than half the dead were SA members. Many private quarrels were settled that night, the "Night of Long Knives".
A fortnight later, Hitler told the Reichstag that it had been necessary because the SA had been planning a revolution. It was almost certainly false. President Hindenburg had sent Hitler a telegram:
"I see that through your determined intervention and bravely risking your own person, you have nipped all plots in the bud. I express to you my deepest thanks.
Hindenburg may not have written it. He may not have even known it was sent. He was so ill he died just a month later. The question now was: Who would be the next President? Just one day later people had the answer.
It was Adolf Hitler.
This is a picture of President Hindenburg and Hitler; they both hated each other:
Conclusion:
What did Hitler achieve for Germany 1933-1939?
Hitler is now in power and has finally succeeded President Hindenburg who was very ill. He slaughtered many men who were "enemies" which I do not think was a very good thing to do. He now had nearly everyone onto his side and as he was in power he could now start doing things he had always wanted to do.
