Were the events which took place during the Night of the Long Knives (June 30th, 1934) a result of an ideological clash, or a shrewd struggle for power?

The first 200 words of this essay...

Were the events which took place during the Night of the Long Knives (June 30th, 1934) a result of an ideological clash, or a shrewd struggle for power?

INTRODUCTION

Hitler was an outstanding example of the path from contender to leader. Ever since Hitler's appointment to the post of Chancellor in January 1933 his strive to achieve total power proceeded without any significant opposition. To the German people his vision of a new German Reich seemed almost too good to be true, and support for the NSDAP far surpassed that of the Weimar republic. However the SA, once the backbone of the Nazi party and the key to its success and survival, now posed a threat to Hitler's ambitions of total power. Hitler's decision to ruthlessly eliminate the SA acted as the final step in his consolidation of power. It paved the way for Hitler to carry out his desired plans, plans which would ultimately lead the world into a full-scale disaster.

The aim of this essay is to examine why this was the case, focusing on whether Hitler was forced into a clash with the SA a result of an ideological clash, or whether