Like many other early members of the National Socialist Workers' Party(Nazi Party), Ernst Röhm was a World War I veteran and fought on the Western Front.
During 1919, he joined the German Workers 'Party, which later grew into the National Socialist Workers' Party, and there he met Adolf Hitler. The two soon became close friends and collaborators.
Röhm took part in the failed Beer Hall Putsch in 1923. He was subsequently sentenced to fifteen months in prison for treason, but was released on parole.
He was one of the most frequent visitors to Hitler while he was serving his prison sentence and received permission from him to establish and develop the SA - Sturmabteilung and prepare everything for ascension to power after Hitler's release from prison.
By 1933, the SA had about three million members, which gave Röhm great power. Röhm, on the other hand, posed a threat to other senior party members. This was particularly pronounced in the case of Heinrich Himmler, the leader of the SS, a unit that was at least much smaller than the SA formation.
The only one who addressed Hitler with "You"
Still, Röhm had enough support from Hitler. He was the only one who dared to call the great leader Adolf. Everyone else called him "my Führer."
The stubborn Nazis were bothered by Röhm for another reason. He and his deputy, Edmund Heines, were homosexuals, and their behavior was unacceptable to many. Hitler, who was certainly aware of his friend's sexual orientation, did not mind at all, at least for the first few days.
The stubborn Nazis were bothered by Röhm for another reason. He and his deputy, Edmund Heines, were homosexuals, and their behavior was unacceptable to many. Hitler, who was certainly aware of his friend's sexual orientation, did not mind at all, at least for the first few days.
After Hitler gained great power in 1933 after the fall of the government of Kurt von Schleicher, Röhm expected a second revolution to be organized, established on firm socialism. Many people in the SA were working class, and had such expectations of Hitler.
That never happened, because Hitler needed the help of big capitalists, who would not like the idea of giving greater rights to workers. Thus, members of the Röhm unit soon became a problem for the Nazi leader.
Ernst Röhm made the biggest mistake in February 1934 when he proposed that the German army be integrated into SA units. Senior army officers were shocked by the proposal. Hitler did not have much confidence in them, but he knew that he needed an army on his side. Because of that, he had to reject Röhm's proposal.
Sometime around that time, three Nazi leaders set out to devise a plan to overthrow Ernst Röhm. Hermann Göring, Joseph Goebbels and Heinrich Himmler saw in Hitler's friend only a threat on their path to power.
They soon showed the Führer documents claiming that Ernst Röhm, with the help of France, planned to overthrow Hitler. The authenticity of these documents was never confirmed, but it didn't matter…
After that, Hitler broke down. He convinced Ernst Röhm that he wanted to meet with him and the other SA leaders in Bad Wiessee on June 30, 1934, and that everyone must come. Ernst Röhm did not suspect that anything was planned against him.
Night of the Long Knives
Between June 30 and July 2, in what would later become known as "Night of the Long Knives", Ernst Röhm and all senior SA officers were arrested. Most were killed immediately. Hitler, however, was reluctant to execute his old friend. Instead, he offered Ernst Röhm to kill himself.
After this option was presented to him, Ernst Röhm allegedly said, "If I'm going to be killed, let Adolf do it himself."
When the executioners returned to Ernst cell, they found him standing, his chest spread in defiance. SS Lt. Col. Michael Lipert shot him in the heart.
At least 85 people were killed in the purge, although the final death toll is estimated at hundreds, and more than a thousand opponents of the regime have been arrested.
Hitler gave legitimacy to this act with a short announcement in which he claimed that members of the Schutzstaffel were found guilty of perversion, perversion and some kind of conspiracy, although there was no talk of a possible rebellion.
It all happened five years before the outbreak of World War II.
Excellent article