Night of the Long Knives

The Night of the Long Knives (1934) (German, Nacht der langen Messer), also known as Reichsmordwoche or "the Blood Purge", was a lethal purge of potential political rivals in the Sturmabteilung (SA) paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party. Occurring late on a Saturday night, the murders targeted Nazi members who were associated more with socialism than with nationalism, and hence were viewed as a threat by Chancellor Adolf Hitler. It took place a year after the SA had itself been used to expel Communist deputies from the Reichstag, which had permitted the passage of the Enabling Act giving Hitler dictatorial powers.

See also

• Gleichschaltung
• History of Homosexuals during the Holocaust.