1934

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"The Night of Long Knives"

The Holocaust

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For much of Hitler's rise to power, the SA(Sturmabteilung), or the storm troopers, had been his personal "assistants". Nearing this time, they began to pose a certain threat to him. The SA were a group of relentless soldiers that believed themselves to be the true revolutionaries of Germany and wished to replace the entire army. Their extreme anti-capitalist and anti-tradition inclinations endangered the future of those who had helped to put Hitler to power, and thus were large concerns to the potential of the entire Nazi movement.

The SS(Schutzstaffel) were a section of the SA, but who wanted their independence and full power. The SS leaders did all they could to force Hitler to act against his long-time comrade, Ernst Rohm, also the SA leader. Hitler primarily resisted.On June 30, 1934, Hitler's tolerance vanished. He engaged on a massive murder spree that eliminated Rohm and many others that were as well his oppressors. This night is now called "The Night of the Long Knives".

Adolf Hitler becomes Fuhrer of Germany!

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Hitler was, until 1934, the chancellor of Germany, a position that bestowed upon him great, but not supreme power. He had, in fact, been patiently awaiting the death of the present German president, Paul von Hindenburg, pretending to be a friend while constantly planning ways to make the old man's demise useful. On August 2, 1934, at 9:00 AM, 87-year-old Hindenburg died. Only hours later, Hitler began to plan the complicated process of making himself the ultimate ruler of Germany, or the Fuhrer. He held a public vote in which 90% of the German people gave him their approval. On August 19, Hitler finally achieved this supreme power. His word was unconditionally the law, his order was a direct statement from God. Every public official and army officier was forced to take a personal oath in which he swore to unquestioningly obey the master's will.
In September, Hitler solemnly promised swore, "The German form of life is definitely determined for the next thousand years. The Age of Nerves of the nineteenth century has found its close with us. There will be no revolution in Germany for the next thousand years." His glory had begun.

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