Ernst Röhm

Who was Ernst Röhm?

Ernst Röhm was an ex-soldier who fought in the German Army during the First World War. He joined the German Workers' Party (DAP), which became the Nazi Party. He was one their top officials and the leader of the SA.

When was Ernst Röhm important?

Ernst Röhm was important from when he joined the party in 1919 until he was assassinated during the Night of the Long Knives in 1934.

What role did Ernst Röhm play in the Nazi Party?

Ernst Röhm had played 3 key roles in the Nazi Party:

• ❖ He became the leader of the SA - the Sturmabteilung or the 'Brownshirts' - in 1921.
• ❖ He took part in the Nazi Party's failed Munich Beer Hall Putsch, 1923.
• ❖ He was assassinated by members of the SS during the Night of the Long Knives, June 1934.

Why was Ernst Röhm assassinated?

There were 4 main reasons why Ernst Röhm was assassinated by members of the SS during the Night of the Long Knives:

• ❖ He was a threat to Hitler's position as the leader of the Nazi Party because the 3 million members of the SA were loyal to Röhm.
• ❖ He disagreed with Hitler about some of the Nazi Party's policies. Röhm wanted to focus more on the workers and criticised Hitler's close relationship with big business.
• ❖ He wanted to merge the German Army with the SA. This alarmed Hitler and the army.
• ❖ Hitler wanted to ensure that the leaders of the German Army were happy as they had the power to overthrow him.

When did Ernst Röhm die?

Ernst Röhm was shot dead on 1st July, 1934.