History glossary
Night of the Long Knives
Hitler's June-July 1934 purge of SA leaders and other real or imagined rivals.
- Category
- Political purge
- Region
- Germany
- Date range
- 1934
What it means
The Night of the Long Knives was the purge of 30 June to 2 July 1934, when Hitler used the SS and Gestapo to murder SA leaders and other real or imagined enemies, including Kurt von Schleicher. The purge reassured the army and conservative elites while proving that Hitler could turn murder into an act of state.
