🎙️ Episode 31 – The Night of the Long Knives

In the summer of 1934, Adolf Hitler turned against the very movement that helped bring him to power. The Nazi Brownshirts, once the violent force behind the rise of the Nazi Party, had become a threat to Hitler’s control. What followed was a brutal purge of political rivals, former allies, and perceived enemies in an operation that shocked Germany and cemented Hitler’s dictatorship.

In this episode, we explore the Night of the Long Knives from beginning to end. From Ernst Röhm’s growing ambitions and the rising power of the SA to the secret arrests, executions, and betrayals that unfolded across Germany, we uncover how fear and violence became tools of the Nazi state. The purge not only destroyed the Brownshirts — it cleared the way for the rise of the SS and absolute loyalty to Hitler.

Inside this episode:
• The growing power of Ernst Röhm and the SA
• Why Hitler feared a “second revolution”
• The purge of June 30, 1934
• The rise of the SS and Heinrich Himmler
• How political murder strengthened Hitler’s dictatorship

🎙️ Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere you listen.
This episode covers the Night of the Long Knives, Ernst Röhm, the Nazi Brownshirts, the rise of the SS, and how Hitler used violence and betrayal to consolidate power before WW2.

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Created by Hector Sanchez, U.S. Navy veteran.
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