Night Of The Long Knives Analysis

Superior Essays
What was the short-term significance of
The Night of the Long Knives?

The Night of the Long Knives was significant because it marked a turning point in the Third Reich; as the first publicised official government purge, it signalled the types of activities for which they would later be primarily known. Its name was coined by Hitler, alluding to a popular German song about revenge, which captured the direction in which he wanted to push his particular version of events as part of Nazi propaganda.

Hitler 's speech proved the Night of the Long Knives ' short-term significance by confirming his unmatched power; his contempt for traditional law evidenced the fact that he was above all authority. The origin of the source is a nationally broadcasted
…show more content…
This was significant as it set a precedent for the Nazis dealing with political enemies without being questioned, in spite of clear signs of deception such as suspicious changes to the "official press release from party headquarters" switching it up from "self-defence to suicide" to adjust culpability. In spite of his power and influence, he wanted the public to look favourably upon the actions of his government.

Hitler 's motives for dishonesty about how these dissenters were dealt with were to eliminate the risk they posed to the Nazis ' retention of power under claims of legality and please other possible allies. Martin refers to "the fear expressed by the army over the 3 million SA men" as not being without foundation, another reason for the significance of certain leaders being assassinated. Given the 100,000 limit imposed by the Treaty of Versailles, it is understandable why the generals would not have wanted their men to be so outnumbered, especially in the climate of unrest with "threats of "martial law cropping up from the left-leaning Nazis who wanted a

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    “Forks over Knives”, a documentary film directed by Lee Fulkerson released in 2011, examines the career of the physician Cardwell Esselstyn, and the nutritional biochemistry professor Collin Campbell, to suggest that degenerative diseases that affect most of the society could be controlled—or maybe reversed—by avoiding the presence of processed and animal-based foods. In this documentary, Fulkerson promotes a plant-based and a low-fat whole-food diet as a suggestion to combat the number of diseases related to bad eating habits. In addition, “Forks over Knives” supports an analysis made from the 20-year China-Cornell-Oxford Project, which led the findings of Professor Campbell. In his findings, he recommends that diseases such as diabetes, obesity,…

    • 152 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Reichstag Fire Dbq

    • 1079 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Throughout history there are few people more evil and powerful then Adolf Hitler, being responsible for almost sixty million soldiers in the war and the execution of around 500,000 Jewish, homosexual, disabled and political enemies in concentration camps. But to orchestrate these acts Adolf first had to get to a high point of power, he achieved this primarily in three ways, the Reichstag fire and the aftermath of the Reichstag fire, the Enabling act and the Night of Long Knives. The fire was lit on the 27th of February at 9 Pm 1993, and it burned down part of the Reichstag building in Berlin the capital of German(Source I). Soon after this fire Hitler addressed the German President Paul Von Hindenburg telling him that radical communists,…

    • 1079 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Adolf Hitler, leader of the fascist Nazi party, seized power in Germany during early 1933. Almost immediately after, they began scapegoating Jewish people, blaming them for the problems Germany faced after World War I. On April 1st of the same year, a national boycott of Jewish owned businesses was announced. In the weeks that followed, legislations were passed forcing Jews out of civil services. This was part of Hitler’s larger plan to exterminate all Jewish people from Germany and German-controlled territories.…

    • 1250 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Do you have what it takes? What it takes to step up against an opposing crowd of people? Thousands of people? It takes real strength to question what has always been. It takes bravery to speak up about the changes you want to happen.…

    • 778 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Spellbound is very much similar to The Night of the Hunter; it revolves around murder and violence. The story concentrates on the intuitive, but restrained, psychoanalyst Dr. Constance Peterson who seeks to help an amnesiac patient who may have murdered the real Dr. Edwardes. The plot essentially transforms into a manhunt, as Ingrid and Gregory escape from the law whilst attempting to discover the truth about Peck’s…

    • 68 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    I am a strong believer in human rights and that all human beings are entitled to life, dignity, and liberty. I have been proud to live in America, the cultural melting pot, where we welcome others and embrace new cultures. Although I do not consider myself political, I am appalled by the lack of humanity shown in American politics toward immigrants and refugees in today’s political climate. I decided to write my Showcase Article about my stance through an examination of Linda Chavez’s article, “Supporting Family Values” (Chavez 454) and explorations and critiques of extreme isolationism in American history.…

    • 1074 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Kershaw then divided the Hitler myth into seven ‘bases’ (Bessel p.48). One of bases was that Hitler was viewed as the epitome of a strong and ruthless leader and enforcer of the law. Kershaw uses Hitler’s purge of SA leadership as an example of this. Many German citizens were pleased with Hitler’s actions regarding the SA because to them it showed that he was dedicated to acknowledging and tackling the corruption that resided even within his own movement and he was not going to protect criminals simply to save face. The second was that Hitler was viewed as being representative of Germany and Germany’s interests and he put the nation’s…

    • 1700 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Genocide in the holocaust was made possible by the fact that the Nazis created a set mind set in people 's heads that they are superior compared to the Jews, disabled, gay and other minorities at the time. During the holocaust the Nazis were focused on separating the Jews from the non Jews. Nazis created a mindset in non Jew children in germany that they are superior than that of the Jew children to eliminate the Jews as seen in the book parallel journeys. “No German boy can ever be true friends with a Jew boy. No matter how nice he seems, he 'll grow up to be your enemy.”…

    • 1026 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The Holocaust was a time of historical conflict and darkness. At the hands of Adolf Hitler, he and his Nazi party, the Third Reich, motivated to bring the Jewish religion to an end, as well as homosexuals, gypsies, and others. Anyone who defied the social norm should be exterminated. They were not people; they were merely creatures. What fueled Hitler’s hatred remains a mystery today.…

    • 1313 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    All school activity halted and students would congregate in the auditoriums to listen to the speeches in their entirety.4 While the political rhetoric did not resonate with young minds, the sheer power and conviction in Hitler’s voice gave listeners, in what Massaquoi describes, as a sense of “pride in an emerging, all-powerful father figure who was courageous and not intimidated by Germany’s…

    • 825 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Forks Over Knives Analysis

    • 1029 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Forks over Knives is effective in using scare tactics to show the harmful effects that consuming meat and dairy products has on the body, but offers the opposition a very small opportunity to defend and support their own case. This film does a wonderful job bringing in facts and showing the audience how bad American health truly is. Forks over Knifes states that the average American now carries an extra twenty-three pounds of weight. That number is absolutely mind boggling, and demonstrates that the state of American health is concerning. This extra weight can contribute to numerous different diseases in children and adults, and it also might lead to early death in some cases.…

    • 1029 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Vindicated Victims of the Treaty of Versailles: Analyzing Hitler’s September 1, 1939 Address Adolf Hitler entered the Kroll Opera House on September 1, 1939, as his troops prepared to invade Poland. Hitler’s speech is an example of the Nazi propaganda that would be commonplace during the war. Propaganda was a major facet of Nazi Germany’s success and this speech reiterates the plight of Germany, Hitler’s beliefs on who was to blame for their failing economy, and what must be done about the crisis. This address was known as a Reichstag Extraordinary Session, a council meeting called upon by the President of the Reich or a majority of the council members. Like many of Hitler’s speeches, nations all over the world had tuned in via radio…

    • 747 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In this speech, Hitler presents himself as a man who is honorable and trustworthy, unlike his adversaries. He displays a narcissistic characteristic by constantly referring to himself positively, whether it be directly or indirectly, to elevate others opinions of him. When comparing himself to Roosevelt, he notes that “Roosevelt came from an extremely wealthy family” while he “had to struggle through life by work and effort” (Hitler, 1941, p. 18). Hitler portrays himself as regular man who, through dedication, persistence, and immense hardship, gained his title and wealth. He knows the struggles that the Germans face because growing up he had to face them as well.…

    • 1146 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Revenge: An Acceptable Answer? The French Revolution was a dangerous period in France when the peasants, influenced by the American Revolution, decided to overthrow the monarchy. The plot of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is set around this chaotic time. During this period, many characters take their revenge on others who have wronged them. Through his examples of revenge, Dickens provides insight towards whether or not revenge is acceptable.…

    • 1042 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Kershaw’s starts from the fundamental views of German leadership, then goes to the traits Hitler exhibited, then proceeded to compare and contrast what actually happened and what was placed into the propaganda. “The gulf between the fictive figure, manufactured by propaganda on the foundations of pre-existing ‘heroic’ leadership ideals, and the genuine Hitler is striking… Hitler’s image which we have examined has pointed to seven significant bases of the ‘Hitler Myth.’” “The Hitler myth can be seen as providing the central motor for integration, mobilization, and legitimization of the Nazi system of…

    • 855 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays