Rise TO Power In Germany: 1919-1934
While working for the army, Hitler came across the German Worker's Party in 1919, and later joined them. Four years later, the Nazis attempted an armed revolt at the Munich Beer Hall, which ultimately failed due to poor planning. Hitler was arrested and sent to prison. After release in 1925, the Great Depression gave Hitler the momentum he needed to rise again. Through manipulation, he shared power with the President, and commenced the Night of the Long Knives, the brutal murders of over 2,000 of Hitler's opposition in 1934. |
“Hitler entered Roehm's bedroom alone with a whip in his hand. Behind him were two detectives with pistols at the ready. He spat out the words; "Roehm, you are under arrest." Roehm's doctor comes out of a room and to our surprise he has his wife with him. I hear Lutze putting in a good word for him with Hitler. Then Hitler walks up to him, greets him, shakes hand with his wife and asks them to leave the hotel, it isn't a pleasant place for them to stay in, that day. Now the bus arrives. Quickly, the SA leaders are collected from the laundry room and walk past Roehm under police guard. Roehm looks up from his coffee sadly and waves to them in a melancholy way. At last Roehm too is led from the hotel. He walks past Hitler with his head bowed, completely apathetic.”
-Erich Kempka's (Hitler's chauffeur) description of an encounter between Hitler and the SA's chief of state Ernst Roehm
-Erich Kempka's (Hitler's chauffeur) description of an encounter between Hitler and the SA's chief of state Ernst Roehm
After the President died, Hitler merged the positions of President and Chancellor and dissolved the Reichstag (parliament), becoming Führer.