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Ernst Roehm
was was one of the first members
of the Nazi Party. He took part in the Beer-Hall Putsch of 1923, but
after the trial he was released. After the victory of the
Nazis in the 1930 election he was
appointed commander of the SA by Hitler, which at that time had about 170,000
members. Following the Nazi seizure of power Roehm wanted the SA to
be incorporated into the German Army. He was bitterly opposed by
high ranking army officers and by Hitler, who was afraid that Roehm
would try to seize power as the head of a military government.
Hitler ordered the liquidation of the SA. On June 30, 1934 Roehm and
other SA leaders were arrested and shot- this purge was later known
as "The Night of the Long Knives."
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