The Night of the Long Knives and the Oath of Loyalty

Between the 30th of June and the 2nd of July 1934, Hitler ordered his SS to carry out the Night of the Long Knives. During this period, between two hundred and one thousand people, including leaders of the SA, Ernst Röhm and the people Hitler hated. He purged everyone that might challenge hios power and murdered his way to dictatorship. The Night of the Long Knives virtually marked the end of the Nazi's civilised rule. 

Some say that this event was almost the start of the Holocaust.

Many people are confused as to why Hitler murdered his most loyal supporters. It was because Röhm and the SA posed a clear threat to Hitler's power. Röhm was backed by three million SAs who were hungry for power and had began screaming insults and demands focused at Hitler in the streets. Hitler began to believe that the SA wanted to take over the army and bring about a new Nazi revolution.

As Röhm was an important public figure, Hitler had to have an important reason for executing him. He created falsified evidence that Röhm had been paid by the French to overthrow Hitler. This was entirely false because Hitler only worried because Röhm had the power to overthrow him and was also gay (which went against Nazi Party values. 

After the Night of the Long Knives, President Hindenburg thanked Hitler because he disliked the violence that was caused by the SA. The Army, who disliked the SA, also swore an oath of loyalty to Hitler. This was because they like Traditional Practices and had Nationalists views. They wished for one all-powerful leader.