The Night of the Long Knives was a significant event in the consolidation of Adolf Hitler's power in Germany. It unfolded in late June and early July, primarily targeting members of the Sturmabteilung (SA), the paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party, which had been instrumental in Hitler's rise to power. However, as the SA grew in size and influence, its leader, Ernst Röhm, began to pose a perceived threat to the established military leadership and to Hitler himself. The German Army was increasingly uncomfortable with the SA's radicalism and its ambitions under Röhm to absorb military roles, prompting a shift in Hitler's allegiance from the SA to the Reichswehr (the regular army).On the night of June 30, Hitler ordered the execution of Röhm and many other SA leaders, resulting in the deaths of at least 85 people, with estimates of those killed possibly reaching into the hundreds. The executions were carried out by the SS (Schutzstaffel), another paramilitary organization loyal to Hitler. Additionally, political figures such as former Chancellor Kurt von Schleicher were also assassinated during this purge. The operations were characterized by surprise, with victims often taken from their homes or hotels, indicating the efficiency and ruthlessness of Hitler’s methods.The purge was justified by the Nazi regime as a necessary measure against 'traitors' and 'enemies of the state,' and it had wide-ranging implications for the structure of Nazi Germany. By aligning more closely with the military and eliminating the SA's leadership, Hitler not only removed a potential rival but also gained the support of conservative elements within the government and military. This violence was a turning point that fortified Hitler's absolute control over the Nazi Party and the German state, steering Germany toward its later militaristic aggression in World War II.