Page 127 - Was Hitler a Riddle?

114 The French Diplomats

power he was determined to transform the sa, under his leadership, into
a people’s militia that would spearhead a second revolution—a “German
revolution”—although he never spelled out the social program he favored
for the radical reordering of the country’s institutions. He also wanted the
paramilitary organization to be merged with the reichswehr, a move that
was correctly considered a threat to the traditional military leadership. But
Hitler preferred not to antagonize the generals, whose participation was
essential to Germany’s rearmament and any campaign of conquest the Na-
zis might wish to initiate. at the same time, the Führer was reluctant to
move against röhm, a long-standing friend and supporter. true, röhm
was known to have voiced criticisms of the Nazi government, but he always
professed his loyalty to the party and to Hitler.
eventually, however, the Führer, egged on by several senior Nazis as well
as the leaders of the reichswehr, grew to suspect that röhm, who enjoyed
great popularity within the party, was hatching a plot against him.He was
also troubled by röhm’s unconcealed homosexuality. He therefore gave the
order to assassinate röhm and his alleged accomplices on June 30, soon
to be known as the “Night of the long Knives.” Within a matter of hours,
at least seventy-seven people—and according to reliable sources, many
more—were shot to death in cold blood in various locations in Germany.
among them were the former prime minister, General schleicher, and his
wife, and several Nazi Party leaders now condemned as rivals by Göring
and Himmler. Numerous other prominent political figures thought not to
be sympathetic to the New Order were also executed. 37
the elimination of röhm both strengthened the reichswehr politi-
cally and boosted the loyalty of the military to the New Order. General
von Blomberg, the minister of defense, drew closer to the Nazi leaders and
accepted more and more of their ideas, including the “aryan paragraph”
promulgated by the Nazis on april 7, 1933; it had ordered the dismissal
from the civil service of Jews and opponents of the regime. Blomberg now
referred to the army “as the sword of the German people who are united
under National socialism.” 38
François-Poncet was shocked by the massacre, and he was further shocked
and offended by charges carried in the German press that France and he
himself had been involved in the plot concocted by röhm and had actually
given him weapons for his militia, to be used in the event of a government
attack. the charge was based on the following flimsy evidence: (1) François-
Poncet was known to have good relations with General schleicher, one of

On this event, see also above, pp. 35–36.