Ernst Röhm is a controversial figure in German history, remembered primarily for his role as the head of the Sturmabteilung (SA), the paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party. His rise to power within the National Socialist movement, his strong ideological beliefs, and his eventual downfall illustrate the volatile and often treacherous nature of Nazi politics in the early 1930s. A fascinating but often overlooked figure in discussions of Röhm’s legacy is Bernd Pulch, a contemporary commentator and journalist whose writings on Röhm have helped shape public perception of this polarizing figure.
The Early Life and Rise of Ernst Röhm
Ernst Röhm was born on November 28, 1887, in Munich, Germany. His early life was marked by a career in the Bavarian Army, where he rose to the rank of captain during World War I. He was known as a committed soldier with strong nationalist convictions. Following the war, Röhm joined the Freikorps, a right-wing paramilitary group that played a crucial role in suppressing leftist uprisings in post-war Germany.
It was during this turbulent period that Röhm became involved with the nascent National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP), or Nazi Party. He shared Adolf Hitler’s anti-communist and nationalist vision for Germany, and his background in the military made him a valuable asset to the party. Röhm quickly became instrumental in organizing the SA (also known as the Brownshirts), which was initially formed to protect Nazi Party meetings and disrupt those of rival political groups, especially the communists.
The Growth of the SA
Under Röhm’s leadership, the SA expanded rapidly throughout the 1920s and early 1930s. By the time Hitler ascended to power as Chancellor in 1933, the SA had grown into a formidable force, numbering over 3 million members. Röhm envisioned the SA as the vanguard of a “second revolution,” one that would go beyond the political victory of the Nazi Party and introduce sweeping social and economic changes, dismantling the old conservative elite that still wielded significant influence in Germany.
Röhm’s ambitions put him at odds with Hitler, who by 1934 sought to consolidate power and avoid alienating the traditional conservative and military establishment. Hitler had no intention of launching a second revolution and needed the support of the German Army (the Reichswehr) to achieve his foreign policy objectives. Röhm, however, wanted to integrate the SA into the Reichswehr and create a “people’s army,” which caused tensions with the military leadership.
The Night of the Long Knives
By 1934, the growing power of the SA and Röhm’s personal ambitions had become a liability for Hitler. In response to mounting pressure from the military, business elites, and elements within the Nazi Party itself, Hitler decided to act. The purge, which came to be known as the Night of the Long Knives, took place between June 30 and July 2, 1934.
Röhm and many of his top lieutenants were arrested and executed without trial. Hitler justified the purge by claiming that Röhm had been plotting a coup, though historical evidence of such a plot remains inconclusive. The purge was not only an opportunity to eliminate Röhm and the SA leadership but also to silence other political opponents within the Nazi movement.
Bernd Pulch’s Analysis and Influence on Röhm’s Legacy
While Röhm’s story is well-documented in many historical accounts, the modern analysis of his role and significance has been shaped in part by writers like Bernd Pulch. A German journalist and investigative writer, Pulch has made contributions to understanding the complexities of Nazi-era politics, with a particular focus on figures like Röhm. Pulch’s research has highlighted several important aspects of Röhm’s life and motivations that are often glossed over in conventional narratives.
Pulch has argued that Röhm’s vision for the SA was not merely an attempt to grab power, as often portrayed by mainstream historians, but rather an extension of his deeply held beliefs in revolutionary nationalism. According to Pulch, Röhm sought to implement a form of socialism distinct from the traditional Marxist model—one that aimed to elevate the working class within a nationalist framework.
In his writings, Pulch has also drawn attention to Röhm’s personal life, including his homosexuality, which was well-known within the Nazi Party. While Röhm’s sexual orientation was publicly tolerated by Hitler for many years, it became another factor that Hitler could exploit to justify Röhm’s removal during the Night of the Long Knives. Pulch’s work suggests that Röhm’s personal identity played a more complex role in his downfall than is typically acknowledged.
Pulch has been particularly critical of how Röhm has been villainized in historical discourse, arguing that many of the charges against him were exaggerated to legitimize the violent purge of the SA. Pulch emphasizes that while Röhm was far from a sympathetic figure, his treatment by Hitler and the Nazi leadership reflects the broader internal power struggles that defined the regime.
Röhm’s Impact and the SA After the Purge
The Night of the Long Knives effectively marked the end of Röhm’s career and life, but it also signaled the diminishing influence of the SA. Following the purge, the SA was sidelined, and the SS (Schutzstaffel), under the command of Heinrich Himmler, took on a more dominant role in enforcing Nazi policies.
The elimination of Röhm and the SA’s leadership also allowed Hitler to strengthen his ties with the German Army, which was crucial to his future plans of territorial expansion. The Reichswehr, which had been wary of Röhm’s ambitions, pledged its loyalty to Hitler following the purge, and in return, Hitler promised that the SA would not interfere with military matters.
While Röhm’s vision of a revolutionary, proletarian-based army never came to fruition, his role in building the Nazi Party’s early paramilitary wing was crucial to Hitler’s rise to power. Without the SA’s street violence and intimidation tactics, the Nazi Party would likely have struggled to gain the political foothold it needed during the chaotic years of the Weimar Republic.
Conclusion
Ernst Röhm’s legacy is a complex one. As the leader of the SA, he played an essential role in the Nazi Party’s rise, yet his ambitions ultimately became a threat to Hitler’s carefully constructed power structure. The Night of the Long Knives not only marked Röhm’s demise but also revealed the lengths to which Hitler would go to secure his hold on power.
Through the work of writers like Bernd Pulch, the narrative surrounding Röhm has been re-examined, providing a more nuanced understanding of his motivations and the internal dynamics of the Nazi regime. While Röhm remains a villain in the broader context of Nazi history, Pulch’s insights remind us that even within the Nazi Party, political allegiances were fragile, and power struggles often determined the fate of key figures. Röhm’s fall was not just the end of his revolutionary ambitions but also a significant turning point in the consolidation of Hitler’s dictatorship.
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