Ernst Röhm

Ernst Röhm
Georg Pahl · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · source
Name	Ernst Röhm
Birth date	November 28, 1887
Birth place	Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire
Death date	July 2, 1934
Death place	Munich, Nazi Germany
Party	National Socialist German Workers' Party
Occupation	Politician, Military officer

Ernst Röhm was a German politician and one of the key figures in the development of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) and the Sturmabteilung (SA). He was closely associated with Adolf Hitler and played a crucial role in the Beer Hall Putsch in 1923, alongside other prominent figures such as Rudolf Hess and Hermann Göring. Röhm's early life and career were marked by his involvement in the German Army during World War I, where he served alongside Erich Ludendorff and Paul von Hindenburg. His experiences during the war had a significant impact on his later political views, which were influenced by the Treaty of Versailles and the Weimar Republic.

● Early Life and Career

Röhm was born in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, to a family of civil servants, and grew up in a conservative and nationalist environment, which was influenced by the Bavarian People's Party and the German National People's Party. He was educated at a Catholic school and later attended the Royal Bavarian War Academy, where he was trained as an officer in the Bavarian Army. Röhm's military career began during World War I, where he served on the Western Front and was wounded three times, earning him the Iron Cross and the Pour le Mérite. After the war, he became involved in the Freikorps movement, a group of paramilitary organizations that emerged in Germany after the war, and was associated with figures such as Waldemar Pabst and Gustav Noske.

● Rise to Power

Röhm's rise to power began in the early 1920s, when he joined the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) and became one of the party's earliest members, alongside Dietrich Eckart and Gottfried Feder. He quickly rose through the ranks and became the leader of the Sturmabteilung (SA), the party's paramilitary wing, which was modeled after the Italian Fascist Blackshirts. Röhm's leadership of the SA played a crucial role in the party's growth and development, and he was instrumental in organizing the Beer Hall Putsch in 1923, which was supported by figures such as Erich Ludendorff and Max von Scheubner-Richter. Although the putsch failed, Röhm's reputation as a loyal and dedicated supporter of Adolf Hitler was cemented, and he continued to play a key role in the party's development, working closely with figures such as Joseph Goebbels and Hermann Göring.

● The Night of

the Long Knives In 1934, Röhm's position within the party began to decline, as Adolf Hitler and other party leaders became increasingly concerned about the power and influence of the SA, which was seen as a threat to the Schutzstaffel (SS) and the German Army. The tension between the SA and the SS, led by Heinrich Himmler, came to a head in June 1934, when Hitler ordered the execution of Röhm and other high-ranking SA leaders, in an event known as the Night of the Long Knives. The purge was carried out by the SS, with the support of the Gestapo and the Reichswehr, and resulted in the deaths of hundreds of SA members, including prominent figures such as Karl Ernst and Edmund Heines.

● Personal Life

Röhm's personal life was marked by his open homosexuality, which was tolerated by Adolf Hitler and other party leaders, despite the party's official stance against homosexuality. Röhm's relationships with other men, including his lover Elliot and his friend Karl Ernst, were well-known within the party, and he was often seen at gay bars and nightclubs in Berlin and Munich. Röhm's personal life was also marked by his love of travel and adventure, and he spent time in Bolivia and South America, where he worked as a military advisor to the Bolivian Army.

● Death and Legacy

Röhm was arrested on June 30, 1934, and executed by firing squad on July 2, 1934, in the Stadelheim Prison in Munich. His death marked the end of the SA as a powerful force within the National Socialist German Workers' Party, and paved the way for the rise of the Schutzstaffel (SS) as the dominant paramilitary organization in Nazi Germany. Röhm's legacy is complex and contested, with some viewing him as a martyr and a hero of the gay rights movement, while others see him as a criminal and a terrorist. Despite his controversial legacy, Röhm remains an important figure in the history of Nazi Germany and the National Socialist German Workers' Party, and his life and career continue to be the subject of study and debate among historians and scholars.

● Military Career

Röhm's military career began in 1908, when he joined the Bavarian Army as a lieutenant. He served in World War I and was wounded three times, earning him the Iron Cross and the Pour le Mérite. After the war, he became involved in the Freikorps movement and later joined the Reichswehr, where he served as a captain. Röhm's military career was marked by his bravery and his loyalty to Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers' Party, and he was awarded numerous honors and decorations, including the Blood Order and the Golden Party Badge. Despite his military background, Röhm's true passion was politics, and he is perhaps best known for his role as the leader of the Sturmabteilung (SA) and his involvement in the Beer Hall Putsch and the Night of the Long Knives.