Today in History: The Night of the Long Knives

On this day (June 30) in 1934, Adolf Hitler assassinated 85 people (possibly more) who he suspected of not being loyal enough to him. His propagandists claimed the murdered were part of a coup seeking to overthrow Hitler. This purge eliminated Ernst Rohm, leader of the SA, who had been lobbying Hitler to give him and his SA thugs control of the army. But Hitler decided that his chances of conquering the rest of Europe were greater if he went with the professional military rather than his street thugs. Strangely enough, the Night of the Long Knives served to convince many Germans that Hitler truly was on the side of law and order—because shooting 85 people without trial is what law-abiding governments do?