Third Reich Day by Day: December 1934

The tensions between the SA leadership and Hitler exploded in 1934. Ernst Röhm, believing that the Nazi revolution should be taken a step further, began to talk of the SA replacing the army. Hitler, however, now firmly in power, did not want to alienate the army or the conservative élites that were backing him. Egged on by other senior Nazis, the Führer decided to eradicate the SA threat. The result was the Night of the Long Knives, during which the senior leadership of the SA, including Röhm, was killed.

14 December

SS, Waffen-SS

Party Day at Nuremberg, 1934. Beside Hitler stand Himmler (left) and Victor Lutze (right), the new SA commander.
Party Day at Nuremberg, 1934. Beside Hitler stand Himmler (left) and Victor Lutze (right), the new SA commander.

The Leibstandarte’s “first blooding” was over when the Röhm Putsch shooting finally ended on July 2. As a reward for their loyalty and involvement, Dietrich was promised by Hitler that he would see that the Leibstandarte became a fully equipped regiment. A rare honour was conferred on the Leibstandarte in early October 1934 when it was decided that it should be fully motorized. At this time the Reichswehr in the main is still horse-drawn and this decision leads to whispers of discontent in military circles. The Political Readiness Detachments were to be reorganized into battalions and then amalgamated within the Leibstandarte under Himmler’s orders. The Leibstandarte now consists of: one Staff, three motorized infantry battalions, one motorcycle company, one motor company, one signals platoon, one armoured car platoon, one regimental band.