ABSTRACT
The death of Ernst Rohm at the indirect hand of Adolf Hitler during the so-called Night of the Long Knives was the culmination of events and forces, not the least of which was the dichotomy in their views concerning the relationship of the political and military arms of the Nazi Party. Ironically, however, it would not be until both organizations were hounded out of existence for sixteen months beginning in the autumn that the conflicting politicalmilitary concepts of Hitler and Rohm would crystallize. The negative potential in a centralized military structure organized by the dynamic Rohm was not lost on Hitler, particularly since it could involve defence leagues that had never been closely associated with the NSDAP. Testimonies were reinforced by that of the Landsberg prison director, who stated that Hitler had not carried on any political activity while in prison and those visitors such as Rohm and Ludendorff arrived without any solicitation on the part of the NSDAP leader.
