All About Countries - Germany

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trade unions have ceased to exist. The disappearance of the Catholic Center Party was followed in July by the German Concordat with the Vatican. Hitler had no intention to trigger a radical revolution. The conservative “Ideas” were still necessary if he was to reach the presidency of Germany and to secure military support. Moreover, he did not intend to expropriate the industry leaders if they continued to serve the interests of the Nazi state. But Ernst Röhm was the promoter of a “continuous revolution”. He was also the head of the SA, in which the army had no trust. Initially, Hitler tried to secure Röhm’s support for his policies by persuasion. Heinrich Himmler and Hermann Göring wanted to remove Röhm, but Hitler hesitated until the last moment. Finally, on 29 June 1934, he made the decision to get rid of him. In the “night of Adolf Hitler (far right) during the First World War the long knives”, Röhm and lieutenant Edmund Heines 1933, the Empowerment Act, which gave full powers to were executed without trial, along with Gregor Strasser, Hitler, was voted by the Reichstag using the combined Kurt von Schleicher and others. The army leaders votes of the Nazi deputies, the nationalist ones and of were glad to see the SA destroyed, so they endorsed the Catholic Centre Party. After less than three months Hitler’s actions. At Hindenburg’s death on 2 August, all the No-Nazi parties and organizations, as well as the the military leaders, along with Chancellor von Papen

Adolf Hitler in 1933

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