The Night of the Long Knives is considered the first act of horror committed by the Nazis. Hitler's rise to power and total control had him caught between conservative tendencies and revolutionary aspirations dividing the country. Pressure from Göring and Himmler convinced Hitler to carry out extrajudicial executions, consolidating power to build the Third Reich.

The Night of the Long Knives is considered the first act of horror committed by the Nazis. Hitler's rise to power and total control had him caught between conservative tendencies and revolutionary aspirations dividing the country. Pressure from Göring and Himmler convinced Hitler to carry out extrajudicial executions, consolidating power to build the Third Reich.