Ernst Röhm

Ernst Röhm was a German military officer and early member of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party. He founded and led the Sturmabteilung (SA), also known as the Brownshirts, a paramilitary group that helped the Nazis rise to power through intimidation and violence. Röhm was loyal to Hitler but became a threat when his desire to merge the SA with the German army clashed with Hitler’s political plans. In 1934, during the Night of the Long Knives, Röhm was executed to solidify Hitler’s control, marking a significant shift in Nazi power dynamics.