To what extent did Rohm's homosexuality contribute to the purge of the SA and his execution?

by missonpossible

Basically as the title. Was the SA purged because Hitler feared Ernst Rohm was a rival or was it because of his sexuality or was it a combination of both? Or was it more to do with reducing the power of the SA?

RichardMunday

Fear that the SA may have become too powerful / rebellious towards the NSDAP.

Hitler was always paranoid about losing his power over the party and felt that the leaders of the SA were his biggest threat at the time.* They had just as much support as the party with a larger proportion engaging in violence.

The SA could have forced a change in leadership, much like an inner party political coup.

  • As the Fuhrer, Hitler made potential leadership rivals and plotters work in separate areas of government. These ministers were much more likely to argue with one another, meaning any politicians looking to gain support from another party heavy weight was unlikely to do so, hence securing Hitler's power.