Ernst Röhm

Ernst Röhm (1887-1934), Chief of Staff of the Sturmabteilung, was an prominent early Nazi leader. A close personal friend of Adolf Hitler, Röhm was one of the most powerful Nazis before the seizure of power. As leader of the paramilitary Sturmabteilung, he gained a reputation of ambition and agression, and was also a homosexual. The powerful force at Röhm's disposal and his ambition for public office led his execution during the 1934 Purge known as the Knight of the Long Knives. 

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