Oklahoma Social Studies TOT.C.4.4.F
The Standard
- TOT.C.4.4
- Trace the significant events that led to Adolf Hitler’s rise to power.
Night of the Long Knives (Rohm Purge)
Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies (2026) · TOT.C.4.4
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students explain why Hitler ordered the killing of Ernst Röhm and other perceived rivals in 1934. They identify how the purge helped him gain the army's support and tighten his control of Germany.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can explain that Röhm led the SA and had been Hitler's ally. They can describe how the killings weakened the SA and why the government made them legal after the fact.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think Röhm opposed the Nazis, rather than leading a Nazi organization. They may confuse the SA with the SS or assume everyone killed was an SA leader.
How to Assess It
- Ask: Why did Hitler target Röhm, and how did the purge help Hitler gain power? Have students answer in two sentences, including the SA and the army.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give groups cards labeled Hitler, Röhm, SA, SS, and army; have them draw arrows showing each group's role in the purge.
Ask students to write three sentences answering: Why would Hitler order the killing of a longtime ally?
Have pairs sort cards for the June 30 killings, July 3 legal approval, and August 2 army oath, then explain the order.
Read the July 3 law approving the killings, then have students write two questions citizens should ask when a leader claims emergency powers.
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