Changes

===Chief of German police===

===Chief of German police===

When Hitler came to power in January 1933, Himmler controlled the 50,000-man "Protection Squadron" or "Schutzstaffel", called the SS. In March Himmler became the Polizeipräsident in Munich. In late 1933 the political police in Prussia were made the "Preussiche Geheime Staatspolizei" (the [[Gestapo]]), under the control of the Prussian Ministry of Interior, [[Hermann Goering]] and not yet under Himmler. In 1933-34, Himmler and Heydrich took over the political police departments in each German state until only Prussia was left. On April 20, 1934, Goering handed over the Gestapo to Himmler. He appointed SD chief [[Reinhard Heydrich]], his second in command, the director of the Gestapo.  

When Hitler came to power in January 1933, Himmler controlled the 50,000-man "Protection Squadron" or "Schutzstaffel", called the SS. In March Himmler became the Polizeipräsident in Munich. In 1933 the political police in Prussia were made the "Preussiche Geheime Staatspolizei" (the [[Gestapo]]), under the control of the Prussian Ministry of Interior, [[Hermann Goering]] and not yet under Himmler. In 1933-34, Himmler and Heydrich took over the political police departments in each German state until only Prussia was left. On April 20, 1934, Goering handed over the Gestapo to Himmler. He appointed SD chief [[Reinhard Heydrich]], his second in command, the director of the Gestapo.  

At first Ernst Röhm's [[SA]] ("brownshirts"), with 2.9 million members, was a much larger and more powerful part of the Nazi Party than Himmler's SS ("blackshirts").  That suddenly changed in June 1934 as a result of a power struggle between the SA, which had a more radical vision than Hitler would tolerate, and a coalition of Himmler, Goering, the army and big business wanted eliminated from power. The army feared the SA would absorb it into its ranks or become a people's army. Himmler and Heydrich prepared the list of Röhm's SA associates who were executed or imprisoned in the "[[Night of the Long Knives]]" which took place between June 30 and July 2, 1934. Hitler had Röhm killed, as well. As a result, Himmler and his SS gained enormously; the SS was now its own separate branch and Himmler reported only to Hitler.<ref> The SA lost most of its members and all of its power. Evans (2005), pp. 31-41; Kershaw (1998) 1: pp. 499-522</ref><ref>Weale, (2010); Gerwarth (2011)</ref>

At first Ernst Röhm's [[SA]] ("brownshirts"), with 2.9 million members, was a much larger and more powerful part of the Nazi Party than Himmler's SS ("blackshirts").  That suddenly changed in June 1934 as a result of a power struggle between the SA, which had a more radical vision than Hitler would tolerate, and a coalition of Himmler, Goering, the army and big business wanted eliminated from power. The army feared the SA would absorb it into its ranks or become a people's army. Himmler and Heydrich prepared the list of Röhm's SA associates who were executed or imprisoned in the "[[Night of the Long Knives]]" which took place between June 30 and July 2, 1934. Hitler had Röhm killed, as well. As a result, Himmler and his SS gained enormously; the SS was now its own separate branch and Himmler reported only to Hitler.<ref> The SA lost most of its members and all of its power. Evans (2005), pp. 31-41; Kershaw (1998) 1: pp. 499-522</ref><ref>Weale, (2010); Gerwarth (2011)</ref>