The Night of the Long Knives, in June 1934, saw the wiping out
of the SA's leadership and others who had angered Hitler in the
recent past in Nazi Germany. After this date, the SS lead by
Heinrich Himmler was to become far more powerful in Nazi
Germany. For all the power the Enabling Act gave Hitler, he
still felt threatened by some in the Nazi Party. He was also
worried that the regular army had not given an oath of
allegiance. Hitler knew that the army hierarchy held him in
disdain as he was 'only ' a corporal in their eyes. The Night of
the Long Knives not only removed the SA leaders but also got
Hitler the army's oath that he so needed. By the summer of 1934,
the SA's numbers had swollen to 2 million men. They were under
the control of Ernst Röhm, a loyal follower of Hitler since the
early days of the Nazi Party. The SA had given the Nazi's an
iron fist with which to disrupt other political parties meetings
before January 1933. The SA was also used to enforce law after
Hitler became Chancellor in January