As far as we know, this is the first attempt to deal with Röhm's life as a whole. We have tried to give a more rounded picture of him than appears in most accounts of Nazi history, and to correct the stereotype, thoughtlessly repeated in much of the literature, of him as a mere Nazi thug. After the story of his early military life and heroic performances in world War One, we tell of the major part he played into he early Nazi movement, culminating in the Beer Hall Putsch of 1923.
We discuss the relationship between Röhm and Hitler, and especially why the latter, with his antipathy to homosexuality and strong sensitivity to public feeling, should nevertheless have given Röhm high office. We go into the effect Röhm's homosexuality had on his plans for the S.A. and the Reichswehr, which brought him into conflict with the Generals and finally with Hitler.
We have sought to correct the lurid descriptions sometimes given of his final hours, and end with a refutation of Hitler's declared reasons for murdering Röhm while acknowledging that he really had no other option than to get rid of him.
