Noun
night of the long knives (plural nights of the long knives)
A purge, in which opponents of a regime or political party are killed or removed.
Night of the Long Knives (plural Nights of the Long Knives)
Alternative letter-case form of night of the long knives (“purge”) used especially in reference to a specific one, particularly the 1934 one in Germany, but also e.g. the British one of 1962 or the Canadian one of 1981
One of the best things that ever happened to me was Rocky Horror being a total flop in New York as a play. I mean, it was a disaster, and it was the night of the long knives as far as the critics were concerned. Tim Curry
After the Night of the Long Knives, the Nazis amended paragraph 175 due to what they saw as loopholes in the law. Source: Internet
However, Collingridge – citing Harold Macmillan 's political demise after the 1962 Night of the Long Knives – effects no changes at all. Source: Internet
Though Der Sieg des Glaubens apparently did well at the box office, it later became a serious embarrassment to the Nazis after SA Leader Ernst Röhm, who had a prominent role in the film, was executed during the Night of the Long Knives. Source: Internet
During the Night of the Long Knives in 1934, a purge of those whom Hitler deemed threats to his power took place, he had Röhm murdered and used Röhm's homosexuality as a justification to suppress outrage within the ranks of the SA. Source: Internet
Hitler then reviews the parading SA and SS men, following which Hitler and Lutze deliver a speech where they discuss the Night of the Long Knives purge of the SA several months prior. Source: Internet