Rohm deceived himself when he thought when he thought that his closeness to Hitler would allow him to survive while other German homosexual men were being persecuted. Rohm was not murdered because he was homosexual, but the fact that he was so gave his enemies a means of turning Hitler against him and securing his destruction.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Roehm believed his closeness to Hitler would protect him, but his homosexuality gave enemies a pretext to turn Hitler against him, leading to his death.
- In plain terms
- He thought personal ties would shield him, but his sexuality was used against him.
- What can you take from it?
- Personal traits can be exploited politically.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How much did personal loyalty matter?
- What other factors led to his downfall?
Another view
The causal link may oversimplify complex political motives.
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