Exactly Robert, just like the man never exists.
Another example is the so called cigarette card albums, were the pictures of Rohm were replaced after the purge by pictures of new head of SA Viktor Lutze and sometimes one can see group pictures that originally included Rohm that he simply was removed in later editions of these albums.
This is my quick view and opinion regarding the purge after reading several books in the subject.
Well, the whole purge was built on false evidence fabricated by SD leader Reinhard Heydrich by orders from Reichsfurer SS Henrich Himmler and the creator of Gestapo Hermann Goring to convince Hitler that his old comrade from the early days the SA Stabs chef Ernst Röhm and staff was talking about a second revolution and was planning a plot against Hitler& the Nazi party.
What Himmler, Goring and Heydrich had in mind was to reduce the power of the SA, at that time about 3 million men because the powerful SA was an obstacle for Himmler’s expansion and the future independence of the fast growing SS.
The truth is that Rohm never had any intention or plans for a plot against Hitler, but he always had a vision to merge the Army with the SA, which of course worried the Reicshwehr a lot.
In late June 1934, Hitler finally agreed to sacrifice Rohm after several attempt at persuasion from Himmler and Goring.
The Reichswehr agreed to the purge and promised their loyalty to Hitler.
Hitler promised in return to expand both the army and the navy in exchange for their support.
Rohm and other SA leaders were arrested in the early morning of June 30, 1934 at the seaside resort Bad Wiessee pension Hanselbauer not far from Munchen by men from “Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler” lead by Commander Sepp Dietrich.
The sleeping SA leaders at Bad Wiessee were taking by surprise and never understand what they were accused for but there were no mercy to expected and some men were assassinated right on spot and others were killed July 1 - July 2.
Rohm was shot to death on Sunday July 1 in his cell in Stadelheim prison, München by SS-Brigadeführer (Dachau commander) Theodore Eicke and his adjutant SS-Sturmbannführer Michael Lippert after declining an offer from Eicke to become suicide. Lippert fired two shoots, Rohm fell on his back stammering, mein Fürhrer mein Fürhrer! Eicke then finished him of with a bullet in his chest.
The blood purge ended up in July 2.
Officially 77-83 high leaders including Rohm was assassinated in June 30 - July 2, 1934 in the so-called "Night of the long knifes"(Nacht der langen Messer).
The real numbers of men that were killed all over Germany in the operation was probably more than five hundred, a huge numbered were non-SA members.
Rohm was replaced by Viktor Lutze but the organization lost its direction and leadership, it was continue through the war but was never the force it had been once.
Lutze was killed in a car accident in may 1943 and was replaced by Wilhelm Schepmann.
The speculations regarding the 200 Himmler dedication daggers awarded by SS men involved and did their duty in the purge, is another story.
http://daggers.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/728099473/m/5930013664
