Joseph Goebbels, March 1945
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I pointed out to the Führer at length that in 1934 we unfortunately failed to reform the Wehrmacht when we had an opportunity of doing so. What Roehm wanted was, of course, right in itself but in practice it could not be carried through by a homosexual and an anarchist. Had Roehm been an upright solid personality, in all probability some hundred generals rather than some hundred SA leaders would have been shot on June 30. The whole course of events was profoundly tragic and today we are feeling its effects. In that year the time was ripe to revolutionise the Reichswehr. As things were the Führer was unable to seize the opportunity. It is questionable whether today we can ever make good what we missed doing at that time. I am very doubtful of it. Nevertheless the attempt must be made.

— Joseph Goebbels

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I pointed out to the Führer at length that in 1934 we unfortunately failed to reform the Wehrmacht when we had an opportunity of doing so. What Roehm wanted was, of course, right in itself but in practice it could not be carried through by a homosexual and an anarchist. Had Roehm been an upright solid personality, in all probability some hundred generals rather than some hundred SA leaders would have been shot on June 30. The whole course of events was profoundly tragic and today we are feeling its effects. In that year the time was ripe to revolutionise the Reichswehr. As things were the Führer was unable to seize the opportunity. It is questionable whether today we can ever make good what we missed doing at that time. I am very doubtful of it. Nevertheless the attempt must be made." in the context of "Joseph Goebbels, March 1945" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Ernst Röhm" (Quotes about Röhm) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Ernst Röhm

About Ernst Röhm

Ernst Julius Röhm (28 November 1887 – 2 July 1934) was a career German military officer who was the co-founder and commander of the Nazi Sturmabteilung (storm troopers), often called simply the SA. The leadership of SA was purged during the "Night of the Long Knives" in June 1934. Adolf Hitler arrested Röhm personally at a resort in Bad Wiessee on June 30. Röhm was held without trial at Stadelheim Prison in Munich, and on July 2 he was visited by SS-Brigadeführer Theodor Eicke and SS-Sturmbannführer Michael Lippert, who offered Röhm a pistol and suggested he commit suicide. When he refused, Lippert shot Röhm at point-blank range.