night of the long knives

Calque of German Nacht der langen Messer, name for the 1934 Night of the Long Knives in which the Nazis murdered various opponents. Reinforced by earlier English uses of the motif of long knives, as in phrases like the Treachery of the Long Knives (a pseudohistorical massacre of Celts by Anglo-Saxons), used since at least the 1800s.

night of the long knives (plural nights of the long knives)

1. A purge, in which opponents of a regime or political party are killed or removed.
   • 1961, William Smith White, Majesty & mischief: a mixed tribute to F.D.R., page 77:

     (It was to precede yet another night of the long knives—this one of Republican knives honed up for Truman and the new Truman-Democratic Party. But this latter would in some ways be actually a manifestation of secondary importance.)

   • 1970, Investors Chronicle and Stock Exchange Gazette, volume 13, page 11:

     Although the business world has its “nights of the long knives,” the affluent are generally reluctant to be totally ruthless either in competition with one another or against individuals of lesser financial standing.

   • 1971, United States Dept. of Defense, United States House Committee on Armed Services, United States-Vietnam relations, 1945-1967: study, page 29:

     […] was unable to fight, Americans didn't understand the Vietnamese, all whites must encourage only selected Vietnamese loyal to the French because the remainder would turn against all whites in another "night of the long knives" similar to that of 1946.

   • 1988, Arthur Agwuncha Nwankwo, The power dynamics of the Nigerian society: people, politics and power, page 17:

     […] while the architects watched hopelessly and helplessly. Again, it was a group of young Nigerian revolutionaries in military uniform who rushed to the rescue and tried to save the country from the experience of another night of the long knives.

   • 2008, The Health Service Journal:

     […] who understand 2008 NHS dynamics, and while some trusts have to strengthen their line-ups during the course of the application process, I would counsel against dramatic nights of the long knives.

• night of long knives, Night of Long Knives
• Night of the Long Knives