Ernst Schröder was appointed Chancellor of Germany by Paul von Hindenburg on August 1, 1932. Upon entering office Schroeder eliminated all radical internal factions and purged many he considered too radical for the sake of party unity. Known as the "Night of the Long Knives" he ordered the arrest of many politicians and their families, including former party leader Adolf Hitler. This was denounced by many on both the left and right but he persisted. He thereafter consolidated power legally, the Enabling Act was past in March 1933 giving the office of Chancellor increased powers to order the arrest of any whom the government deemed "subversive".