Der Fuehrer - Hitler's Rise to Power (1944) - Heiden

166 DER FUEHRERtion. Lossow stepped to the door: 'Can you bring Hitler himself here?''Of course!' Rohm hurried away.A few minutes later, Hitler and Lossow faced one another for the firsttime. For the first time Lossow looked into the empty, undistinguishedface of the legend, faced an embarrassed, over-polite man, strivingalmost obsequiously to make a good impression. By the quietness of histone, Hitler strove to convince the general that the government's fear ofa putsch was absurd. Lossow's appraisal, as he later reported, was:'Insignificant!' The general could not believe that this man represented adanger. But he did not wish to impair the government's authorityunnecessarily. So he proposed to Hitler that he give Minister Schweyerhis personal word of honor not to make a putsch — then he might beallowed to parade. Now, before Lossow's astonished eyes, occurred ahuman transformation such as few men can accomplish. Out of the embarrassednothing there suddenly burst a volcano, filling the room withbad manners and shouting: Hitler roared that he would give MinisterSchweyer no word of honor; no, never again; he had given it to himonce, and one word of honor was all he had. But he would give HisExcellency, the Herr General, his word, that he would make no putschon January 26, 1923. He would report again to His Excellency onJanuary 28. These, at least, were the words in which Hitler himselfdescribed the same scene later.Lossow, again undecided, called the officers a second time and askedthem if they would fire on the National Socialists if ordered to. Answer,unanimously: yes. That set his mind at rest. He commissioned Rohm toinform the government 'that in the interests of national defense, hewould regret any vexation of the national elements'; he suggested thatthe government re-examine its decisions. And the government accededto the armed forces. The police president again sent for Hitler and toldhim that the prohibition had been withdrawn; merely requested thatHitler voluntarily abandon his open-air demonstration. 'Perhaps,' saidHitler. He would see what could be done. The demonstration took placein the open.'We have no cause to make a putsch,' Hitler scoffed in his speech tohis troops. 'The government is so rotten and shaky that sooner or later itwill collapse of its own accord.' That was his explana-