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

170 DER FUEHRERmoney betrayed the men they guided to the French. In this way AlbertLeo Schlageter met his death at the hands of a French firing squad, May27, 1923 — this was the man of whom Hitler said that the Germanpeople was not worthy to possess him. Before the French military court,Schlageter declared that a desire to make money had led him todynamiting; and, involuntarily perhaps, he betrayed a number ofcomrades. A number of the most hideous 'Vehmic murders' werecommitted at just this time.This was not yet open warfare. But it had also ceased to be passiveresistance, a war of folded arms. The unions began to protest. Severingprotested to Seeckt. The Social Democrats wanted no bloodshed.Suddenly Hitler scented an opportunity for which he had no longerhoped. If the unions were against war, he would demand war. As late asthe beginning of February, he had accused the 'Hebrews' of agitating forwar. Then he began to shift. 'Did anyone really believe,' he asked, 'thatthe French military machine in the Ruhr could be "idled to death"?'He cited Georges Clemenceau, the savior of France in the World War,who had declared that he would fight the Germans before Paris, hewould fight them in Paris, and he would fight them behind Paris. Thatwas what should have been done in the Ruhr. Weapons? Technicalarmament? 'That is simple. Child's play. And even if at first we hadnothing but our fists! If sixty million people had a single will, a fanaticalnational mind — the arms would spring forth from our fists!' When hewas perfectly sure that no one would follow his advice, he demanded amass orgy of dynamite; the smelting ovens might well be blown up, hesaid in August, 1923, when the fight was virtually over; coal minesmight be flooded, houses go up in flames — if only the people werestrong and unflinching, all these things would rise up again. But eventhese words seem cold and threadbare, compared with the same speech,when published months later in book form. Only then did he really thinkof all that he might have said, of the mighty, heroic impression he mighthave made:Blow up the furnaces, flood the coal mines, burn the houses to theground — provided that behind them a nation arises, strong,