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

ADOLPHE LEGALITE 407the paralysis of democracy, to destroy the democratic dream of theReichswehr, to force the generals into dictatorship even against theirwill, and not out of embarrassment and as a temporary measure, butwith joy and for good. But the generals should have no need to trembleat the thought of another collapse of the army as in 1918, of a 'Russian'program, or of a 'Bolshevist' Third Reich. And his financial backers,too, his Kirdorfs and Thyssens, should be put at ease — although Hitlerprobably was more afraid of the generals. He coldly ordered hisdeputies to withdraw their bill for expropriation of the bank and stockexchange princes. This they did in a silent rage. Thereupon theCommunists indulged in the joke of reintroducing the bill in the exactNational Socialist wording. Hitler commanded his followers to voteagainst their own bill, and they did so. Laughter in parliament and allover the country. Hitler saw that every time his party grew he had toconquer it afresh, break it and smooth the edges. These deputies, oftenunknown to him personally, still took the program seriously; manyhonestly regarded themselves as a kind of socialist.The whole National Socialist fraction was withdrawn from theReichstag to keep them from committing any further mischief; publiclythe National Socialists declared that they were boycotting parliament(February, 1931). In fact, Hitler once again broke and tamed his ownparty, and he did not intend to stop at his parliament members. Rohm,after his return from Bolivia at the end of 1930, called at the ReichswehrMinistry; declared that Hitler meant his legality seriously and wouldprove it; unreliable S.A. leaders who planned acts of violence would beremoved. Rohm found a friend and supporter at the ReichswehrMinistry in the person of an old comrade from Bavaria, Lieutenant-Colonel Franz Haider, who, many years later, became chief of theGerman general staff. On his visits to the ministry, Rohm had to becomereconciled with many other officers whom for years he had reviled ascowards, weaklings, toadies, and slaves; his success in conciliating themspeaks well for his self-control and diplomacy.The chief of these despised officers was Kurt von Schleicher, then amajor general, a short time later a lieutenant general. Schleicher mostcertainly was an army man, but he deserved to some extent the