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

450 DER FUEHRERPoor fatherland. You must entrust yourself to the wolves unless youwant to go to the dogs. And it did not even help. At the second election,Hitler, though increasing his vote to 13,400,000, was again defeated byHindenburg with 19300,000. In the decisive hour Thaelmann wasabandoned by many; his vote fell to approximately 3,500,000.One thing was clear after these elections: the large majority ofGermans were opposed to National Socialism. But nothing else wasclear. It was plain what the country was against, but not what it was for.Nevertheless, the elections surely gave the government a moral sanctionto stamp out the smouldering flame of National Socialist civil war afterso much hesitation. Groener was embittered; for many months he hadbelieved firmly in Hitler's legality, he had even told him so publicly —and then suddenly the S.A. had drawn its ring around Berlin and armedfor an attack on the arsenals of the Reichswehr.But Schleicher had entirely different plans for the S.A. and not onlyfor the S.A. In his conversations with Rohm a plan had matured bywhich both men had involved themselves in a treasonable plot, oneagainst the state, the other against his party. The plan was to separatenot only the S.A. but the other combat leagues from their parties by asudden blow and put them under the jurisdiction of the state. At onceGermany would have a 'militia' numbering millions, with Schleicher astheir general. If the general suddenly felt that his chief, Groener, was inhis way, Rohm had almost the same feeling toward Adolf Hitler. Rohmhad become more and more open and confiding toward Schleicher; hehad played Hitler into Schleicher's hands by telling him a number ofunrepeatable stories about his Fuhrer; in conversation with third parties,Schleicher boasted of knowing the most gruesome details.Rohm was convinced that Germany was approaching a period of puremilitary rule; and not only Germany. In every country, he thought, therewas a nucleus of soldierly men with an inner bond between them. It wasimmaterial under what party banners they had previously marched. Forthe parties were associations of shopkeepers; they had grown out ofbourgeois interests and bourgeois experience; they pursued the aims of apeaceful world that seemed