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

HINDENBURG'S STICK 459jected him, although they said their rejection was not directed towardhis person, but toward Bruning.On May 8, in Schleicher's home, Hitler met Oscar von Hinden-burg,the President's son, and State Secretary Otto Meissner, his adviser.These figures, little known or entirely unknown to the general public,now concluded an agreement for the salvation of parliamentarydemocracy with the best known, most voiced and photographeddemagogue of the day. In order that Hitler might help to provide a'functioning Reichstag,' the present Reichstag must be dissolved andnew elections held — which lay within the sphere of the ReichsPresident's power. Then the National Socialists would return with twicetheir strength; but in order that they might fully develop their strength,the stirring tramp of the Brown S.A. must once more be heard in thestreets. Hitler again had an opportunity to make it clear to doubtingminds that the S.A. was no army for civil war, but a propagandistorganization for the election campaign. The salvation of parliamentariandemocracy demanded that the S.A. must again enjoy freedom — thiswas the gist of the pact of May 8. For Hitler promised at the same timeto 'tolerate' the cabinet which the President would appoint afterBruning's fall — this meant not to attack it, hence actually to support it.Bruning seemed to have at least one strong personal support againstthis intrigue, and that was Wilhelm Groener, Minister of the Reichswehrand the Interior, the general who, with Hinden-burg, had overthrown theKaiser and approved the acceptance of the Peace of Versailles. But nowGroener was rendered ridiculous and abhorrent to the old man. At theage of sixty-two, the Reichswehr Minister had married, and five monthsafter his marriage a son was born; Schleicher told Hindenburg that inthe ministry the hasty baby was known as 'Nurmi' after the Finnishrunner. Hindenburg replied that the affair was a scandal which in earlierdays would not have been tolerated in a noncommissioned officer. Defiantly,Groener exhibited his pride and joy in a baby carriage; he lethimself be photographed and permitted the picture to appear in thepress. Meanwhile, Schleicher telephoned the higher officers of theReichswehr and asked them what they thought of it; he more