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

HINDENBURG'S STICK 463learning from blows, the Communists stuck to their motion which wascalculated only to bring their assailants to power.This bloody scene in the Prussian diet took place on May 25. On thetwenty-sixth, Meissner called on Hindenburg in Neudeck and reportedto him that if he wished he could have a cabinet which the majority ofthe Reichstag would support; constitutional without any doubt orartifice. Yet no cabinet of party politicians, but of men whom he couldtrust and with some of whom he was personally acquainted.On the twenty-eighth, Hindenburg was back in Berlin; on the twentyninth,a Sunday, Bruning was ordered to appear before him. TheChancellor knew that an intrigue against him was in progress; he did notknow that it was already complete, that his fate had been decided. Hewanted to demand that Hindenburg put a stop to the intrigues until he,Bruning, had forced the cancellation of reparations. Instead, it wasHindenburg who did the demanding. The old man had written what heplanned to say in inch-high letters on several slips of paper. He readthem one after another through his spectacles. T am informed,' he saidto Bruning, 'that you have ministers with Bolshevist plans in yourcabinet. That cannot go on!' Bruning tried to discuss and explain, butHindenburg could not be distracted from his slips of paper. He said thathe had to defend his name and his honor. And his last sentence was: 'Irequest you to give me no more emergency decrees to sign!'In other words: If you can make laws with the Reichstag, good; youwon't make any more in my name. This meant dismissal, though theword was not uttered. But Bruning wanted a clear statement. Next dayhe returned to see Hindenburg. Before the conversation was wellstarted, a noise was heard in the courtyard of the palace, cries ofcommand, clicking heels: the guard was being changed. Impelled bycuriosity, the old soldier stepped to the window, turning his back onBruning whom he had seemingly forgotten. After a while heremembered his chancellor and asked whether Bruning might want tostay on as foreign minister in a new government. Bruning replied that hetoo had his name and honor to preserve, and left the room.Meanwhile, Oskar von Hindenburg notified Goring that his