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

464 DER FUEHRERfather was expecting the 'Bohemian corporal' at four in the afternoon.Hitler had remained hidden in the country, to avoid arousing Bruning'ssuspicions by his presence in Berlin. In the afternoon he called on theReichs President with Goring. Hindenburg informed him that he hadappointed von Papen as chancellor. Was it true that Hitler wouldsupport the Papen cabinet? Hitler said yes.And now Papen attempted to form his democratic parliamentariangovernment. It was the time to show whether he was able to bring hisCatholic friends to join forces with the National Socialists. On the dayafter Bruning's fall, Hindenburg received Doctor Kaas, the leader of theCenter. The ground of German politics indeed had shifted. Kaas said:Yes, the National Socialists must now enter the government; hedemanded a 'total solution,' the 'entry of the opposition into thegovernment, with full responsibility, and, in particular, the NationalSocialists must take their share of responsibility fully and openly.' In thegovernment — this was the idea — the National Socialists would betamed and exhausted; the dust of day-to-day work would settle on theirglamour; it would be necessary to pass hard, exacting, unpopular laws,and the names of Hitler, Strasser, Goebbels, instead of Bruning andStegerwald, would stand under these laws; Hitler had promisedwonders; he should be forced to break his promises. Theseparliamentarians, in the past two years, had learned by hard blows whatan ungrateful business power could be; they imagined that by powerHitler might, like Bruning, be broken.But open power, connected with open responsibility, was not to beheaped on Hitler by the construction of the new Papen government; theNational Socialists were to have influence and power secretly, andPapen was to help keep it secret, only exposing himself and possibly hisfriends. In the eyes of these friends — the men of the Center — Papenwas an idiot and a betrayer at the same time. The next day, May 31,Papen debated and struggled all afternoon with Kaas, Bruning, andother leaders of his own party for their agreement and aid; it wasrefused with sharp words. Kaas intimidated Papen so much that hepromised to abandon his attempt to constitute a government. He hadfailed to win his own party and hence had no majority in parliament; bythe afternoon of May 31, Schleicher's master plan had failed.