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

THE RACE WITH CATASTROPHE 495This was now a foregone conclusion; the National Socialists could notexpect more than a 'share' in a future government, as Strasser stated. Hebitterly pointed out to his Leader that before the elections the NationalSocialists in the Reichstag might have formed a majority with theCenter; now this possibility was ended, the two parties together wereless than half of parliament; Hitler's unfortunate passion foroverthrowing governments was responsible. But with the Communiststhey still had a majority, Hitler replied; no one can govern against us.And that, said Strasser in despair, is what Hitler called 'savingGermany!' 'A growing willingness to compromise,' wrote Goebbels inhis diary. True, in public Hitler went on threatening the 'enemy' with'annihilation'; secredy he admitted that for the moment he had to give inand that one or several of his lieutenants would have to accept thesecond-rate posts which were offered: vice-chancellorship, governmentin Prussia, etc. The only question was: Who should be the bearer of thewhite flag? The party wanted Strasser; just on account of this, Hitlerwanted Goring. The rivalry between Strasser and Goring overshadowedfor the next two months all other developments in the party; it was anatural rule of the game that the sultan preferred the weaker, therefore,less dangerous figure.But the opposite side, too, was divided. Schleicher demanded that,whatever happened, Papen must patch together a majority in the newReichstag. But Papen was profoundly convinced that the days ofmajorities were over; in this view he was upheld by the only party thatsupported him in the Reichstag, Hugenberg's German Nationalists, whoin the last elections had increased their microscopic strength to fiftyvotes, and, in a different way, by the Social Democrats who refused somuch as to talk to him. The majority which he despised answered byboycott. When Papen tried to straighten out past differences by aconciliatory letter to Hitler, the 'son of the people' answered in a letterfull of scorn in which he admitted between the lines that he actually hadbroken his word that he had given Hindenburg; an oral conversationwith the Chancellor was, he wrote, useless.Hitler hardly expected dramatic consequences from his letter. Hislieutenants, all unsuspecting, were far from Berlin. Goring