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

THE RACE WITH CATASTROPHE 501store on a minority grouplet like the German Nationalists, for stubbornlyoverlooking the will of all big parties to reach a parliamentaryunderstanding with the government. He asked Theodor Lei-part,chairman of the Social Democratic trade unions, to call on him. Leipart,a tight-lipped, elderly man with a small pointed beard like manySocialist officials of the elder European generation, came with WilhelmEggert, a younger co-worker. Schleicher inquired into their grievances,and both spoke of Papen's attack on the wage contracts, of the recentlyintroduced high tariffs on foodstuffs. Schleicher replied that he, too,disapproved of wage-cuts, regarded the rise in food prices asunfortunate, and held that too much money had been given away to thebig landowners. He assured Rudolf Breitscheid, leader of the SocialDemocrats in the Reichstag, that he desired a functioning parliament.But if the Reichstag were not capable of functioning; if it must bedissolved; and if the Reich government should put off electionsindefinitely, then, Schleicher inquired amiably: Would 'the SocialDemocrats mount the barricades?' Breitscheid answered cautiously: Hewould not commit himself to the barricades, but the entire working classwould act against such a breach of the constitution with all the legalmeans at their disposal. Schleicher saw nothing very formidable in legalmeans; from all these conversations he gained the impression that withfriendly treatment the parties would listen to reason; even the SocialDemocrats, even the National Socialists. They would quietly permitindividuals among their leaders to enter the cabinet, and for the presentwould not overthrow the government.But since Papen definitely was not willing to look for a majority, butinstead planned to force upon the country a new, half-feudalconstitution, Schleicher, using his authority as leader of the Reichswehr,overthrew him by a palace revolution. At a cabinet session on themorning of December 2, approximately half the ministers declared thatthey would resign unless Papen himself resigned. Very reluctantlyHindenburg let his favorite go; asked him to remain his private adviser;both agreed that now Schleicher himself must take the responsibility ofthe chancellorship, since only he, in Papen's skeptically intended words,'would relax the tension and