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

560 DER FUEHRERfate to strike five thousand bearers of the 'Asiatic plague' throughout thecountry in a single night. At the scene of the fire, Hitler issued thecommand, and auxiliary police (S.A. and Stahlhelm) swarmed out,occupied public buildings, railroad stations, district halls, gas works.For a whole day the Reich cabinet wrangled over Hitler's projectedblood-bath, and the National Socialists did not entirely have their ownway. Hugenberg, and for a time Papen, wanted an immediateReichswehr dictatorship: a state of military emergency, a regime of thecommanding generals, mass arrests, suppression of political propagandaon all sides; and above all, indefinite postponement of the Reichstagelections. None of these proposals was approved by ReichswehrMinister von Blomberg. Was it not the purpose of Hitler's cabinet tospare the Reichswehr the need for military dictatorship? Hadn't theReichswehr formed its alliance with the 'millions of determined men' inorder to extricate itself from politics? The aims of the conservatives andthe generals were tragically at variance, and the ultimate result of thisconflict was the Third Reich as we know it today.The power was thrust at the Reichswehr, which thrust it back, and thearmed bohemians seized it. Hitler and his people did have to acceptcertain restrictions: van der Lubbe would not be hanged outside theReichstag; Germany's highest court was to investigate the mysteriousfire; Goring must offer better proof for his allegations against theCommunists; no mass blood-bath would be sanctioned. These were theobstacles which this cabinet could place in the path of what the furiousChancellor called the salvation of Germany. Still thinking that theywere the true masters of the government and well pleased that they hadchecked the National Socialists to some extent, the ministers decided toassume a dictatorship of their own until after the elections. Hindenburg,signed an emergency decree, Tor the Protection of People and State.' Itsuspended the most important property rights and personal guarantees inthe Reich constitution, and proclaimed: 'Therefore restrictions onpersonal freedom, on the right of free speech, including freedom oi thepress, freedom of association and meeting; infringements on the secrecyof the mails, telegraphs, and telephones; orders of house search andconfiscation; as well as restrictions on the rights of