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

THE REICHSTAG FIRE 567destroyed Bavarian separatism, he could invoke the democratic popularwill with more right than ever before. Papen could not very well objectto Hitler's intervening in Bavaria as he himself had intervened inPrussia; but, whereas on July 20, 1932, the Reichs-wehr had marched inBerlin, in Munich it was the S.A. that marched. Hitler had the goodfortune to have a relatively popular man in Bavaria, Franz von Epp, theCatholic general. On March 8, the Bavarian National Socialistsdemanded that the government appoint Epp as general state commissar.The government refused. On March 9, the storm columns of the S.A.marched through the streets by the tens of thousands; the swastikabanner was raised on public buildings. Held indignantly wired Papen inBerlin, and Papen wired back that the Reich government had nointention of interfering in Bavaria.It is strange how little the old routine politicians on both sidesunderstood the hour. The Bavarian government was fully reassured byPapen's reply and was confident that after the S.A. men had marchedaround for a whole day, they would get tired and disband. A few leadingmen of the Bavarian People's Party sat in a back room of a big beer halland deliberated; a friendly journalist called one of them, Party SecretaryDoctor Pfeiffer, on the telephone, and asked him if he knew what hadhappened. Frick, the Reich Minister of the Interior, had wired Epp,entrusting him with the supreme police power in Bavaria on the strengthof the emergency decree 'For the Protection of People and State.' Epp,with a few S.A. men, had gone to the government building on thePromenadenplatz. The building was empty and silent. He had broughtalong Ernst Rohm and Hermann Esser, who had suddenly risen out ofoblivion; Deputy Wagner of the state diet, and Hitler's attorney, DoctorHans Frank. On the evening of March 9, 1933, this group began togovern. This is what Doctor Pfeiffer was told by his journalist friend.Pfeiffer replied: 'Don't make silly jokes!' So unexpected andincomprehensible to most people were the series of events thatsubsequently became known as the 'National Socialist Revolution.'But they were to become acquainted with it that same night. The S.A.dragged Minister of the Interior Stutzel and Finance