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

570 DER FUEHRERIt is no victory, for the enemies were lacking,' Oswald Spenglergrumbled. 'This seizure of power ... it is with misgiving that I sec itcelebrated each day with so much noise. It would be better to save thatfor a day of real and definitive successes, that is, in the foreign field.There are no others.' A profound lack of comprehension for the truththat 'internal politics is decisive.' The masses knew better than thephilosopher. Victors as well as vanquished felt that the great task wasthe molding of their state, not a victory over the world. Whatever thesecret intentions of the leading clique, the masses on both sides of thedomestic fighting front felt that here was a new attempt to solve theproblem of modern society, though some might call the new solutionheroic, the others barbaric. Hence the abolition of party boundaries andstate boundaries. The same people who regarded the victory of theNational Socialists as a catastrophe, often a personal one, welcomed thefirmer union of Bavaria with the Reich; the idea of co-ordinationpresented the twofold aspect of subjection and greatness. Even thegroups that had been thrown into the discard felt their effacement to bean historic necessity. A few weeks later, when Prince Rup-prechtreturned from Greece, Epp called on him, introducing himself as thenew 'Reich governor in Bavaria,' and politely asking His Majesty for hiscommands. He wore the brown shirt of the S.A.; the prince, who knewthat the likelihood of his becoming king was past, muttered with illhumor: 'What kind of a shirt have you got on? Bavarian generals neverused to wear such shirts.' There was wounded pride in these words ofthe dying era to the new age, but no protest.Even Hindenburg admitted that National Socialism had saved Bavariafor the Reich, and strengthened national unity. His violent but effectivemethod of winning the resisting states for the new regime procuredHitler a kind of reluctant respect with the President; on March 12, thefield marshal, the old Prussian and servant of the Kaiser, put hissignature to a decree to the effect that 'from tomorrow until the finalestablishment of the Reich colors, the black, white, and red flag and theswastika flag are to be hoisted together.' The constitutional colorsremained black, red, and gold, but the constitution was forgotten. Thenew flags, said the decree,