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

CONQUEST BY PEACE 621would 'be a Europe sinking into Communist chaos.' In his speech Hitleragain stressed that Germany must protect the rest of the world fromCommunism. Regardless of how this might infuriate the Strasser cliquein his own party, one of his government's chief aims, he said, 'wasprevention of the threatening Communist revolution and construction ofa people's state, uniting the different interests of the classes and estates,based on the concept of property as the foundation of our culture.'How much of this peace speech had been discussed by the Reichcabinet is not known; but probably there was very little discussion orargument. Hitler's speech, in tone and attitude, was entirely his own, thecontinuation of a line he had been following for a long time; almost inevery point it overruled his professional diplomatic advisers, just as hehad formerly overruled his 'revolutionaries,' his Otto Strassers andWalter Stenneses. It was Adolphe Legalite, reassuring an anxious world,swearing to uphold peace. Perhaps in his more intimate circle, when heexplained this policy, he varied his old formula about democracy andprophesied, 'Peace must be overcome with the weapons of peace.' I£ hediscussed this policy with anyone, it was with Mussolini, for it was thewish of Mussolini as well as Hitler that Germany should under nocircumstances arouse the world's distrust by premature demands forrearmament.Hitler's reaction to MacDonald's proposal, that equal rights forGermany should be realized slowly, was quite different from that ofNadolny and Neurath. He called the English plan 'a possible basis forfuture agreement.' He himself proposed a transitional period of fiveyears; only at the end of five years should the disarmament of the greatmilitary states be completed, and then — not until then — wouldGermany achieve her full equality. Meanwhile, he declared, no oneneed fear that Germany would secredy build up an army contrary to thetreaties; for the S.A. — whatever might be thought of it abroad — wasnot such an army and never could be. Here Hitler was speaking thetruth; the Reichswehr did not allow the S.A. to be an army. Hitler evenoffered to place the S.A. under foreign supervision if other countries(perhaps he meant Poland) would do the same with their own semimilitaryformations.