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

682 DER FUEHRERthat was left to France. Actually, there was not even a choice. When, onSeptember 20, the British cabinet decided to cease pressing France todisarm, it seemed like a gesture of friendship and aid, but actually itmeant that France would be left to her fate and her own strength; shemust not count on England's help.France tried to remain strong. She submitted a plan which wouldmake German equality impossible for eight years: first, Germany wouldhave four years in which to transform her professional army with itstwelve-year period of service into a short-term militia; after another fouryears in which to manifest her good intentions, she would be allowed toincrease her armaments somewhat, while the other powers would haveto decrease their armaments accordingly— this eight-year armamentsmoratorium was to be substituted for the five years proposed byMacDonald and accepted by Hitler. Whatever might be said of this plan,it could in any case be expected to halt German rearmament and savethe world from a general armament race; for this reason it met with theapproval of the United States. This made such an impression on Italythat she supported the plan; Hitler was shamefully forsaken by the 'greatman in the south.' On September 24, the French plan, bearing thesignatures of America, England, and Italy, was presented to Germany.So this was the success of Hitler's great policy which was to split theworld: the whole world formed a front against Germany! Goring flew toRome, but Italy did not change her position, not outwardly at least. Andyet, in this apparently united front there was no real unity. It was at bestan agreement on a plan, no common will to carry it through, to sticktogether. Even if the British cabinet had had such a will — which itdecidedly had not — large sections of public opinion would not havefollowed it.When in September the trial of the alleged Reichstag incendiariesbegan in Leipzig, a few Englishmen of the political Left, working incollaboration with German refugees, staged a 'counter-trial' in London.All sorts of persons, some with and some without authority, appeared aswitnesses and testified why in their opinion, not the accused, but theNational Socialists, and particularly Goring, had set fire to theReichstag. The Communists had staged the affair