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

THE BLOOD PURGE 745Hohenzollern prince, and the most benevolently disposed toward theNational Socialists thought of August Wilhelm, who addressed Hitlerwith reverence as 'My Fuhrer.' Others mentioned the half-English Princevon Cumberland, former Duke of Brunswick and the ex-Kaiser's son-inlaw.Still others — who had become accustomed to an old Marshal —staked their bets on Field Marshal August von Mackensen, anillegitimate offspring of the Hohenzol-lerns, who, during the WorldWar, had been built up as Hinden-burg's rival by the jealous Kaiser. Atbottom all these were fantasies, without any serious basis; but theyshowed that, in the circles which secretly manufactured a good part ofthe nation's public opinion, Hitler was not envisaged as Hindenburg'ssuccessor.Within a short time Hitler would thus be confronted with the task ofovercoming the resistance of his dead predecessor and a very muchalive public opinion, especially the resistance of the small upper crustwhose influence had always been excessive in moments of uncertainty,and of making himself head of the state by force. But where was thisforce? Rohm could point at his S.A. and say: Here it is; the same couldbe said by Himmler of his S.S., and even Goring of his 'police groups';but Hitler knew better: only the Reichswehr wielded real power. 'If theReichswehr had not been on our side in the days of the revolution,' heused to say, 'we would not be here.' But the Reichswehr — moreaccurately, Blomberg and Reichenau — had supported him becausethey believed that the majority of the people supported him or, at anyrate, would support him within a short time. Could he still count on thissupport when trying to become head of the German Reich? In this mattera majority of fifty-one per cent of the votes, which Hitler knew hecertainly would get, especially by forbidding any other candidates torun, would not be satisfactory; ninety-nine per cent were required inorder to enable his regime to represent what it claimed to represent: theunity of the German people. This could be achieved only if allresistance were silenced or put out of the way; and for this Hitler neededthe collaboration of the 'only armed force in the state.'At that very moment Rohm began a dispute with Blomberg andReichenau; more accurately, he resumed the old dispute as a result