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

756 DER FUEHRERwhom, according to these words, he still could not reproach withanything definite. Even if this step was exaggerated, it would be fullyjustifiable as a preventive measure; the only thing that can be saidagainst it is that it was not carried out. If during these days of June 26 toJune 28, Hitler had performed the normal duties of a statesman; if hehad openly intervened and deposed, arrested and legally prosecuted thereal or alleged rebels, the whole affair would probably have beensignificant historically, but not dramatic or even repulsive. He did theexact opposite: he buried himself in an inspection tour of the laborcamps in northwestern Germany, 'in order to lull the rebels intosecurity,' as he later boasted.The rebels were those who even as late as June 26 were accused onlyof 'little weaknesses and peculiarities'! It is almost certain that a fewhours before the catastrophe, the most serious element in the allegedstate of danger was the rulers' fear of their own following. 'Working hadbecome almost impossible,' Goring later said in the Reichstag, 'becauseat almost every moment we had to fear that we might be kidnapped by agang of rebels.' Hitler's restless trips from one end of Germany toanother — on June 25, he was in Bavaria, near the southern Germanborder, inspecting a new Alpine road; two days later, he was almost inthe extreme northwest — represent his attempt to conceal from himselfthe decision which events had already taken for him.Up to the last minute he was not clear in his mind about his purposenor the means of achieving it. According to one of his own statementshe had ordered Goring, who was in Berlin, to proceed with 'analogous'measures at his, Hitler's, 'cue.' This 'cue,' as can be inferred from anotherof his utterances, was simply the report made to Goring that he, Hitler,was now striking out. The strength and extent of the blows to bedelivered were not yet determined even after blood had been shed. OnJune 28, Goring and Himmler made preparations as for a civil war; theyordered their police commandos and their S.S. special troops to holdthemselves in readiness. On June 29, Karl Ernst, the S.A. group leaderin Berlin, seems to have got wind of these preparations; from a privatereport of one of Rohm's followers it appears that he interpreted them asa sign that the 'reactionaries' were making ready for the long-expected