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

Chapter VTHE BURNING HEAVENSARE REFLECTED INA MUD PUDDLETHE GAS SLOWLY VANISHED FROM LUNGS AND EYES, but itstraces remained. A strange hoarseness of the voice seems to be aninheritance the war has left to Adolf Hitler, an obstacle in the throatwhich has to be overcome by an effort when he talks a long time.Speaking was to mean fighting to him from now on, and this fightagainst his acquired weakness penetrates the whole man — a fight hehad been unable to put up against his natural weaknesses of laziness andtimidity. The amount of force he has now to put into the simple actionof speaking may at least have contributed to the impression of powerwhich seems to stream even from his insignificant utterances. Althoughthe power of this thundering voice certainly was there before the gasenhanced it, hidden sources of his personal strength probably have beenbrought to life by the almost deadly touch of the poison. The experienceof war and defeat stirred up qualities in Adolf Hitler which peace hadleft slumbering; the physical remnants of the gas in his body were atleast an everlasting memo of this experience.After his discharge from the hospital, Hitler went to Bavaria, lived fora time with the replacement battalion of his regiment in