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

184 DER FUEHRERthe Wise Men of Zion make a revolution. The revolution must be'imperceptible,' say the Protocols; 'under an outward appearance oflegality, the last traces of legal, constitutional life must gradually bedestroyed.' At the end of September, Scheubner-Richter had providedHitler with a lengthy plan for revolution. 'The national revolution,' hewrote, 'must not precede the seizure of political power; the seizure ofthe state's police power constitutes the premise for the nationalrevolution'; one must, therefore, strive 'to lay hands on the state policepower in a way that is at least outwardly legal.'This was the type of revolution that the captains and majors had beenworking on for five years — revolution 'by permission of the HerrPresident,' it was called in a secret document (one of a number that hascome down to us).In the first days of November, a great celebration, in memory of thewar dead, was to be held not far from the Feldherrn Halle. According toplan, the heads of the state would stand in a short, narrow side-street,waiting for the Reichswehr troops to parade past. Kahr, Lossow,Seisser, the real rulers of Bavaria, would be there, and with them nearlyall the important ministers. Also present would be Crown PrinceRupprecht, who, except for the revolution of 1918, would have been theking of Bavaria. In the war, Rupprecht had served as a field marshal andled great armies. Among the upper classes of Bavaria, whom Hitlerneeded, he enjoyed an almost mystical respect. Kahr, the dictator, washimself a convinced monarchist and viewed it as his life's aim some dayto proclaim Rupprecht king — for these old civil servants could conceiveof revolution only as a restoration of the monarchy. Hitler, it istrue, despised the German princes for their cowardly flight in 1918. Afew weeks previous he had informed Rupprecht through anintermediary that unless the prince did his bidding he would 'sweep himaside.' But now that the occasion offered, the king seemed to him justthe right tool and very welcome.Scheubner-Richter's and Rosenberg's plan was this: When all thenotables were assembled in their little alley, but before the paradingtroops arrived, a few hundred storm troopers would suddenly descend intrucks, close off the street, covering the approaches with