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

INTERLUDE 245attempted to build up a world democracy. They could have tried tocreate a world parliament elected by the nations, or rather by the peoplein the nations — for a moment, in 1919, there was some talk of this inParis. Instead, they called a conference of diplomats, to which they gavethe absurd, because inwardly untrue, name 'League of Nations.'The consequence was an increasing doubt of democracy. Worldorganization was inevitable and urgently needed, and there was agrowing readiness to accept it at the hands of anyone who was ready toundertake it even by violence. Democracy did not act in its hour; and sothe Antichrist acted. When the dream of peace had vanished, a skepticalGermany began slipping toward the same abyss of despair as in 1849.And so, disillusionment and despair gave birth to the moral chaos, inwhich an army of murderers could seize authority. At this timeChamberlain, who had fallen sick and silent after the war, privatelyuttered the hope that from the bands of volunteers on the Russianfrontier a young, unknown leader might arise, who would clean outdemocracy.An unknown young leader from the frontier! When he actually came,he came from the Austrian, not the Russian, frontier; and by meetinghim Chamberlain definitely became a key figure of world history. InOctober, 1923, Hitler went to Bayreuth where Chamberlain lived asson-in-law of the late 'master of all masters.' Hitler first delivered apublic speech and was then received at Wahnfried, home of the Wagnerfamily. There he met the aged 'mistress of Bayreuth,' Cosima Wagner;Siegfried Wagner, the weak son and heir, composer, director, laboriouspreserver of the great musical tradition; Winifred, his English-bornwife; and finally a paralyzed old man in a wheel-chair, with spent eyesin the face of a child: Chamberlain. Hitler felt that he was amongkindred spirits; he was happy and at ease. He put on a big show andspoke at length. Chamberlain was carried away. The next day, the halfdyingman, by a supreme effort of the will, dictated a letter to Hitler,telling him that this meeting was his strongest experience since 1914,when his illness had overtaken him; since then he had never slept sowell as that night, and he found it miraculous that Hitler, the awakener