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

THE ARMED INTELLECTUALS 25his unwritten orders, he, too, discovered nothing. More than that, it waslater proved that he had murderers directly in his service. His name wasWilhelm Frick.But who gave the unwritten orders ? Who sent out the murderers, heldback the police, commanded the judges? At first this force was an espritde corps, inspiring a large circle of officers, officials, and otherintellectuals; not all, or even most of them — but a bloodthirstyminority which forced its will on a startled and trembling majority.They killed and lied for the German army. This army had been defeatedon the batdefield; its formations had disintegrated, its soldiers hadthrown down their arms and packs, and had gone home, weary anddesperate. The revolution had triumphed over the army. But the ideallived on in the hearts of two hundred thousand officers.A hundred and ninety thousand had been forced to doff theiruniforms; but in civilian life, whether in secure positions, menialoccupations, or actual want, most of them remained officers at heart.The republic reduced its army to two hundred thousand men, and thepeace treaty forced them to halve this number; patriotic revolts brokeout, which in reality were the class struggles of discharged officers. InMarch, 1920, a putsch Was attempted; the government had to flee fromBerlin for a few days; but in a five-day general strike the Germanworkers forced the officers to their knees. Twice, in 1918 and in 1920,the German officers' corps capitulated to the German workers, and thisis something they will never forget.The revolutions of the twentieth century gave rise to a new militarism.For in these revolutions the soldier rose up against the army, the armedcivilian broke open the front of which he was supposed to be a part. Thearmy as such was attacked, the army as such defended itself. It was anew kind of struggle, and from it developed a new kind of army.On the whole, the leaders of this army were neither noble junkers norrich men. Before the World War of 1914-18, the main body of theseleaders lived modestly and without glory on meager pay, often in proudpoverty. If they reached the post of lieutenant-general, they wererewarded with personal nobility, but this did not