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

THE UNHAPPIEST OF ALL MEN 369into virtues. His big lies constitute the content of his book; but hedeceived his co-workers even in small personal matters. In 1926, withtears in his eyes, he assured a journalist to whom he owed money thathe had no funds at all, not even for his most urgent needs; the next dayhe started on a pleasure trip to Bayreuth m an automobile. When thejournalist complained, Hitler screamed at him: how could such anincompetent good-for-nothing even dare to open his mouth? And a fewdays later, when the unfortunate, who really was none too competent athis profession, committed a grave blunder — the stenographic copy of aspeech delivered by Hitler was lost — the Manitou fell on his slave andgave him two resounding slaps in the face. Later, more apologies andtears. To the outside world it was staunchly maintained that Hitler wasalways the best friend and comrade of his co-workers; that they came tohim with all their troubles; that he had helped many — it was one of thelies which Hitler's staff had come to take for granted. The remarkablepart of it was the pathos with which he lied; whenever possible, heattached an oath or at least a word of honor to the lie. With tremblingpassion in his voice, he swore in court that he had never made anattempt to obtain money from Henry Ford (February 5, 1930); the manwho could have had him sent to prison for perjury by producing adocument, and might thus have spared the world its encounter withHitler, unfortunately kept silent.What got on the nerves of his co-workers perhaps even more than hisalternate whining and brutality was his indecision. Yet, tongue in cheek,they systematically built up the myth of Der Fuhrer's determination.True, to this lie there was an almost philosophical sense. The party callsitself a 'political army,' carrying out the orders of a general; everywhereit must arouse the impression of military precision and rapidity. This isthe basis of the magic which it emanates. The truth, however, is thatpolitics cannot be conducted with an uninterrupted series of lightningdecisions. In this deceptive field, what really counts is one of Hitler'sstrongest gifts: the ability to wait, to keep an eye open for possibilities,to watch events pass and patiendy look on as, frequently, one difficultyis canceled out by another. Politics is the opposite of what today is