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

510 DER FUEHRERresult. True, behind the curtain of these political conversations, the doorto Hindenburg's private study had opened to Goring. The questions thatthe old marshal wished to discuss with the former air force captain werenot strictly political. He was curious to know how much benefit couldbe expected of the S.A. in case Germany should build up a large army;or rather, as Schleicher planned it, a 'militia' around the nucleus of theprofessional Reichswehr. Werner von Blomberg, a general little knownto the public, worked out plans for this militia; served as an expertadviser to the German delegation at the Disarmament Conference inGeneva; personally kept Hindenburg informed of developments. InBerlin, Goring, Blomberg, Franz von Epp, in the presence or at leastwith the knowledge of Hindenburg, discussed the dividing linesbetween army and S.A., and later events indicate that an understandingwas achieved. Rohm had no share in these talks.But this was far from an understanding concerning the politicalleadership of the Reich. The nation had a deep desire for peace at home— and Schleicher seemed to bring the peace. This was the darkestChristmas Hitler had had in years. In Italy, Roberto Fa-rinacci, formergeneral secretary of the Fascist Party, leader of the radical, anti-Semitictendency in the Fascist Movement, wrote in his newspaper, RegimeFascista, that Hitler was on the down grade; that he had played his cardswrong, as was only understandable, for the National Socialists despitetheir claims were no revolutionaries, but peaceful citizens who hadmissed every favorable moment for striking.The entries in Goebbels's diary at this time read like a confirmation ofthe Italian judgment. Goebbels, an outwardly excitable but inwardlycold temperament, dramatizes the feelings of the party masses at thisperiod; he was doubtless a good observer and a good actor. FromDecember 8 to December 23, he writes: 'All of us are in a verydepressed mood. We are so sore inside that we desire nothing morefervently than to flee for a few weeks from the whole mess.... It is hightime for us to come to power. If we succeed in keeping the movementtogether, we will also succeed in saving the situation. . . . We mustmuster all our strength to put the organization on its feet again. . . .There is a great deal of