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

CHANCELLOR AT LAST 533ministry and discussed the dangers of a new Papen government. Theyappear to have speculated on means of breaking Papen's influence onHindenburg. It has been claimed that a suggestion was put forward oftaking Papen and Hugenberg into protective custody in order to separatethem from Hindenburg. According to another rumor, they thought ofsending troops into Berlin from Potsdam. If this suggestion was evermade, it can scarcely have been more than idle day-dreaming, but it issaid that a young officer attending the conference was horrified andreported the remark to Oskar von Hindenburg.On the next day, January 28, Schleicher called on Hindenburg asBruning had done eight months before. The overthrower of chancellorswas himself falling. He told the President that the Reichstag was to meetin three days and demanded the power of dissolution. According to theofficial report, Schleicher said 'that the present Reich government, inaccordance with its character of presidial government, would be in aposition to defend its program and its opinions in the Reichstag only ifthe Herr Reichs President put an order of dissolution at its disposal.'Schleicher called his government a presidial government in order tomake it clear to Hindenburg that this was his own government. But thiswas untrue; from the beginning, Schleicher's government was orientedtoward parliament, and Hindenburg logically answered that 'in thesituation prevailing at the present time, he could not accede to this proposal.'The conversation could not be friendly. Schleicher told Hindenburgthat if he could not dissolve the Reichstag he could not prevent adiscussion of the Eastern Aid and the attendant scandals. Hindenburg issaid to have replied: It is sad that you are not in a position, without suchan order, to prevent a debate in which Prussia's oldest historical familieswould be covered with mud. This was the origin of the legend thatSchleicher threatened Hindenburg with disclosure of the Eastern Aidscandal, and that Hindenburg hastily dropped his general and calledHitler to power, in order that Hitler should hush up the scandal (after hisdeputies had just voted for its exposure!). The truth is almost the exactopposite. Schleicher demanded dictatorial powers in order to re-