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

THE REICHSTAG FIRE 561private property, even beyond the legal limits, are permissible.' Andthere follow threats of heavy penalties, with the death sentence forrelatively light offenses.From now on the police was almost uncontested master over theGerman people. In Prussia, by far the largest state, this included theauxiliary police, the National Socialist private army. Goring, theMinister of Police, could issue any command he pleased, and could besure that the SA. would carry everything out; actually it carried out farmore than its minister could order. By truckloads the storm troopersthundered through cities and villages, broke into houses, arrested theirenemies at dawn; dragged them out oi bed into S.A. barracks wherehideous scenes were enacted in the ensuing weeks and months. If thevictims were not beaten to death and concealed in the woods or throwninto ponds and rivers, they were usually found in a condition which anofficial, who has remained unknown, described in a report to the policepress bureau of the city of Bochum on April 6: 'A Communist who hadfled was found and brought to the police. Since he was in no conditionfor being taken into custody, he was transported to a hospital. His bodyshows a number of wounds resulting from blows. He was found to beintermittently unconscious and without pulse. At present there is dangerof death. The circumstances under which the injuries occurred have thusfar been impossible to determine, as he is still in no condition to bequestioned.'At first one was lucky to be arrested on the strength of Goring's bigblacklist. These men were sent to ordinary police prisons and as a rulewere not beaten. But terrible was the fate of those which the S.A.arrested for their own 'pleasure.' Goring made use of his power todestroy the leadership and propaganda of the two workers' parties. Heimprisoned all the Communist deputies he could lay hands on and a fewSocial Democratic deputies. The whole Communist press wassuppressed indefinitely; and the several hundred Social Democraticpapers suspended for two weeks. This was a Week before the elections.From then on there were virtually no Social Democratic meetings, whileCommunist meetings were officially suppressed.To destroy Communism, the Nazis had to smash democracy.