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

Chapter XXIIICOUP D'ETAT BYINSTALLMENTSFROM THE AFTERNOON OF MARCH 23, 1933, HITLER wasdictator, created by democracy and appointed by parliament, althoughhe was still bound to his cabinet. But he could boast of beingindependent of Hindenburg now, and he allowed scarcely a minute topass before showing it. As the deputies were leaving, two detectiveswent up to the government bench and arrested Gunther Gereke, whowas still Reich Commissar for Re-Employment. Hitler arranged to haveHindenburg's favorite prosecuted in connection with the vanished fundsof the Hindenburg Committee, most probably with the intention ofshowing publicly that these funds had remained in the hands of Oskarvon Hindenburg. The case was tried before two courts; Gereke was sentto prison for years, but refused to say what had become of the money,darkly intimating that he was shielding high-placed persons; and thatsome day people would be grateful to him. So the terror penetrated tothe very midst of the cabinet. Hitler declared, with dignity: If we areradical toward the masses, we must be radical toward ourselves.The movement was bursting bulwarks which even on January 30seemed built for all eternity; the coup d'etat of the Wise Men of Zionwas assuming the traits of a real revolution. The armed intellectual nolonger followed only the commands of his leaders, now