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

602 DER FUEHRERspring of 1933: 'Herr Hitler has done what no one else was in a positionto do; he has inspired the whole German nation with a common spirit;he has sent a wave of national sentiment through Germany such as shehas never experienced in all her history.' Taken literally, this was aresigned admission that the younger pupil of Houston StewartChamberlain, the man of the people, had accomplished what had beendenied to the philosopher s contemporary, friend, and sovereign. But thedethroned monarch intended no modesty and resignation; to Hindenburghe wrote, some months later, that the time would soon be at hand torestore happiness in Germany by bringing back the monarchy. Wilhelmpraised the elemental event because he had no fear that it would last;these men of the past had no feeling for the forces of a present that tothem was far beyond future.But the old historic forms had ceased to be Germany; they were atmost channels corroded by the flood of the new spirit. Heine hadpredicted that Thor would rise from his millennial sleep and smash thecross and the Gothic cathedrals with his hammer. There was no need todisturb Thor. Matthias Groeber, the Catholic archbishop appointed byRome, who had concluded his shrewd compromise with NationalSocialism the year before, now carried his shrewdness one step farther.He ordered his clergymen, who gave religious instruction in the schools,to use the Hitler salute — the gesture invented by Gabriele d'Annunzio,heathen and enemy of the Church. In reply the pupils were to raise theirhand in the Hitler salute and say: 'Praised be Jesus Christ!' And thepriest, with his hand still raised: 'Forever and ever, amen!'