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

THE BLOOD PURGE 757decisive blow against National Socialism; obviously it did not occur tohim that Hitler himself desired this blow; on the contrary he believedthat his Fuhrer would be the first victim. For that reason, on theafternoon of June 29, he proclaimed a state of alarm for the Berlin S.A.While this went on — toward the evening of June 29— Hitler stoppedat Godesberg on the Rhine. He sat on the terrace of a hotel whichbelonged to a personal friend of his, a former war comrade namedDreesen. On the lawn in front of the hotel, men of the labor serviceorganized a torch procession in his honor. Some thousand of them stoodthere, forming a gigantic blazing swastika.By that time Goebbels had arrived from Berlin bringing disquietingreports about the S.A.'s activities; probably he had heard the latest onesfrom Helldorf. The following day, the S.A. were supposed to go onfurlough; allegedly Goebbels and Hitler thought it 'alarming' that for thetime being they were still at their posts. Lutze was summoned fromHanover by wire; the momentous decision was made duringconsultations with him, Goebbels, and Otto Dietrich, the 'press chief.'Hitler finally made up his mind to go personally to Wiessee on thefollowing day and arrest Rohm and his staff at noon, but for the timebeing not to inflict any punishment upon him. He wired Rohm that hewas on his way, and Rohm seems to have felt glad and honored;simultaneously Hitler ordered most of the high party officials to be inMunich the next day; obviously he was planning a kind of party trial ofRohm and his followers.This was the political decision that had become inevitable, the choiceHitler was compelled to make between the S.A. and the Reichswehr,which he had for a long time tried to avoid and which he now made. Itwas also the end of a friendship, which had really foundered becauseone of the two friends refused to recognize the elevation of the other toa godlike status, because he wanted to remain on an equal footing withhim, made him feel his weaknesses and repeatedly displayed his ownself-confident strength in the most offensive manner. Whether Rohmstill believed that at bottom he was loyal to Hitler, perhaps even moreloyal than Hitler himself, was beside the point; he certainly wasdisobedient in refusing to