hitler

206which had to be fed with gold that they saw themselves compelledto unite their forces in the V. V. V. D., as the VereinigteVaterlaendische Verbaende (United Patriotic Societies) becameto be known. The political attitude of the organizationcan be guessed by bearing in mind that it followed thetraditions of the Pan-German League (Alldeutscher Verband),which was brought into being at the end of thelast century to combat the so-called liberal tendencies ofWilhelm II.The shock troops of the extreme reactionaries wereknown as O. C. (Organization Consul), named after CaptainEhrhardt, alias Consul Eichmann, the professional counterrevolutionary.Ehrhardt marched into Berlin, helped overthrowthe constitutional government of the Reich, andmarched out again after the Socialist Trade Unions had declareda strike. Ousted but not defeated, he moved intoHungary and set about to unite the reactionaries of all countries,with his headquarters in Budapest.In the Autumn of 1923 some Northern Bavarian industrialistsfinanced Ehrhardt to lead another march againstBerlin. He was willing and so were his men, euphoniouslycalled the Bavarian Emergency Police. But Hitler stole amarch on him by staging the abortive beer-hall putsch inMunich.Meanwhile other reactionary organizations made briefappearances on the stage. Hugo Stinnes is said to have beenone of the industrial magnates who financed the BlackReichswehr. It has been established beyond doubt that thebanking firm of Burchardt & Co., and the Bank of Textile