hitler

216bers of the former ruling house». They had been describedas sinister characters and unscrupulous diggers of politicalgold. Finally Hugenberg was induced to publish theirnames. They turned out to be industrialists, bankers, formergovernment officials and one or two generals – mostly oldpeople, very angry with the republic and too impotent to doanything about it.When all had been prepared for the campaign, Hugenbergstepped forward and announced he wanted to be Napoleon.His program was a paraphrase of the Shavianphrase: “Every step of progress means a duty repudiated anda scripture torn up.”He denounced republicanism as high treason and democracyas a poison. The Nationalist Party which was the secondlargest in parliament for years, turned over the reins tohim.While Hitler harangued the suburbs and incited for greligious war against reason and understanding, Hugenbergmade himself at home among the real rulers of Germany,a handful of men who controlled industry and banking.Foreign Minister Gustave Stresemann was the pet enemy ofboth because of the Minister‟s efforts for peace. Hugenberghad particular reason to hate the father of the Locarno Pacts.Both Stresemann and Hugenberg were members of the NationalLiberty Party before the war, which was liberal onlyin name. Having embraced democracy, the Foreign Ministerwas treated by his erstwhile political associates as adeserter. Besides, during the war Stresemann suggested toKrupp von Bohlen, the ammunition king, that Hugenberg