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fully developed the two most important—the planned economy anddebt. Militarism and imperialism were impossible in republican Germanyunder the Versailles Treaty, but these ancient evils weredeeply rooted in German history. But what of the dictatorship? Howwas that developed? What preparatory arrangements were to befound in the republic for what Hitler did on that front? The answermust be that before Hitler came into power the dictatorship wasalready fairly complete. It was far from fixed and rested ratherupon the name, the vanishing fame, and the whim of an aged man,President von Hindenburg, who stood upon the edge of the grave.But the fact of dictatorship, however unsteady, had been established.Once in power, the completion of that job was a simple one forHitler—far simpler for him than for Mussolini.Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution provided that the President,in an emergency, could govern by decree. The emergencyenvisaged by the constitution-makers was one growing out of militaryor other forms of violence. It was never intended that aChancellor who could not get a majority behind him in the Reichstagcould ignore that body and govern independently of it throughpresidential directives. In the state of party government in Germanyit was difficult for a Chancellor to gather a majority. Conservatives,liberals, and radicals were split into several parties. When, in 1930,Heinrich Bruening was named Chancellor in the midst of the newdepression and the sweep of the Nazis to public support, he couldnot get a coalition of parties sufficient to make up a majority. Heurged and persuaded President von Hindenburg to govern by decreesunder Article 48. This was certainly an abrogation of the democraticprocess. It is fair to say that the situation was grave, that theHitler storm troopers were expressing themselves in the techniqueof thuggery in city streets, and that efforts were being made byseveral groups to unite with the Nazis to form a government. Theshadow of Hitler hung over everything. What Bruening did certainlywas to set up a form of dictatorship, and this is none the less truebecause Bruening was an honest and patriotic man and in no sensea seeker after personal power. This was the first step on the road tothe liquidation of the Weimar republic, though it was undertakenwith a different objective.143