Empire in Progress

Chapter 30: help

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In fact, Hitler had already anticipated that this economic crisis would bring him great opportunities. Not only did the disaster of the German people not arouse his sympathy, on the contrary, in the bleakest days of that period, when factories were shut down, workers were unemployed, prices were skyrocketing, and people could no longer live, he actually wrote this in a Nazi party newspaper He said: "I have never been so comfortable and satisfied in my life. Because the cruel reality has opened the eyes of millions of Germans." The suffering of his compatriots is not something he wants to waste time expressing sympathy for. , but that he would ruthlessly and immediately turn it into a force that politically supported his own ambitions. 

The economic crisis caused serious difficulties for the republican government. Hermann Mueller, Germany's last Social Democratic Chancellor and head of the last government formed by a coalition of democratic parties that supported the Weimar Republic, resigned in March 1930 due to a quarrel between the parties over the unemployment insurance fund. . He was succeeded by Heinrich Brüning, parliamentary leader of the Catholic Center Party. Bruning was a captain in a machine gun company during the war and won the Iron Cross Medal. The conservative and steady views he expressed in Congress were favored by the Army. He hoped that a stable parliamentary government could be restored in Germany and save the country from an increasingly depressed economic panic and political chaos. While he was making such efforts, he unknowingly dug a grave for German bourgeois democratic politics, thereby inadvertently paving the way for Adolf Hitler's rise to power.

The suffering people demanded relief from their plight. Millions of unemployed people are asking for jobs. The shop owner asked for help. The approximately 4 million young people who have reached voting age since the last election demand at least a future where they can earn a living. Hitler's assurances to these millions of hard-pressed and disaffected people in a whirlwind campaign seemed to them to have given them a measure of hope. Hitler promised that if he came to power, he would make Germany strong again, refuse to pay reparations, tear up the Versailles Peace Treaty, eliminate corruption, force financial giants to submit (especially to the Jews), and must ensure that every German has a job and bread. Those desperate and hungry people not only hope for relief, but also hope for new beliefs and new gods. For them, this guarantee is not without effect.

It is an issue of increasing concern to the two pillars of the country - the army and the big industrialist and financier groups. The leaders of these two pillars never really accepted the Republic except as a temporary unfortunate phenomenon in German history. Buoyed by his electoral victory, Hitler began to turn his attention to winning over these two powerful groups. A year earlier, Hitler had delivered a speech in Munich asking the Army to reconsider its hostility to the National Socialist movement and its support for the Republic. Now he took pains to point out to the military that the Army had been stabbed in the back and betrayed by the republic they now supported and which had no affection for the officer class and all it stood for. He then threatened the officers that if the Marxists defeated the Nazis, it would be "the end of the German Army." Under Hitler's demagogic propaganda, many young officers were not only attracted by Hitler's fanatical nationalist sentiments, but also by the prospects he showed. This future is that the Army will restore its former glory and size, so that they have a future for promotion. However, in an Army of such a small scale, they have no hope.

In this way, many Germans became prisoners of Hitler. . The Nazis' stunning victory in the national elections deceived not only millions of ordinary people but also leaders in business and the army. They may have disliked the Nazi Party's demagogy and its crude and obscene style, but on the other hand it evoked traditional German feelings of patriotism and nationalism that had been severely repressed in the first decade of the Republic.

Because of this, and because of Hitler's public assurances about the Army, some generals began to consider that National Socialism might be just what they needed to unite the people, restore Germany to its original position, and once again make the German Army a A powerful army freed the country from the shackles of the Versailles Peace Treaty, which was humiliating and humiliating. The president of the Supreme Court once asked Hitler what he meant by the "German national revolution" he kept referring to? "This refers only to the salvation of our enslaved German nation today," Hitler said. something imposed on Germany by coercive measures. We believe that future generations, who are completely innocent, should not bear this burden. If we, with all our strength, oppose these treaties, we are on the road to revolution." Hitler's reply, Much to the delight of these generals. This is also the view of the officer corps.

In addition to the support of domestic monopoly capitalists, Hitler also received support from international monopoly capital, especially the big bosses in the United States. The big American monopolies Morgan, Rockefeller, DuPont, and Henry Ford, the chairman of the British-Dutch Shell Oil Company Deterding, the British newspaper tycoon Rothmier, the Swedish match tycoon Reger and the French arms dealer Concern Schreider K. Rezzo and others provided Hitler with a large amount of money. Some mouthpieces of American monopoly capital openly supported Hitler's rise to power. "The New York Times" wrote: "If Adolf Hitler is appointed as Chancellor, it will obviously be more popular in Washington." The monopoly capital of the United States and Britain regards Hitler as saving Germany and Europe from the "danger" of proletarian revolution. To come out as saviors, they hope that Hitler will come to power and eliminate the revolutionary democratic forces in Germany to ensure their large investments and loans in Germany.

Hitler was fishing in troubled waters, and the conditions for seizing power were becoming increasingly mature internally. At this time, the National Socialist Party not only became a large party with a large number of people, but it also gathered a group of fanatical and unscrupulous fascist backbones. They would assist Hitler in finally gaining power and help him maintain it. During this period, there were five people who were more prominent than the rest of the disciples. These five people are Strasser, Röhm, Goering, Goebbels and Flick. In addition, Linwei and Himmler also have their own teams.

In the turbulent years, the economic situation worsened day by day, government crises occurred one after another, and the 84-year-old President Hindenburg became increasingly old and confused. In this case, some leaders of the Nazi Party became increasingly confident that they did not have to wait much longer. As Gregor Strasser publicly boasted: "Everything that contributes to the crisis is good and excellent for us." Exactly: the Nazi leader has a black heart and hopes The world is in great turmoil.

In the turbulent and chaotic German political life, the Republic was like a stormy boat that was in danger of sinking at any time while sailing on the sea. After the collapse of the Bruning and Papen ministries, there now appeared a strange and extraordinary figure, whom providence had destined, and no one else, to dig the grave of the Republic. He would serve as the Republic's last short-lived Prime Minister, and in what might be said to be the last unexpected turn of a strange life. This man was Kurt von Schleicher. In 1931, he was a lieutenant general in the army. Born in 1882, he joined the military at the age of 18 and served as a lieutenant in the 3rd Infantry Guards Regiment to which Hindenburg originally belonged. He became a good friend of Oscar von Hindenburg, the son of the marshal and president.

In the Hugel villa of the Krupp family in Essen, Gustav was reading a letter. This letter was written by Lin Wei, "Dear father, how are you at home? I am living well in Munich. No need to Worry. The National Socialist Party is developing very rapidly and has deep roots in Munich. In the election at the beginning of the year, the National Socialist Party was already the second largest party in Congress. These fathers all know that, so I won’t say more. Well! From now on Judging from the current situation, the National Socialist Party is developing very rapidly, and there seems to be no domestic force that can prevent it from coming to power. My opinion is that instead of waiting for the National Socialist Party to come to power naturally, we should help them. The policy father of the National Socialist Party You know that his coming to power is a hugely profitable deal for our family. I hope, father, that you can unite Uncle Thyssen and Uncle Kolddorf and use the family's personal relationship with President Hindenburg and Juncker's huge energy to promote socialism. The party came to power, and finally I wish my father good health, Lampard & Krupp.”

After reading the letter, Gustav walked to the window, lit a cigar and took a deep breath, letting the smoke linger in his lungs. He was very proud of his son Gustav. He joined the military academy as a boy and became a member of the Berlin Military Academy. The last graduating class of the Army Academy. Although he was not interested in the family business after returning home, he still listened to his own words and learned all the principles and knowledge of the family's weapons. Finally, he went to Munich alone to join a small regional party, and now he has become a senior official in the party, a regional party. The small party has now become the second largest party in Congress. Just as Gustave was deep in thought, a stinging pain came from his hand. Gustave saw that only the cigarette holder was left in the cigar in his hand. .

"Son, let me show you daddy's energy this time" Gustav thought in his heart, "Crick"

"Sir, what can I do for you?" Butler Creek came in from the door and said respectfully.

"Crick, get ready to go to Berlin with me," Gustav said without any emotion.

At the Steel Trust branch outside Berlin, his owner Thyssen was meeting with two important guests. This important guest was Gustav and Kodolf.

"I've already said everything. How about you two old guys? Can you help me?" Gustav stared at the two of them.

"Well! Gustav, if your son is right, of course we will help with this matter. After all, we don't know much about the disputes within the National Socialist Party. As far as I know, the stormtroopers within the National Socialist Party They are very unfriendly to us, can your son's SS serve as a check and balance on him?" Kodolpho asked.