Eight hundred and thirtieth chapters stormtroopers
Chapter 836: Stormtroopers
In December 1933, Germany stood on the threshold of totalitarianism.
This is not a fear, but the need of the times and the desire for unity. The spirit of conformity is not a class issue. It exists among scientists and also among workers.
"We hope that this will be in keeping with the spirit of the country and that we will faithfully cooperate with the government..." the president of the German Mathematicians Association told his colleagues: "Unconditionally, happily - everyone
This is what every German must do - serve the National Socialist movement and its leader, Chancellor Adolf Hitler."
After the domestic problems were basically resolved, Hitler quickly set his sights on rearming the German army, and this certainly could not bypass Britain and Germany.
Regarding international guarantees, all Germany asked for was the possibility of self-defense. If such a treaty was signed, Hitler promised to guarantee the disarmament of the SA and SS.
On February 21, Hitler made an unusual gesture and went to the British Embassy for lunch. This seemed to emphasize his conciliatory intentions. This was the first time a Führer visited a foreign embassy.
After lunch, Hitler made detailed proposals. He asked for 30% of his neighbor's fleet and agreed that Germany's aircraft should never exceed 60% of France's. He readily and automatically offered to reduce the SA and SS
The number of troops...
Hitler's promise to reduce the SA and SS troops reassured the French to a certain extent, but their leaders did not believe that Hitler's rearmament plan was only for defense. The British were privately concerned, especially
Although he was openly sympathetic to Germany's rapidly developing air force, he still publicly expressed sympathy for the situation of the new empire. Many people laughed at the idea that Hitler was heading for war. Ambassador François Bense agreed with the idea of making concessions to Germany.
"Limited, controlled rearmament is better than unlimited, uncontrolled and suppressed rearmament!" He felt that having an agreement, even a mediocre one, was better than nothing.
He then tried his best to win over his boss. In early April, he went to Paris to present his views. However, when he met with Prime Minister Dumel, "he was not allowed to say a word." He tried to change the topic several times, but was rejected by the Prime Minister.
interrupt.
France's decision was to establish an anti-Nazi group in the east to curb Germany's ambitions. Poland and Czechoslovakia would become a link in this long chain, both protected by "Mother France."
Hitler was sincere in his promise to reduce the number of SA troops. Over the years, the brutality of the SA troops had troubled him. In recent months, the commander of the SA troops, Captain Röhm, had been asking for his removal.
His subordinates were reorganized into troops.
Naturally, the military is opposed to this move.
Hitler knew that the best way for him to survive was to support the military leaders, because without their full support, he would not be able to achieve his ultimate goal. So he announced: "In our country, only the Wehrmacht is allowed to maintain
There are weapons; the stormtroopers are only responsible for political education of the people."
These words revived the anger of the 4 million Brown Shirts, reminding them of the long-standing struggle between the northern and southern factions within the party. On the one hand, they were still loyal to Hitler, the spiritual leader, but on the other hand, many people also felt
He has betrayed the "brown revolution" and is selling himself to the right.
They see themselves as a symbol of radicalism within the party and are dissatisfied with the reforms made during the past year in power. For months, Roma has been advocating a "second revolution", the only way to achieve the social benefits and benefits they have fought for.
Material interests. “Whoever thinks that the task of the SA has been accomplished,” he told 8,000 brownshirts at Tamberov Airport, “has to think that we are still here and want to stay here.
No matter what happens.”
Although most party members had anti-capitalist and conservative sentiments, the most radical and fervent were the SA. Röhm repeatedly preached that he and his men were the true defenders of National Socialism...
Although Hitler sympathized with the radicals, his mind told him that unless Germany recovered from the economic disaster and rebuilt its armed forces, further revolution would not work. This would be impossible without the full support of industry and the military.
It can't be done.
At the same time, in order to calm things down, he made Rohm serve as a minister without charge in the cabinet, and also promised to make him minister of defense. So, he praised him in writing on January 1, 1934!
The letter of commendation was excellent, because most of the people used the nickname "you" in the second person singular. Hitler's original intention was to praise him on the one hand, and to tactfully warn him on the other that the defense of the country should still be left to the army, but
Roma didn't understand this.
Thinking that Hitler was backing him, he became emboldened and sent a note to the Ministry of Defense, claiming that protecting the country's security was the prerogative of the SA.
This intensified the conflict. General von Blomberg then asked Hitler to rule.
On the last day of February 1934, Hitler dejectedly invited the leaders of the SA and the Wehrmacht to a meeting in the marble-columned training hall of the Ministry of Defense. In his "moving and heart-wrenching" speech, Hitler advised both sides
compromise.
He said that the party solved the unemployment problem, but after 8 years, the economy will decline again, and the only remedy is to create living space for the excess population. This may necessitate a short-lived, decisive battle first in the West and then in the East
military operations. However, the militia suggested by Roehm was "not at all suitable for national defense." The solution was to create a People's Army, train them rigorously, and arm them with the latest weapons. The SA must limit themselves
Within the scope of internal political affairs.
At this time, Hitler forced Blomberg and Röhm to sign an agreement in front of him. The SA was given two semi-mundane tasks: to act as police along the national border; and to provide military training for young people between the ages of 18 and 21.
, young people aged 21 to 26 who have not served in the army undergo "stormtrooper sports" training - this is the code name for organized military training.
For Röhm, this was a blow, but after the meeting he invited everyone to his home for a conciliatory lunch.
As soon as the soldier left, Rohm's true feelings broke out, perhaps because he was drunk: "What that ridiculous corporal said is nonsense..." he said to his followers, "I don't want to at all.
Abide by this agreement. Hitler is a traitor and should at least take a vacation... If we have him, the goal will not be achieved, so we might as well not have him."
At least one of the listeners was shocked. To SA Captain Victor Luzer, this was a betrayal.
So he reported it to Hess.
The Führer's adjutant was hesitant and did not dare to take action. Junkert went to Obersalzburg in person to report the serious dissatisfaction among the top leadership of the SA to Hitler.
The Führer was once again indifferent. "The situation must be allowed to develop..." The Führer did not want to discuss it any further, as if he did not want to admit that his beloved SA had dissatisfaction that bordered on violence.
A few weeks later, however, he flatly rejected Roehm's comments: "The gray stone must be flooded with brown." He said, "The new troops are gray, not brown."
Rohm fought back. In April, he held a press conference in Berlin. In addition to foreign journalists, officials from various diplomatic missions were present. He was short and fat, full of energy, majestic, and his tone of speech
He is also aggressive, as if he must obey him.
"The SA is the heroic incarnation of the German revolutionary will and ideas!" He said this to foreigners, but the next paragraph was obviously meant for Hitler. He said that those who opposed the SA in the party were reactionaries.
and bourgeois conformists. “Only the SA represents the National Socialist Revolution!”
Within the SS, Röhm's secret enemies were already plotting to crush him. The leader was Reinhard Heydrich, the head of the Secret Service, not the leader of the SS.
He then hinted to all SS units that an open struggle with the SA was imminent.
Heydrich reported that he had collected a lot of materials to prove that Röhm was plotting to betray. In this way, the struggle was a foregone conclusion.
In fact, Röhm had no intention of launching an uprising. He just wanted to use "a golden cage" to separate the Führer from his ulterior advisers and force Hitler to give the SA the appropriate status within the Reich.
He was engaging in nerve warfare, not betrayal, but his threatening language was a source of panic.
On June 4, Hitler summoned Röhm to the Chancellery. According to Hitler, their conversation lasted for five hours.
Although the Führer sympathized with the SA, he had to curb the activities of the SA under the pressure of the military. Hitler believed that he had truly shaken hands with Röhm, which was also possible. Because the Secret Service reported almost at the same time that the Führer had arrived.
An agreement was reached with the Stormtrooper Commander on several issues!
Both parties agreed that the January vacation for the entire SA team, which was originally scheduled to be off, would begin as scheduled.
This news was announced by the German Information Agency on June 7. The next day, the German Information Agency issued a puzzling "Order of the Chief of Staff of Röhm". The order stated that "for several weeks, I have been suffering from a painful neurological disease."
, causing damage to health. We have now decided to follow the doctor’s advice for treatment in order to recover.”
These two pieces of news reassured the military. They sensed that this was a signal of Röhm's fall. Heydrich was shocked!
He only needed 3 weeks to complete his plan against the SA. These two pieces of news forced Hitler to take decisive action.
Röhm's sister-in-law, among others, warned Röhm that there were rumors that Goering-Goebbels-Himmler were conspiring to get rid of him.
But Röhm did not take these serious warnings to heart at all. In his opinion, Hitler would not take any malicious actions against him!