Chapter 28 Chapter 4 The Birth of a Political Party (5)

The Hofbraus quarrel proved to Hitler that only those who were not afraid to use force could succeed.That night's victory gave Hitler and the National Socialist Workers' Party great power.But as party membership grew, honest and good citizens demanded an end to these uncivilized practices.The new government of Bavaria is also eager to contain Hitler, but it needs to really grasp the handle of Hitler's provocation.The new government gave Hitler a permit to carry a pistol as a fair fight. His display of force was a harbinger of nationalist and popular discontent throughout Germany.Earlier that year, Germany had rejected the Allies' demands for increased war reparations, and French and Belgian armies occupied Duisburg and Dusseldorf as a sign of sanctions.Two months later, the Allies issued an ultimatum, requiring Germany to pay 2 billion marks a year, together with 25% of Germany's total exports, as reparations.The ultimatum also threatened that if they did not agree, they would occupy the entire Ruhr area.

The moderate and conservative cabinet was determined not to comply, but the "Central Party", which was already controlled by the government at this time, succumbed to the demands of the allies.The act of capitulation angered nationalists like Hitler.They launched a series of violent actions, including the assassination of the leader of the "Central Party" and the "criminal" Mathias Erzberg who signed the armistice treaty.Many Germans who demanded law and order hailed the murderer as a hero. At the end of 1921, the League of Nations announced that Poland would take back Upper Silesia (where four-fifths of the mines and heavy industry were located).This has become a new reason to anger the nationalists.The onset of winter and the devaluation of the mark, with all the difficulties it entailed, fueled German discontent. On Easter Sunday, 1922, Foreign Secretary Holder Radnor turned eastward abruptly, signing a treaty with the Soviet Union at Rapallo.This intensified the atmosphere of violence.The anti-Bolshevik Hitlers, ignorant of the benefits of this alliance for their cause of Reich revitalization, were outraged by this move.Germany's resurgence from political isolation dealt a severe blow to the Western allies.They simply turned a blind eye to this.

Germany and Russia agreed to restore diplomatic relations, drop their mutual demands for reparations, and resume trade.A party may not enter into an economic agreement with a third party that would affect the other party without prior consultation with the other party.Russia needed modern technology; Germany was determined to violate the terms of the Treaty of Versailles limiting military power without arousing the suspicion of the International Limitation Committee established on its territory.Lenin had already asked Germany to assist the Soviet Union in reorganizing the Red Army, and the leader of the Wehrmacht, General Hans von Seeckt, was eager to agree.As a result, the militaries of the two countries stepped up their ties and had close exchanges.The small German army started training the Red Army and learned about the use of special weapons.

Radnor's critics cannot calculate the extent and impact of this collaboration.Although his treaty with the Soviet Union gave a huge impetus to rearmament in Germany, he himself was branded a Red by the Germans who demanded that Germany have a strong army because of their collusion with the Soviets.This is smearing his face.In fact, he had long since become a symbol of servility to the West, thanks to his determination to keep the monstrously large economic promises made in the Treaty of Versailles.In addition, he was a rich Jew, and the Nazis attacked him for secretly planning for Jewish world domination. On June 4, this talented patriot was assassinated by two former members of the "Freedom Corps" in a robber-style way.

On the same day, Bavaria's most feared operative met his fate and was arrested and imprisoned.Hitler said to his followers: "Two thousand years ago, a group of thugs in Jerusalem dragged a person to the execution ground in the same way." As soon as he finished speaking, he was thrown into Stadlen Prison on charges of inciting riots.The jailer ushered him into a cell with a toilet and "kindly" pointed out that many famous people had lived in this house, such as the famous Bavarian dramatist Ludwig Thoma and the revolutionary Kurt Eisner.The news of Radnor's murder did not particularly please Hitler.This isolated retaliatory action, in his view, is trivial; this action has taught him a safety lesson.Since then, he has installed searchlights on the back of his car, so that any driver who follows the vehicle will "blind".

As a result of this assassination, the Weimar government hastily enacted a Law for the Protection of the Republic.It's a draconian statute designed to stop terrorism from the radical right.It was strongly opposed by Bavarian nationalists of all stripes.Just as the quarrel was raging, Hitler was released from Stadling.During his isolation from the violent political arena, he had to reexamine his seething thoughts.In the prison life of about five weeks, there was nothing else to do except reading and thinking.This allowed him to turn his hatred and fear of the Jews into a more systematic and purposeful theory.Once out of prison, he wasted no time in attacking the Republic Protection Act.On the day he was released from prison, he gave the sharpest speech in his life, entitled "A Free Country or a Slavery".Ostensibly, this was aimed at the new law, but in fact it was a denunciation of the Jews and their plot for world domination.Never has he used more material, never been more effective; never has he explained so "reasonably" why and how the Jews had acquired such power.

At the Burg Brau, he told an eager audience that a bitter struggle was raging all over Europe between the ideals of nationalism and popular power and the ideals of international Judaism.The founders of social democracy and communism were the Jews; it was the Jews who controlled the stock exchange and the labor movement.Having said that, Hitler imitated the Jews on the stage and made a gesture of shrugging his shoulders, which won a burst of knowing applause.He went on to declare that the Jews were destroyers, robbers, and exploiters.Also, Bolshevik Judaism was preparing for a decisive battle, with two great goals in mind: "to disarm the state and to disarm the people spiritually." (*Hitler in 1922, the depth and viciousness of his anti-Semitism, It leaked during a conversation he had with his acquaintance Joseph Herr that year. When Herr asked Hitler what he would do if he had full powers against the Jews? Hitler lost his composure. "He looked away from me. ’” Hull recalled. “He looked into the space and his voice grew louder. He twitched and yelled like I was a huge audience. The most important job is to exterminate the Jews. Once I am in power, I will erect a gallows, for example, at Marienplatz in Munich - as many as possible as long as traffic permits, hang the Jews one by one, hang them Hang until it stinks, as long as you can hang it, as long as it does not hinder hygiene. After one group is untied, another group will be hung, and so on, until the last Jew in Munich is wiped out. Other cities will follow suit until the whole All the Jews in Germany have been wiped out!'") To do this, the Jews had to silence anyone who dared to protest openly.

After reprimanding the Jews in this way for more than an hour, Hitler turned to the topic. "We know that the so-called "Republic Protection Act" that came from Berlin today is nothing more than a means to suppress criticism and prevent people from speaking." But the Socialist Workers Party cannot keep its mouth shut.He publicly called for direct violence. "So, before I finish my speech, I hope that the young people among you will do something. There is a special reason for this. The original party only trained the young people's eloquence, and I want to train them to use their physical strength. I tell you: anything that cannot be found The youth who finds the way to the destiny of the people, after using the last resort, will really find it. If he only studies philosophy, and at such a time keeps his head buried in his books, or sits at home by the fire, he is not a German. Youth! I call upon you! Join the stormtroopers!"

He warned that their fate would be difficult, with nothing to be gained and everything to be lost. "People who fight with us will not get any laurels, especially not any material benefits - they are more likely to spend their lives in prison. Today's leaders must have ideals. If it is only to lead someone to oppose Who, then, everything seems to coincide." His call to sacrifice for ideals enraptured the audience. In the next two weeks, Hitler continued to attack the new law. By August 16, he became the star of the mass demonstration in Koenigplatz. Associations take part in a joint protest against the new decree of the Weimar government.Before the arrival of Hitler's group, the meeting place was relatively quiet.Suddenly, the moving music of two wind orchestras came from afar.Then, groups of people with swastika armbands marched into the arena.They lined up in 6 columns and carried 15 flags of the "Socialist Workers' Party".In less than a few minutes, the square was filled with excited crowds, as many as 15,000 people!

When Hitler took the podium, the applause was not enthusiastic.He stood silent for a moment.After that, he began to speak.At first, he spoke calmly and not very movingly.The fiery nationalist Kurt Ludke (who saw Hitler for the first time that day) recalled: "After a while, his voice rose, almost to the point of hoarseness. His tone of voice constricted with supernatural effect. ’” He seemed to be another madman—he waved a pair of small hands, and flashed a pair of steel-blue eyes, which seemed to be threatening or pleading.Ludek was fascinated by Hitler without knowing it.He was in a daze, as if he had been hypnotized.Suddenly, Hitler, the "madman," became a patriotic hero in his eyes, another Luther. “His charm upon German men was like a call to arms, like the gospel by which he preached divine truth.” Hitler had yet another uncritical convert.

That evening, Ludek heard Hitler speak again, this time at Zilkas Kroner.After the speech, Ludek was introduced to meet Hitler - Hitler's hair was disheveled and his head was sweating profusely.Over his shoulders was a kind of battered, dirty trench coat.What Ludek saw, however, was a character with character and courage.The next day Ludek defected to Hitler "without reservations" with his cause.They chatted for more than 4 hours, and then shook hands solemnly. "I even gave him my soul."