Chapter 59 Chapter Ten "It's Like a Dream" (2)

In mid-February, Hindenburg announced his re-election for the presidency.This forced Hitler to a showdown.It was obvious that to run, the Nazi party would have to choose a candidate, and only Hitler had a realistic chance.Even so, he couldn't make up his mind. "I know I'm going to be in office and everyone else is going to fail," he once said to Frank. "I see myself as prime minister and I will be prime minister. I don't see myself as president and I can't be president." His Hesitation is not fake.He vacillated for two weeks, and it was Goebbels who finally convinced him.Then, he quickly qualified for the election.Through the good offices of the Nazi Minister of the Interior (in Braunschweig), he obtained German citizenship and became a member of the state councilor.The next day, February 27, Hitler officially announced that he would run for president 15 days later.

Economic crisis and political resentment have almost turned Germany into a battlefield. “Berlin is in a state of civil war,” writes Christopher Isherwood. “Hatreds fall from the sky in an instant, and break out everywhere: in the streets, in restaurants, in cinemas, in dance halls, in swimming pools; After breakfast, at noon. Knife against knife, spiked ring or beer bottle against club, chair leg against leaded club; bullets piercing billboards and bouncing off the iron roof of the latrine." Hatred spread across the country like a plague.Victims of the economic crisis took aim at those luckier than them.Small shopkeepers forced to close their doors curse the big department stores; millions of unemployed hate workers and "bosses"; tens of thousands of college graduates find their future blocked and vent their despair on various employers.The economic crisis has hit nearly every class.The tax burden on farmers is like a cow's burden, and the evaluation of agricultural products is low.They despise the city people; and the huge number of unemployed "white-collar workers" envy the farmers-they have crops to harvest.In many large cities, unemployed workers live in droves in the suburbs.Beggars abound in the streets and alleys; by the time of the general election, the number of registered unemployed had reached 6 million across the country—and millions more had only temporary jobs or were unwilling to register as unemployed.

For many of those hit by the economic collapse, the way out lay in Adolf Hitler.Since Hitler never compromised with the Weimar regime and was open and frank in his opposition to the Treaty of Versailles and the Red Menace, they did not care, despite the rumors that he was in close contact with the industrial capitalists.His slogan was very simple: "For liberty and bread." In the chaos of the country, he was like a mainstay, insisting on finding the best way out for Germany.Hindenburg put up signs everywhere, calling on voters to recite his past benefits: "He believed in you, you believe in him now." Goebbels countered with "Respect Hindenburg, elect Hitler".

The Führer's attention was mainly on the overthrown middle-aged and idealistic youth.He worked tirelessly and lobbied everywhere, calling on these two kinds of people to rise up and fight against various employers with him.The propaganda campaign that Goebbels conceived hard can be said to be a creative masterpiece.Rare are walls without Nazi slogans; flyers are used to distribute leaflets to civilians; 50,000 propaganda discs are sent to those who still have gramophones; "talking pictures" of Hitler's and Goebbels' speeches are shown in public squares at night .At the heart of the program, however, is a grueling speaking schedule.For ten days in early March, Hitler and Goebbels delivered important speeches almost every day, usually two or three times.

At the same time, there was chaos in the Hindenburg camp.They split at first, and people whispered that the president's son Oskar had secretly become a Catholic and a member of the Social Democrats; the split deepened.Even more absurd was the attack that Hindenburg's two middle-aged daughters were leaders of the Socialist Student Union.They spent more time dispelling rumors than attacking Hitler's policies, and every denial made fiction seem like fact.Hindenburg's supporters argued with one another, and Hindenburg himself made little effort to win votes.He made only one public appearance three days before the election and claimed that he had agreed to run because many Germans of all political stripes had persuaded him to stay in order to prevent power from falling to the left or the right.

By March 13, the evening before Election Day, the voting results showed that Hindenburg had the upper hand over Hitler.Party soldiers like Goebbels are full of confidence in the general election: Hitler can ascend to the presidency.However, as the distance between the number of votes is widened, they also appear to be lost.An hour after midnight, the situation became clear.Hindenburg was far ahead with 7 million votes, only 350,000 votes short of the necessary majority.Although a final election between the two leaders was still to be held, Goebbels believed: "The dream of power is temporarily over."

Not so with Hitler.Together with his confidants, he sat in Heck's Cafe and waited tenaciously.He hurried back to the "Brown Mansion" and dictated a statement ordering the National Socialists to begin preparations for the final election without delay. "The first round of elections is over, and the second round begins today. I have to lead the election myself!" Hitler's frustration was swept away, and together with Goebbels, in the intermission of a week, the local The governor, representatives of the Congress and the editor of the party newspaper, etc., made many speeches, which greatly encouraged the fighting spirit.Everyone who attended the lecture believed that in the next election, Hitler would win.

The final victory was threatened.This was due to the sudden publication of a correspondence between Roehm and a psychologist by the Social Democratic newspaper "Munich Post".Judging from the letter, both of them have two interests - homosexuality and astrology.After scrutinizing the evidence, Hans Frank declined to press charges of libel against the newspaper.At this point, Roma had to admit—embarrassed, obliquely, that he was a "hermaphrodite."Hitler's lawyer was furious because he had traditionally believed that homosexuals were not thrill-seekers. "Now," Frank recalls, "he was a great example of a brave, enterprising soldier. He had a scarred face and he walked with his head held high. Outwardly, he was a true soldier. man."

For a long time, Hitler was indifferent to Rohm's homosexuality.In those days, it was quite remarkable.However, after reading the documentary evidence, his first reaction was to fly into a rage, which took a while to calm down. "What a mess, how horrible! It's not human! It's a beast! It's worse than a beast, and a beast can't do things!" He asked Roma if he had "ruined" young men or boys.The lawyer replied that no such record could be found.Only then did Hitler calm down again. "If there is, it's totally intolerable. As long as it's between grown men—Rom's stuff. Aren't the kids victims?" Frank reassured, not finding a single case. "Well, at least we can consider whether to keep him. If he has fucked boys, let God punish him! Then he must go!"

The Rohm scandal distracted Hitler.But by the time the finals began, he had put the matter behind him.As usual, he was so energetic and optimistic.There is only one week until the final election.So he decided to travel by plane in order to give three or four lectures a day. He has invited British journalist Sefton Delmer to accompany him on this speaking journey.Despite the harsh weather and a busy schedule, Hitler completed the plan on schedule.This gave the British reporter a deep impression.Every time he went to a city, Hitler was surrounded by women who admired him.In Koblenz, two girls stopped Hitler in the aisle of the train.Delmer heard the two girls crying and screaming hysterically in the Führer's box, but Hitler remained silent.When Delmer stepped into the box, Hitler was there in a daze.He turned a blind eye to Delmer, pulled the curtain aside, and watched the crowd on the platform intently, "His sleepy eyes turned into an arc, like a searchlight, sweeping left and right, blinding everyone he saw." All exposed to the affection those two girls inspired in him, and at the same time he threw it back into the crowd."

During this grim campaign, Hitler rarely revealed his feelings.Albert Krebs, the prefect of Hamburg, witnessed one such moment. He took a newspaper with the speech of the head of state the night before, and came to the room of the "Atlantic Hotel" where the head of state stayed.Hitler welcomed him with a stern "My soup! My soup!"Hitler said this first, and later, his entourage also parroted and was very casual.By the time Krebs came to the Führer, the soup for breakfast had arrived.Hitler bent down to drink his soup, looking tired and worried.He glanced up at Krebs and asked what he thought about going vegetarian.Without waiting for Krebs to answer, Hitler made a comment with emotion, exposing his "fear of depression". For the first time Hitler revealed himself to Krebs as a human being. (In German, "Krebs" means cancer.) Hitler told him that he had changed his way of life: he often sweated, was often extremely agitated, his limbs trembled, and he often had stomach cramps.Hitler insisted that stomach cramps were a harbinger of cancer, and he had only a few years to finish his career. "I don't have time to wait," he announced as he sipped his soup. "If I had time, I would not be a candidate. 'Old Man' (Hindenburg) would not live long. But I cannot lose time, not even a year. Lots of questions. I must come to power! Must!" Hitler ended the discussion abruptly. "One could say," commented Krebs, "that he has revived his work, which is immediately evident in his gestures, his facial expression, his voice. The depression disappeared, and Hitler became human again. became the head of state." While Hitler was establishing an image of a vigorous youth in the public, Hindenburg's forces were also engaged in a silent election campaign.This time, Hindenburg did not give a single lecture, which fueled rumors of his imminent death.There are also whispers that if he is re-elected, pensions and salaries will be reduced and unemployment benefits will be eliminated.By the eve of the election, Hitler appeared to be victorious.Even Spengler, who laughed at Hitler, decided to vote for the National Socialist Party on the grounds that "Hitler is an idiot, but the National Socialist Party still has to support it." On Sunday, April 10, Hitler received an additional two million votes, bringing the total to 13,418,051.The old field marshal received only less than 700,000 more votes, but he still has a solid majority - 53%.The number of votes received by the Communist Party dropped sharply.More than a quarter of the voters, instead of listening to Goebbels and voting for Hitler, voted for Hindenburg, rejecting Hitler from the presidential palace. In London, the Daily Telegraph predicted that Hitler was doomed; in Munich, iconoclast Spengler and his sister hung swastikas outside their windows. "Anyone who has the opportunity to make people feel bad," he said, "don't pass up the opportunity."