Chapter 94 Chapter Fifteen "Such a Tiny Human Insect" (6)

At the end of the year, Prime Minister Chamberlain was convinced that only by adopting a policy of appeasement could there be lasting peace in Europe.Even Foreign Secretary Eden (even with suspicion) expressed this hope in his proposal "Several Measures to Solve the German Problem".This proposal was submitted on New Year's Day, 1938. "The conversation between Halifax and Mr. Hitler showed that if we wish to solve the German problem at one blow, we, and not the German government, must act and come up with some concrete solutions. Come out... So, the next step is on our side. If we are really anxious to save the hopes generated by the recent talks, we have to do something, there should be no long delays, we have to keep moving."

The "concrete plan" Eden referred to was actually to bribe Hitler with something that did not belong to Britain - a large part of African territory owned by Belgium and AE* Portugal.Hitler was not so cheap to buy.His talks with Halifax had confirmed that Britain would acquiesce in any expansion to the east and southeast so long as it appeared legal.At the same time, it is clear that Fritsch, Blomberg, and other veteran military leaders, fearing the catastrophe of this risky policy, turned pale at the thought of using the threat of war as a diplomatic weapon.A confrontation with the Führer thus seemed inevitable.

The crisis was hastened again by Mademoiselle Einar Gruin.She had worked as a prostitute and now worked as a typist in Blomberg's office.After a brief acquaintance with her, the Field Marshal, who had been a widower for six years, decided to marry her.According to the officers' code, it was against the code to marry the daughter of a washerwoman. On January 12, the Field Marshal and the typist were married in a room of the War Department, with Goering and Hitler as witnesses.However, no sooner had the newlyweds gone on their honeymoon than rumors arose about the young Mrs. Blomberg's past.From her file, the Berlin Police Department not only found her record as a prostitute, but also found that she had taken nude portraits.These discoveries made Hitler embarrassed, angry and annoyed.He believed that Brahmberg's purpose in enticing him as a witness was to compel him to come out and dispel any rumors that might arise.He then ordered Göring to tell the Field Marshal what had happened to Aisne.If he agrees to dissolve the marriage, a way to avoid making the scandal public can still be found.Otherwise, Blomberg will be fired.

His logical successor was Fritsch - who was even more opposed to the Führer's policies.Concerned about this possibility, Göring came to the Chancellery with the files provided to him by Himmler and Heydrich, the purpose of which was to prove that Fritsch had criminally sodomized two "Hitler Youths" and A male prostitute known as a Bavarian soldier.This is a timely, timely excuse to get rid of the most uncooperative Commander-in-Chief.So Hitler used it without persuasion. After Goering left the house, he must have been overjoyed.In one fell swoop, Minister of War Blomberg and his best successor were removed, making Göring the most likely successor.The next morning, he informed Blomberg of the Führer's ultimatum, but the Marshal strongly opposed the annulment of his marriage.

On Bendler Strasse, the generals kept getting prank calls from prostitutes—happy at the success of their former sisters.The officer corps, which had turned a blind eye to the murder of Generals von Schleicher and Breidov, could not forgive the insult to their honor.The consensus was for Blomberg to resign immediately and divorce his wife—unless he wished to be removed from the officer corps.Fritsch was sent to make the request to Hitler (which happened to be what the Führer himself wanted to do), but it still made him sullen. "He was walking up and down the room," recalled Weidmann, his personal adjutant, "with his hands clasped behind his back. Heartbroken, he kept saying to himself, 'If a field marshal in Germany married a liar, Then anything can happen in this world!'”

He called Hossbach in to discuss the candidates.His adjutant did not object to Fritsch, arguing that the evidence of homosexuality must have been fabricated.The two fought each other until late at night.Before leaving, Horsbach asked permission to inform Fritsch of the incident.Absolutely not, Hitler said, and immediately ordered him not to do so.Hossbach went straight to Fritsch's apartment.The general angrily denounced the charges against him. "If Hitler wants to get rid of me," he cried, "if he asks, I will resign!" "What an influence a woman can have on the history of a country, and thus the history of the world! And without knowing it!" Colonel Jodl wrote in his diary the next day, January 26.That morning, Hossbach summoned up the courage to tell Hitler that he had disobeyed orders and met with Fritsch.Surprisingly, the Führer did not lose his temper.He appeared to accept Fletcher's statement of innocence, saying there was no reason not to nominate him now as war secretary.He exceptionally praised General Fletcher and swore he had no intention of getting rid of him.However, a few hours later, Hitler called Hossbach back and scolded Fletcher.Horsbach begged him to hold off until he confronted Fletcher.The Führer reluctantly agreed to meet Fritsch that evening.

During the day, Weidmann also approached Hitler with a proposal, but it was not popular.It turned out that Goering persuaded Weidmann to recommend him as the Minister of War.Hitler said: "Absolutely not! Goering can't even inspect, I know more than him!" Later that day, Hitler heard the same advice.At that time, Hitler was regretfully informing Blomberg that he had been dismissed.Out of politeness, Hitler asked him to recommend a successor.Blomberg nominated Goering - a man who had helped destroy him.This time, Hitler was more blunt: Goering was too impatient and lazy.In that case, said Blomberg, why didn't the Führer himself take over the post of Minister of War?Clearly, Blomberg acted in bad faith.Putting Hitler in charge of the armed forces would weaken the officer corps that had betrayed him.

Hitler murmured, neither accepting nor rejecting, just asking who should be in charge of the armed forces?Blomberg couldn't name a candidate.Hitler asked, who cares about your personnel?Blomberg replied that General William Keitel was in charge.Then he hastily added that his daughter's future father-in-law is not suitable for such an important position, "he just manages my office". "He's exactly what I'm looking for!" At noon that day, Blomberg, who looked “absolutely listless and on the verge of breaking down,” returned to his office and told Keitel what had happened.He admitted he was fully aware of his wife's notorious past, "but that is no reason to throw a woman away forever".He said he had parted with Hitler amicably and assured him that in the event of war he would return to the Führer.When Keitel advised him to divorce "for the sake of their children," Blomberg protested that their union was out of love and that "a bullet in the head would be better than a divorce." He wept. , rushed out of the office.

At 5 o'clock in the afternoon, Keitel was taken into Hitler's study.The Führer complained that he was alone and that Keitel had to support him.He said a little emotionally that he had a lot of respect for Blomberg and was indebted to him.Later, he complained that he had been duped and called to be a witness.Can the officer corps accept such an impossible marriage?Keitel had no choice but to say that the officer corps couldn't accept it.The next question asks who will succeed. Who does Keitel mention?Like Blomberg, he also nominated Goering.Hitler again refused.Keitel's next choice is Fletcher.The Führer went to the desk and returned with a letter of indictment signed by the Minister of Justice.The indictment charged Fletcher with sodomy.Hitler admitted that he had earlier suppressed another similar indictment because he himself could not believe it.Now, because of the issue of succession to the highest position in the army, he had to get to the bottom of the matter.He would have a private meeting with Fletcher, asking him bluntly whether he was guilty - and seeing how he reacted.

The confrontation took place that night in the reading library of the Führer.Fritsch knew nothing about the details of the sodomy of the two "Hitler Youths" and the "Bavarian Privates".He believed that the Führer was interrogating him for the stupid thing he did with the other two "Hitler Youths", and expressed his indignation at making such a trivial matter into a big deal.Occasionally, he explained, he would treat the youngsters to dinner and teach them how to read a map.If anyone is not paying attention, he will lightly spank his ass with a ruler. Hitler never heard of these two young men, and arbitrarily fired Fritsch.Fletcher was dumbfounded.Before he left the Chancellery, Hitler told his personal aide excitedly about the scene just now: "Think about it, Weidmann, suddenly it was not two but four young people who got involved with him! This incident I can't hold it anymore."

The next afternoon, Keitel reported to Hitler that Fletcher was staying behind closed doors.Hitler was still very disturbed, and the topic returned to the issue of succession.This time, Hitler said, he had decided to take the supreme command himself, with Keitel as his chief of staff. At the same time, an unpleasant incident happened.Because Hossbach was obedient and informed Flitsch behind Hitler's back, the Führer had to expel him and never wanted to see him again. Hossbach was fired, and Weidmann was as bewildered and angry as Hossbach himself.He found the Führer—pacing restlessly up and down the Winter Gardens. "My Führer," he shouted impulsively, "you have wronged someone today!" Who are you Weidmann referring to? "Colonel Hossbach!" "Yes, Weidmann," Hitler finally said, "you are right. Today I saw Hossbach as a 'man' behind the 'machine' at the General Staff Headquarters. Tell him , I'm sorry for him, but now I can't revoke the decision to dismiss. He should go to the Mediterranean and have dinner with me in the future. I will write him a letter of introduction and write all his good characters." The atmosphere of forgiveness is very He disappeared quickly, and he never issued a letter of introduction. "That guy did nothing but lie to me," he used to say, "and I'll never let him back on the staff!" For the next week, Hitler devoted himself to solving the problems left over from the Blomberg-Fletcher scandal.First, he ordered the Gestapo to conduct a full investigation into the Fritsch case, and then he concentrated on selecting the commander-in-chief.He eventually settled on General Walter von Brauchitsch (who admired Hitler but was not a member of the Nazis), but pretended that his first choice was Rechnau.The Army representative, General Gerd von Runstedt, strongly opposed this choice.In the eyes of the officer corps, Reichnau was not only a fanatical Nazi, but also a radical in the army, unsuitable for important positions.Lunstadt then nominated Baker, but Hitler did not agree.His next choice was naturally Brauchitsch.The matter developed into a bargain.This time, Runsted said, the Führer's candidate Army was acceptable. The matter did not end here.Brauchitsch said he had an urgent matter and he could not accept the job unless it was resolved.It turned out that he was going through a divorce, his wife wanted a huge sum of money, and he was in debt.Hitler not only gave him 80,000 marks, but also persuaded Mrs. von Brauchitsch to accept this condition.For Hitler, this was a good deal.Not only did he get a commander-in-chief who was grateful to him, but, according to Ulrich Hassel, the woman Brauchitsch planned to marry back, Mrs. Charlotte Schmidt, "was a hundred percent Two Hundred Fanatical Nazis".Thanks to Hitler's good offices and determination, coupled with the wavering of most of the old generals, the crisis was finally resolved. Surprisingly, the Army's aborted rebellion did not penetrate the lower echelons.Apart from Fritsch's close friends and the officers who both Blomberg and he were dismissed, very few knew of the scandal.So when the serving generals came to Berlin for a meeting on February 4, 1938, there was a sense of mystery to everyone, having read the morning papers to learn of such things.They were summoned to the hall of the Chancellery, where Hitler told them all about Fritsch's crimes and why Blomberg had been fired because of an unhappy marriage. "We were all stunned," recalled Heinz Guderian. "We all knew these two high-ranking officers, and they were aboveboard people. We are deeply saddened by such a serious indictment. These statements are unacceptable. Believe it, but our first reaction was that the number one man in the German state cannot be created out of nothing." The officers, astonished as they were, obediently accepted Hitler's reorganization of the army.That night, at a cabinet meeting, it became legal for Hitler to take over the armed forces.After introducing Keitel and Brauchitsch to the cabinet, he announced that the armed forces would be under his command.This was the last meeting of the cabinet, and the cabinet members had no choice but to sit around and approve it. Before midnight, the German people learned of the important decrees issued by the Fuehrer on the radio.They also learned that Blomberg and Fritsch had been dismissed, that 16 senior officers had been dismissed, and that 44 senior officers had been transferred to other positions.As a consolation to Göring's failure to become Chief of Operations, he was given the title of Marshal of the Air Force.The purge spilled over into the diplomatic sphere.New Wright, foreign minister, was replaced by Ribbentrop—a man who believed that for every hour not spent preparing for war with Britain, Germany lost an hour.Not long ago, he had told Hitler that because Britain could not tolerate the strength of Germany, the possibility of an Anglo-German agreement no longer existed. "At this point they will fight." This is a day in German history that cannot be forgotten.Two of the most powerful figures in the German Army had been purged, and the other two military leaders, Keitel and Brauchitsch, were deeply indebted to Hitler and became representatives of Hitler's need for anxiety. After his speech to the cabinet, Hitler drove to Berchtesgaden with Major Rudolf Schmundt and the new army adjutant Gerhard Engel.Major Schmundt had replaced Hossbach as chief of the military adjutant.He must have been overjoyed the next morning when he read the headlines in the Volk-Observer.The newspaper's headline reads: All power has been concentrated in the hands of the head of state! He finally became the supreme dictator of the German Empire.He is ready for the final journey.