Hitler’s
arrest was intended to be the beginning of the end for the unrest in Germany.
President Eckener and Chancellor Adenauer hoped that by depriving this radical
party it’s leader, that the movement would wither away and die, and Germany
could move forward in peace. And for a short time it did, until Hitler’s trial
started in January of 1933. Then everything looked as though it might fall
apart.
- Liebermann, Dr. William. The Zeppelin President."Chapter 3: 1933 and the War on
Nazism.” Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2003
ADENAUER SAYS GOV’T WILL SEEK DEATH FOR HITLER
BERLIN, JAN 3- Today Chancellor Adenauer announced to the
press that his government intends to seek the death penalty for Adolf Hitler,
who was arrested over a month ago, charged with planning the attack on
President Eckener that resulted in the death of Chancellor Wels. Senior Nazi
officials vow that they will fight this attempt with all their might.
-“Adenauer Says
Gov’t will Seek Death for Hitler,” Frankfurter
Zeitung, January 3, 1933
TIME FOR REVOLUTION
PEOPLE OF GERMANY AWAKEN!! The Eckener government in Berlin,
which is riddled with Jews and Communists and other enemies of the true Germany
seeks to murder the true hero of the People, Adolf Hitler, leader of the
National Socialist Movement in Germany. If we want to see Germany take it’s
rightful place in the sun, and revenge the Great War, we must rise up as one
People and remove Eckener, this filthy capitalist pig, from the Presidency, and
toss his henchman Adenauer out of office. The time for talking is over. The
time for action is now!
-“Time for Revolution,” Volkisher
Beobatcher (Nazi Party Paper), January 8, 1933
TERRORISTS STRIKE ACROSS GERMANY
BERLIN, JAN 20- The German government is reporting that the
Nazi party has bombed several important government offices in Berlin, including
the Reichstag and the Chancellery, along with carrying out attacks in many
other cities across the country. President Eckener has yet to react in any
strong way, but reportedly the government will be meeting within the week to
establish a firm plan of action.
Many
here in Britain are looking wearily across the channel at the chaos that
doesn’t seem to end in troubled Germany, and hope that it will not spill out
into the rest of Europe or across the waters to our own lands.
-“Terrorists Strike Across Germany,” The Times (London), January 21, 1933
January 23, 1933-
All hell seems to be breaking loose. Just when we thought that the whole Nazi
problem had been solved. The bombings earlier this week have the people shaken,
and there are calls from members of the military for at least Adenauer to
resign if our government can’t put a lid on these terrorists. We’ve got to come
up with a game plan, and fast. We are going to meet in three days to try and
solve this problem. I hope that the end is in sight.
- From the personal diary of President Hugo Eckener
“Personal Documents of President Eckener.” The Zeppelin Institute,
Friedrichshafen.
Eckener
ultimately ordered the Reichswehr to arrest all the Nazi leaders, and on
February 1, the Reichstag passed a resolution banning the Nazi Party, expulsing
the 29 Nazi delegates and calling for special elections in those districts. But
even that didn’t work. Members of the Nazi Party began rioting in the street.
Then, on February 20, the Stahlhelm (Steel Helmet) Veterans Organization called
on Eckener and Adenauer to resign, and for there to be new elections. Members
of the Armed Forces, senior career Generals, also called for the resignation of
the Government. It seemed as if all would be lost, and that Eckener would be
forced from office.
- Liebermann, Dr. William. The Zeppelin President."Chapter 3: 1933 and the War on
Nazism.” Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2003
March 1, 1933- We
had an emergency meeting of the Government tonight at the Chancellery. Adenauer argued that we should dismiss
the current army leaders and replace them with fellows more favorable to the
democratic regime. Wirth spoke up and said he’d resign if we took such a
course. He had a new idea. He said “What if we ask the Stahlhelm to join us?”
Adenauer and I looked at him with utter bewilderment. “Join us how?” I asked
him. “We create a new Federal Police, and allow the members of the Stahlhelm to
fill most of the ranks. In effect, we put them to work for us. They largely
support the military, not the Nazis, though there are exceptions. But if we
offer them a piece of the pie…” Adenauer looked intrigued. “Mr. President, it’s
not a bad plan, but it may be hard to get the SPD on board. We’d have to make
some serious concessions. I doubt they’d support me as Chancellor.” I told him
he was right. Then Konrad totally surprised me. He said, “Mr. President, now
that I think about it, Wirth’s plan is the best thing I can come up with, and
to do with, we have to have the SPD onboard. I will resign as Chancellor and
allow Hans Vogel to take my place. We can bring in the Stahlhelm men as the
“Reichspolizei”. Wirth spoke up at this point, “We’ll also need to consider
other things to bring the Right onboard. Play up the nationalism card to draw
the populace away from the radicals. Maybe restore the imperial flag. Things
like that.” Adenauer agreed. Finally we have something new to try. I pray to
God that this works.
- From the personal diary of President Hugo Eckener
“Personal Documents of President Eckener.” The Zeppelin Institute,
Friedrichshafen.
ADENAUER RESIGNS
BERLIN, MAR 4- Chancellor Konrad Adenauer resigned his
office yesterday, and was today replaced by President Eckener with Hans Vogel,
of the Social Democrats. Today was in fact a big day for the President. In
addition to appointing Mr. Vogel to Chancellor, he also established the
Reichspolizei, a national level police force, aimed at dealing with former
Nazis. It is rumored that the RP will consist primarily of members of the
Stahlhelm, which had up till now been quite critical of President Eckener’s
government.
Chancellor
Vogel stated that Adenauer would remain in the government, going back to his
original portfolio of Foreign Minister.
-“Adenauer
Resigns,” Frankfurter Zeitung, March
5, 1933.
WAR ON NAZIS DECLARED IN GERMANY
BERLIN, MAR 12- The German Government, under the leadership
of President Hugo Eckener, has declared war on the Nazi Party. With the
creation of a new national police force, the Eckener administration, headed by
a new chancellor (the third since Eckener took office a little less than a year
ago), seems to be rebounding from terrible terrorist attacks and riots that
were perpetrated by the Nazis earlier this year. President Eckener and new
Chancellor Hans Vogel seem confident this new approach will work, though time
alone will tell. Many conservatives in Germany have an “I-wont-hold-my-breath”
attitude towards this latest attempt to crush the Nazis.
-“War on Nazis Declared in Germany,” The New York Times, March 14, 1933
From
March 4 onwards, the tide slowly began to turn in Eckener’s favor. The
Stahlhelm threw their support behind the Government as they operated the
Reichspolizei. The RP was a big help in bringing down the Nazi movement before
it was able to really go underground. In the only real violent confrontation of
the so called “War on Nazis,” the Reichspolizei and the Reichswehr fought
against the last remnants of the Nazis in Munich in what many refer to as the
“Battle of Munich”. Fighting lasted for over a week, as the RP and the RW
encircled the Nazi stronghold and eventually beat them on July 9, 1933. After
that battle, most Nazis just gave up. Many towns held swastika burning parties
as former Nazis recanted and moved on with their lives. When Hitler was finally
put on trail in August, he was given life in prison, to avoid any chance of him
becoming a martyr. His health would later deteriorate, and he was released from
prison in 1951, and died the following year, just months after finding some
small publisher to release, in a small number of copies, his second book,
explaining why the Nazis failed.
After
the end of the War on Nazis, Eckener was able to focus on rebuilding Germany
and helping the country’s fragile democracy finally take root.
- Liebermann, Dr. William. The Zeppelin President."Chapter 3: 1933 and the War on
Nazism.” Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2003
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