112. Ibid.
113. Tuchel, Konzentrationslager, 177.
114. If Z, Gm 07.06, vol. 10, Dietrich/Lippert indictment, 77ff., and vol. 12/13, Minutes of the main trial. Statements by Walter Kopp and Johann Mühlbauer, both platoon leaders of the state police.
115. Domarus, 1, 404.
116. Der Angriff, 2 July 1934, ‘Die Niederschlagung der Hochverräter’.
117. Domarus, 1, 405f.
118. Scholder, Kirchen, 1, 156f.
119. Akten Bischöfe, No. 160; Deuerlein, Reichskonkordat, 160f., provides Buttmann’s relevant notes; another account is contained in a letter from Buttmann. See Dokumente. 2, No. 44/34. On this meeting see Klaus Scholder, Kirchen, 2, 246; on the whole issue involved in the negotiations see Dokumente Kirchenpolitik 2, No. 43/34.
120. Rosenberg, Tagebücher, 28 June 1934.
121. Scholder, Kirchen, 2, 247f.; Akten Bischöfe 1, No. 160.
122. Heinz Boberach (ed.), Berichte des SD und der Gestapo über Kirchen und Kirchenvolk in Deutschland 1934–1944 (Mainz, 1971), No. 1, 13ff. On Klausener’s position see Scholder, Kirchen, 2, 242f.
123. Akten Bischöfe, 1, Doc. 167a.
124. Regierung Hitler 1, No. 375.
125. RGBl. 1934 I, 529.
126. Goebbels TB, 4 July 1934.
127. It is clear from a letter from Papen to Hitler dated 4 July that Papen had explained to Hitler in a private meeting the day before that he could only rejoin the cabinet when ‘my honour and that of my officials [has been] restored’. See IMT 35, 714-D, 392f. Regierung Hitler 1, No. 375: His name is contained in the list of those present dated 3 July, but was subsequently crossed out.
128. Domarus, 1, 406.
129. VB (N), 7 July 1934, ‘Rudolf Hess auf der Reichs- und Gauleitertagung’. See also 8/9 July 1934, ‘Rudolf Hess über die Aufgaben der S.A.’ (interview), refers to the article ‘SA und Partei’ of 23 January 1934, which was intended as a warning shot to Röhm.
130. Regierung Hitler 1, No. 375.
131. For the speech see Domarus, 1, 407ff.
132. Höhne, Mordsache Röhm, 319ff., provides 85 names in his list of those killed (although some are not certain). See Orth, SD-Mann, 191f. This list can be added to (see ibid., 102ff.).
133. Hildegard von Kotze (ed.), ‘Es spricht der Führer’. 7 exemplarische Hitler-Reden (Gütersloh, 1966), 123–77, quotes 170f.
134. Domarus, 1, 426.
135. Morsch, Arbeit, 182f.; Kershaw, Hitler-Mythos, 109ff.; Sopade 1934, 197ff.
136. Petersen, Hitler, 344ff.; ADAP C 3, Nos 5 and 7.
137. Gerhard Jagschitz, Der Putsch. Die Nationalsozialisten 1934 in Österreich (Graz, 1976), 82ff., emphasizes this rivalry, as does Schausberger, 289, who claims that Hitler was inactive; also Hans Schafranek, Sommerfest und Preisschießen. Die unbekannte Geschichte des NS-Putsches im Jahre 1934 (Vienna, 2006), 214, claims that Hitler did not ‘raise any significant objections’ to the putsch plans insofar as he was aware of them. Gerhard L. Weinberg, ‘Die deutsche Außenpolitik und Österreich 1937/38’, in Gerald Stourzh and Brigitte Zaar (eds), Österreich und die Mächte. Internationale und österreichische Aspekte des ‘Anschlusses’ vom März 1938 (Vienna, 1990), and Gottfried-Karl Kindermann, Hitlers Niederlage, in Österreich. Bewaffneter NS-Putsch, Kanzler-Mord und Österreichs Abwehrsieg 1934 (Hamburg, 1984), 151f., by contrast argue that it is improbable that the putsch occurred without Hitler’s knowledge. This view was confirmed by among others the memoirs of the Vienna Gauleiter, Alfred Frauenfeld. See Alfred Frauenfeld, Und trage keine Reu’. Vom Wiener Gauleiter zum Generalkommissar der Krim. Erinnerungen und Aufzeichnungen (Leoni am Starnberger See, 1978), 113.
138. Kurt Bauer, Elementar-Ereignis. Die österreichischen Nationalsozialisten und der Juliputsch 1934 (Vienna, 2003), 120.
139. Longerich, Himmler, 187.
140. Goebbels TB, 23 July 1934. Prior to the publication of the Goebbels diaries the only thing known about the role of the Reichswehr in the preparations for the operation was the fact that on the morning of 25 July the commander of Military District VII was informed by Hitler of an impending putsch by the Austrian army. See Anton Hoch and Hermann Weiss, ‘Die Erinnerungen des Generalobersten Wilhelm Adam’, in Wolfgang Benz (ed.), Miscelleanea. Festschrift für Helmut Krausnick zum 75. Geburtstag. (Stuttgart, 1980), 32–62. At the beginning of June Reichenau had already taken part in a meeting in Hitler’s private flat at which Rechny was also present. See Schausberger, Griff, 287f.
141. Jagschitz, Putsch, 99ff.; Bauer, Elementar-Ereignis.
142. Ibid.
143. Goebbels TB, 26 July 1934.
144. Bauer, Elementar-Ereignis, 120.
145. Goebbels TB, 30 and 31 July 1934.
146. Domarus, 1, 427.
147. Jagschitz, Putsch, 182.
148. On Hindenburg’s death see Pyta, Hindenburg, 855.
149. Goebbels TB, 31 July 1934.
150. Ibid., 2 August 1934.
151. Regierung Hitler 1, No. 382; Law concerning the Head of State of the German Reich, RGBl. 1934 I, 747; Goebbels TB, 2 August 1934.
152. Ibid.
153. See the reflections in Müller, Heer, 134ff.
154. Regierung Hitler 1, No. 383.
155. Domarus, 1, 431.
156. Hans Buchheim, ‘Die staatsrechtliche Bedeutung des Eides auf Hitler als Führer der nationalsozialistischen Bewegung’, in Gutachten des Instituts für Zeitgeschichte (Munich, 1958), 328ff.
157. Domarus, 1, 434ff.
158. VB (B), 8 August 1934.
159. Goebbels TB, 8 August 1934.
160. Domarus, 1, 437f. Dohrmann’s sermon was published. See Franz Dohrmann, Predigt zum Feldgottesdienst am 2. Oktober 1935 bei der Weihe der Hindenburggruft im Reichsehrenmal Tannenberg (Wuppertal-Barmen, 1935).
161. See Jung, Plebiszit, 61ff. on the plebiscite.
162. Goebbels TB, 20 and 22 August 1934.
Domestic Flashpoints
1. Domarus, 1, 447ff.
2. Ibid., 452ff.
3. The appointment occurred on 24 January 1934 (ibid., 348). For details of the dispute see Longerich, Goebbels, 282ff.; Piper, Rosenberg, 323ff.
4. Domarus, 1, 455.
5. Ibid., 457f.
6. Tooze, Ökonomie, 91. According to ibid., 89ff. in 1932 the Reich spent 0.3 billion RM on the armed forces, in 1933 around 0.5 billion, in 1934 about 2.9 and in 1935 around 5.5 billion RM. This compared with civilian expenditure of 1.3 (1932), 2.1 (1933), 2.8 (1934), and 2 billion (1935) RM. Volkmann, ‘NS-Wirtschaft’, 293f., provides the figures given by various historians; see also Willi A. Boelcke, Die Kosten von Hitlers Krieg. Kriegsfinanzierung und finanzielles Kriegserbe in Deutschland 1933–1948 (Paderborn, 1985), 28.
7. Tooze, Ökonomie, 125ff. See also Sopade 1934, 398ff. on price increases; 408ff. on shortages of consumer goods and raw material problems; 631ff. on price increases; 633ff. on shortages of consumer goods; 634ff. on hoarding. According to Morsch (Arbeit, 184ff.), who relies mainly on Gestapo reports, during the summer concerns emerged about price increases and an economic setback from which by November there developed ‘the most serious crisis in morale hitherto, particularly among the working class’. See ibid., 188. An important element in this was criticism of the NS movement in general and no longer merely of individual functionaries. See ibid., 191.
8. BAB, R 43 II/193, Lammers to Darré, 30 September 1935, Statement by Darré, 9 October 1935, and reports by Darré about grain and fat supplies, livestock and meat prices, and food supplies in general. (7, 8, and 9 May 1935).
9. Morsch, Arbeit, 129ff.
10. BAB, R 43 II/537.
11. Dengg, Austritt, 400f.
12. Schulthess’ 1934, 221ff.
13. On the ‘New Plan’ see Volkmann, ‘NS-Wirtschaft’, 302ff.; Tooze, Ökonomie, 113ff.; Ebi, Export, 117ff.; Boelcke, Kosten, 100ff.
14. Ebi, Export, 159ff.
15. The Law for the Preparation of the Organic Construction of the Economy of 27 February 1934 had already transferr
ed control over the economic associations to the Economics Minister. See RGBl. 1934 I, 185.
16. Barkai, Wirtschaftssystem, 123ff.
17. These complex financial manipulations are discussed in detail in Volkmann, ‘NS-Wirtschaft’, 294f.
18. Ibid., 314ff.
19. Regierung Hitler 2, 194, Note. 1.
20. Law concerning the Search of Reich Territory for Exploitable Sources of Raw Materials, 4 December 1933. See RGBl. 1934 I, 1223; on the extraction and production of domestic raw materials see Volkmann, ‘NS-Wirtschaft’, 319ff.
21. Ibid., 320f.
22. Wolfgang Birkenfeld, Der synthetische Treibstoff 1933–1945. Ein Beitrag zur nationalsozialistischen Wirtschafts- und Rüstungspolitik (Göttingen, Berlin, and Frankfurt a. M., 1964), 26ff.; Gottfried Plumpe, Die I.G. Farbenindustrie AG. Wirtschaft, Technik und Politik 1904–1945 (Berlin, 1990), 275ff.
23. Bundesarchiv Freiburg (BAF ), RM 19/82, Report on the economic situation, 1 October 1935. See Volkmann, ‘NS-Wirtschaft’, 327, 322ff.; Tooze, Ökonomie, 146ff.
24. Regierung Hitler 2, No. 37; Law concerning the Appointment of a Reich Commissioner for the Control of Prices. See RGBl. 1934 I, 1085f.; on the appointment and his role see Ines Reich, Carl Friedrich Goerdeler. Ein Oberbürgermeister gegen den NS-Staat (Cologne, Weimar, and Vienna, 1997), 221ff.
25. Kurt Meier, Der evangelische Kirchenkampf, 1 (Göttingen, 1976), 204ff.; Scholder, Kirchen, 2, 59ff.
26. Scholder, Kirchen, 2, 309f. During an appearance in Stuttgart on 8 September 1934, for example, Jäger publicly advocated a ‘national Church’ that would overcome the religious divisions within the German nation. At any rate, the Reich Council of Brothers quoted him to that effect in a demonstration on 18 September 1934. See Joachim Beckmann (ed.), Kirchliches Jahrbuch für die evangelische Kirche in Deutschland 1933–1934 (Gütersloh, 1948), 72. On this project Jäger worked closely with the former SA chief, Franz von Pfeffer, appointed Hitler’s representative for Church questions in March 1934. See Scholder, Kirchen, 2, 160.
27. Meier, Kirchenkampf, 1, 165ff.; Scholder, Kirchen, 2, 171ff.
28. Jørgen Glenthøj, ‘Hindenburg, Göring und die evangelischen Kirchenführer. Ein Beitrag zur Beleuchtung des staatspolitischen Hintergrundes der Kanzleraudienz am 25. Januar 1934’, in Heinz Brunotte and Ernst Wolff (eds), Zur Geschichte des Kirchenkampfes. Gesammelte Aufsätze, 1 (Göttingen, 1965), 88ff.
29. Meier, Kirchenkampf, 1, 502; Scholder, Kirchen, 2, 278; VB, 14 July 1934 (on the announcement of the reception).
30. Dokumente Kirchenpolitik, 2, No. 56/34.
31. Scholder, Kirchen, 2, 285ff. and 307.
32. Ibid., 312f.; Gerhard Schäfer, Der Einbruch des Reichsbischofs in die württembergische Landeskirche 1934 (Stuttgart, 1974), 533 and 500ff on the letters of complaint from the bishops of 14 August 1934.
33. On the events in Württemberg see Scholder, Kirchen, 2, 311ff.; Meier, Kirchenkampf, 1, 445ff. On Bavaria see Scholder, Kirchen, 2, 315ff.; Meier, Kirchenkampf, 1, 462ff.
34. On the protests see Scholder, Kirchen, 2, 313ff. (Württemberg) and 330ff. (Bavaria); Meier, Kirchenkampf, 1, 453ff. (Württemberg) and 465ff. (Bavaria).
35. Scholder, Kirchen, 2, 320; Joseph Gauger (ed.), Chronik der Kirchenwirren, Part 2 (Wuppertal-Elberfeld, 1935), 310.
36. Dokumente Kirchenpolitik, 2, No. 60/34.
37. Scholder, Kirchen, 2, 323f.
38. Ibid., 335ff.; Meier, Kirchenkampf, 1, 221ff.
39. Scholder, Kirchen 2, 334.
40. BAB, R 43 II/163, Reich Interior minister to the Reich Chancellery, 18 October 1934.
41. Scholder, Kirchen, 2, 348.
42. The details are documented in Dokumente Kirchenpolitik, 2, No. 65/34.
43. Regierung Hitler 2, 1030 and 1036. On the presentation of the report to Hitler see BAB, R 43II/163, Lammers minutes, 16 and 24 October 1934.
44. Goebbels TB, 25 and 27 October 1934, on the meetings of 23, 24, and 25 October 1934.
45. See Scholder, Kirchen, 2, 351.
46. Dokumente Kirchenpolitik, 2, 65/34 IX, also 67/34 I and II. See also Scholder, Kirchen, 2, 196f. and 351f.
47. Dokumente Kirchenpolitik 2, No. 68/34.
48. Gerhard Besier, Die Kirchen und das Dritte Reich, 3 (Berlin, 2001), 24ff. and 61.
49. Krausnick, ‘Vorgeschichte und Beginn des militärischen Widerstandes gegen Hitler’, in Krausnick, Vollmacht des Gewissens (Frankfurt a. M., 1960), 248ff.; Müller, Heer, 147ff.; Bernd Wegner, Hitlers politische Soldaten. Die Waffen-SS 1933–1945. Leitbild, Struktur und Funktion einer nationalsozialistischen Elite (Paderborn, 1999), 84ff. The War Ministry’s edict of 24 September published in Paul Hausser, Soldaten wie andere auch. Der Weg der Waffen-SS (Osnabrück, 1966), Doc. 1 was of fundamental importance for its establishment.
50. Domarus, 1, 461.
51. VB (M), 28 November 1934, ‘Gegen ausländische Lügenmeldungen über das Reichsheer’.
52. Domarus, 1, 462. VB (N), 4 December 1934, ‘Ministerpräsident Göring im Industriegebiet’; 5 December 1934, ‘Der Gauleiter von Schlesien, Brückner, aus der Partei ausgeschlossen’; 7 December 1934, ‘Gottfried Feder in den einstweiligen Ruhestand versetzt’.
53. VB (N), 27 December 1934, ‘Eine Unterredung mit Reichswehrminister Blomberg’. It involved the publication of an interview by the US correspondent Louis Lochner.
54. Morsch, Arbeit, 188ff. The Sopade reports had been referring to a ‘war psychosis’ in Germany since October/November 1934 (682ff. and 723ff.) and noted that Hitler was no longer excluded from criticism (730ff.).
55. Gerhard Paul, ‘Deutsche Mutter – heim zu Dir!’. Warum es mißlang, Hitler an der Saar zu schlagen. Der Saarkampf 1933–1935 (Cologne, 1984), 62ff. on the activities of the German Front and 114ff. on the mass meetings in the Reich; see also Patrick von zur Mühlen, ‘Schlagt Hitler an der Saar’. Abstimmungskampf, Emigration und Widerstand im Saargebiet 1933–1935 (Bonn, 1979).
56. Goebbels TB, 4 January 1935.
57. Domarus, 1, 469ff.; VB (N), 5 January 1935, ‘Adolf Hitlers Rede vor der deutschen Führerschaft’.
58. Goebbels TB, 6 January 1935.
Initial Foreign Policy Successes
1. On the Saar plebiscite see Kershaw, Hitler, 1, 686ff.; Paul, ‘Mutter’; Mühlen, ‘Schlagt’.
2. VB, 15 January 1935, ‘Der Dank des Führers an die Saar’ (headline); on the mass demonstration in Berlin see ibid., 16 January 1935, ‘Aufmarsch der 500,000’.
3. Domarus, 1, 472ff.
4. Goebbels TB, 22 January 1935.
5. Norbert Theodor Wiggershaus, Der deutsch–englische Flottenvertrag vom 18. Juni 1935. England und die geheime deutsche Aufrüstung 1933–1935 (Bonn, 1972), 261ff.; Schwendemann, Abrüstung, 787ff. and 791ff.
6. British White Paper on Defence of 4 March 1935.
7. Domarus, 1, 484ff.; VB (N), 2 March 1935, ‘Die Heimkehr der Saar ins Reich’.
8. Domarus, 1, 489f. and 497; Goebbels TB, 6, 8, 10, 16 (on conscription), 20, 22, and 24 March 1935. VB, 6 March 1935. Kershaw, Hitler, 1, 690, refers to Rosenberg’s diary where he writes that he found Hitler in the best of spirits on the day when he became hoarse. See Tagebuch 74f. According to Hitler they had to pull in their horns for 14 days and rely on the time factor.
9. Regierung Hitler 2, No. 105. The cabinet accepted a secret Führer decree concerning Reich aviation prepared by Gõring naming the Luftwaffe as the third branch of the Wehrmacht. See ADAP C 1933–1937 3, No. 507 (Appendix).
10. VB (B), 12 March 1935, ‘General Gõring über die deutsche Luftverteidigung’ (Report on the Daily Mail interview). On the revelation of the existence of the German Luftwaffe see Karl Heinz Völker, Die deutsche Luftwaffe 1933–1939. Aufbau, Führung und Rüstung der Luftwaffe sowie die Entwicklung der deutschen Luftkriegstheorie (Stuttgart, 1967).
11. Friedrich Hossbach, Zwischen Wehrmacht und Hitler 1934–1938 (Göttingen, 1965), 81f.; Kershaw, Hitler, 1, 691f.
12. Hossbach, Wehrmacht, 82f.; Müller, Heer, 208f.; Deist, ‘Aufrüstung’, 4
94ff. Hitler still remembered Fritsch’s objections in 1942. See Hitler, Monologe, 16 August 1942 (in the evening).
13. If Z, ED 1, Liebmann Notes, Comments by Fritsch at the commanders-in-chief meeting on 24 April 1935 that the introduction of conscription was essential for the expansion of the army.
14. RGBl. 1935 I, 369ff., Proclamation of the Reintroduction of Conscription and on p. 375 The Law for the Build-Up of the Army, 16 March 1935. On the Cabinet meeting see Goebbels TB 18 March 1935.
15. The Law on Public Holidays of 27 February 1934 (RGBl. 1934 I, 129) declared Heroes’ Memorial Day, 1 May, and Harvest Thanksgiving to be public holidays, both of which would take place on a Sunday.
16. Domarus, 1, 495.
17. ADAP C 3, No. 538.
18. Domarus, 1, 491ff.; VB, 16 March 1935, Special edition.
19. ADAP C 3, No. 555; Wiggershaus, Flottenvertrag, 292ff.
20. Anthony Eden, Angesichts der Diktatoren. Memoiren 1923–1938 (Cologne and Berlin, 1964), 167ff. On the atmosphere at the meetings see also Paul Schmidt, Statist auf diplomatischer Bühne 1923–1945. Erlebnisse des Chefdolmetchers im Auswärtigen Amt mit den Staatsmännern Europas (Bonn, 1949), 298ff.
21. Petersen, Hitler, 399ff. On the Stresa communiqué see British and Foreign State Papers 139 (1935). Microfiche Washington, 756ff., 14 April 1935.
22. Schulthess’ 1934, 489ff.
23. Goebbels TB, 1 April 1935.
24. Ibid., 5 April 1935, see also 7 April 1935.
25. Aram Mattioli, Experimentierfeld der Gewalt. Der Abessinienkrieg und seine internationale Bedeutung 1935–1941 (Zurich, 2005), esp. 55ff.; Petersen, Hitler, 385.
26. NS-Presseanweisungen der Vorkriegszeit (PA) 1935, 74, 94, 113, 245, and 320. See also Petersen, Hitler, 391.
27. Goebbels TB, 15 May 1935, see also 5 May 1935.
28. Petersen, Hitler, 112; Kershaw, Hitler, 1, 698f.; Domarus, 1, 505ff.
29. ADAP C 4, No. 109, also No. 120f.
30. PA 1935, 320.
31. RGBl. 1935 I, 609ff. and 615ff., Führer edict concerning the length of conscription in the Wehrmacht. See Regierung Hitler, 2, No. 159.
Hitler Page 143