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DZ Season 002 Part 08 How Hitler Almost Missed the Bus. 27 January 1933 - Ribbentrop's finest moment.
It’s Friday 27 January 1933. The weekend is coming. Everyone knows that Chancellor Schleicher is going to be kicked out but who is going to take his place. No-one in the know, knows.
André François-Poncet, the French ambassador, who always knows what is happening on the political scene in Berlin – doesn’t know. He’s heard rumours that Schleicher, the Chancellor, will soon be going. He’s sent that news to Paris but he doesn’t know anything beyond that. He doesn’t know the answer to the big question.
Joachim von Ribbentrop is visiting Hitler and Göring at Göring’s apartment. “What’s happening?” asks the Führer. Ribbentrop answers: “I don’t know. Hindenburg is still saying he is not going to make you the Chancellor.”
But Ribbentrop has an idea. “The National Front – do a deal with Hugenberg. I’ll organise another meeting at my place at 10 tonight with von Papen. We can try to find a way through”.
The big news just out, not the biggest news that everyone is waiting for, is that the body that decides when the parliament is to sit again, the Council of Elders, has announced that parliament, the Reichstag, will sit next on 31 January. Wow! That is wow! Schleicher will resign before then if he’s smart – unless he can turn Hindenburg around – which is not likely. IResigning will be better for him than having a vote of no confidence passed against him – how humiliating would that be!
But right now a meeting is just about to take place at Göring’s apartment. Hitler, Göring and Frick (the head of the Nazis in the parliament, the Reichstag) are here for the Nazis and Hugenberg, and the head of the parliamentary DNVP Party, Otto Schmidt-Hannover are on the other side. Looks like Hitler took Ribbentrop up on his idea. I wonder how this is going to work out.
Both sides are as subtle as flying mallets. Hitler says “I will be the new Chancellor and my men will hold the cabinet positions of the Interior Ministries of Prussia and the whole of Germany” (that’s the police forces – very important offices – as I suspect we would soon see if Hitler ever gets his way).
But the pig-headed Hugenberg is not taking any scheiße from Hitler. “The office of Chancellor will be a member of my party and so will the cabinet press officer. You are not getting the Interior Ministries either.”
Complete stalemate – I told you Hitler is not getting the top job – no way, no how. Complete balls up by Hitler.
Tag words: Von Papen; Kaiserhof Hotel; Kurt von Schleicher; Schwerin von Krosig; Franz Schäffer; BVP Catholic Party; Bella Fromm; Herman Göring; Baron von Richtoffen; Red Baron; Joseph Goebbels; President Hindenburg;
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By Paul FordyceIt’s Friday 27 January 1933. The weekend is coming. Everyone knows that Chancellor Schleicher is going to be kicked out but who is going to take his place. No-one in the know, knows.
André François-Poncet, the French ambassador, who always knows what is happening on the political scene in Berlin – doesn’t know. He’s heard rumours that Schleicher, the Chancellor, will soon be going. He’s sent that news to Paris but he doesn’t know anything beyond that. He doesn’t know the answer to the big question.
Joachim von Ribbentrop is visiting Hitler and Göring at Göring’s apartment. “What’s happening?” asks the Führer. Ribbentrop answers: “I don’t know. Hindenburg is still saying he is not going to make you the Chancellor.”
But Ribbentrop has an idea. “The National Front – do a deal with Hugenberg. I’ll organise another meeting at my place at 10 tonight with von Papen. We can try to find a way through”.
The big news just out, not the biggest news that everyone is waiting for, is that the body that decides when the parliament is to sit again, the Council of Elders, has announced that parliament, the Reichstag, will sit next on 31 January. Wow! That is wow! Schleicher will resign before then if he’s smart – unless he can turn Hindenburg around – which is not likely. IResigning will be better for him than having a vote of no confidence passed against him – how humiliating would that be!
But right now a meeting is just about to take place at Göring’s apartment. Hitler, Göring and Frick (the head of the Nazis in the parliament, the Reichstag) are here for the Nazis and Hugenberg, and the head of the parliamentary DNVP Party, Otto Schmidt-Hannover are on the other side. Looks like Hitler took Ribbentrop up on his idea. I wonder how this is going to work out.
Both sides are as subtle as flying mallets. Hitler says “I will be the new Chancellor and my men will hold the cabinet positions of the Interior Ministries of Prussia and the whole of Germany” (that’s the police forces – very important offices – as I suspect we would soon see if Hitler ever gets his way).
But the pig-headed Hugenberg is not taking any scheiße from Hitler. “The office of Chancellor will be a member of my party and so will the cabinet press officer. You are not getting the Interior Ministries either.”
Complete stalemate – I told you Hitler is not getting the top job – no way, no how. Complete balls up by Hitler.
Tag words: Von Papen; Kaiserhof Hotel; Kurt von Schleicher; Schwerin von Krosig; Franz Schäffer; BVP Catholic Party; Bella Fromm; Herman Göring; Baron von Richtoffen; Red Baron; Joseph Goebbels; President Hindenburg;