Episode 9-Hitler takes on the World.

[0] Welcome to True Spies, the podcast that takes you deep inside the greatest secret missions of all time.

[1] Suddenly out of the dark, it's a bit in love.

[2] You'll meet the people who live life undercover.

[3] What do they know?

[4] What are their skills?

[5] And what would you do in their position?

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[7] People paid for what they'd done, felt righteous.

[8] True Spies, from Spyscape Studios, wherever you get your podcasts.

[9] Hello, and thank you for listening to a History of World War II podcast, Episode 9, The Nazification of Germany.

[10] When we last left the German people at the end of Episode 2, Adolf Hitler was made Chancellor by agreeing to a deal with President Hindenburg and now Vice -Chancellor Pappen.

[11] The two men were not comfortable with the Nazis in power, but felt somewhat secure in the limitations they put on Hitler and his minority in the cabinet.

[12] But honestly, they only had themselves to blame.

[13] Just like when Mussolini came to power, the enemies of the Nazis never united and Hitler came to power legally.

[14] There was trickery and violence, but that's what the laws were for.

[15] Of course, they couldn't have known what we know now, but the Nazis had shown their true colors on numerous occasions, and some of the parties should have unified, if only against their common enemy.

[16] But in their defense, if such a thing is needed, most people assumed that this power agreement would just be the latest chapter in a turbulent struggle between the parties.

[17] Big business assumed that they would be controlling Hitler, and the other conservative elements assumed that they could use Hitler to bring back the monarchy at a later date, or at least an authoritarian Germany.

[18] So the army, the president, and the conservatives thought they had come out of this latest political crisis more or less content.

[19] But within hours of Hitler coming to office, he made moves to untie his hands and ensure his party would be the only legitimate power in the country.

[20] Five hours into office, Hitler held his first cabinet meeting at 5 p .m. January 30, 1933.

[21] The main topic was to acknowledge that Hitler's office was not one of a presidential cabinet.

[22] but one based on a majority of the Reichstag.

[23] That was the agreement with Hindenburg.

[24] But the Nazis and their allies and nationalists, who had similar views as the Nazis, but were cagey enough never to unify their parties, did not have the numbers.

[25] Together they had 247 out of the 583 seats in Parliament.

[26] Hitler told the ministers that they had to have the seats of the center party included in their ranks, which is why he sent minister without portfolio Goering to talk to their leader, Monsignor Kaz.

[27] But Goering, taking his cue from Hitler, said that after talking with Kass, it was clear that the concessions they desired were too much to acquiesce to.

[28] In truth, all the center party wanted was for the Nazi leader to govern constitutionally.

[29] Goering, then jumping into the second act of his and Hitler's play, dejectedly suggested that there should be another election as the only way to deal with this insurmountable problem, and Hitler sadly agreed.

[30] The cabinet did not see through this ploy, but did agree that another election was not the way to go, especially considering that the Nazis would now have the resources of the state to conduct their propaganda.

[31] Of course, the ministers didn't want to give in to the supposed center party's concessions either, even though they didn't know what they were.

[32] They were at an impasse.

[33] Minister Hugenberg said that they should try to talk to Cass one more time, and if there was no progress, then they should have elections.

[34] Hitler said he would talk to the center party himself and see what could be done.

[35] Of course, when the talks came about, Hitler purposefully made outrageous demands of the center party if they were to join the cabinet, and they refused to join.

[36] Hitler went back to his cabinet with the unfortunate news.

[37] Hugenberg, still not wanting more elections, suggested that they just take away the communists' 100 seats in the Reichstag.

[38] Hitler, somehow with a straight face, said that was too extreme.

[39] Vice Chancellor Pappen and Hugenberg, the spokesman for the rest of the cabinet, was trapped.

[40] Hitler then told them that going to the president, dissolving the Reichstag, and having new elections was the only way.

[41] He then promised them that no matter the outcome, the cabinet would not change.

[42] They agreed, and new elections were set for March 5th.

[43] The Nazi leadership, especially Minister of Propaganda Goebbels, was ecstatic.

[44] He knew that they would have the resources of the state, radio, newspapers, and film.

[45] But what made his job even easier was the money big business was donating to the election.

[46] Hitler promised the magnates that he would put the labor unions in their place forever.

[47] And Goering reminded the money men that this could very well be the last election for at least 10 years.

[48] The Nazis would see to that.

[49] The Nazis collected 3 million marks in one night.

[50] The next part of the plan was to be ready when the communist rallies began.

[51] The Nazis would use the resources of the state to crush them once and for all.

[52] They would also conveniently find certain communist documents detailing an overthrow of the state and all the terrible things that were to happen to the people.

[53] But the coward communists never showed their faces for campaigning.

[54] The Nazis had already broken their organization.

[55] Hitler tried to upset them by banning their meetings and closing down the newspapers in early February, but still nothing.

[56] Hitler knew he needed a red menace to scare the people to vote for his party.

[57] But it was obvious that the brown shirts of the SA had gone too far.

[58] Even the Catholic Center Party had members beat up when trying to hold a rally.

[59] Former Chancellor Bruning had several of his staff assaulted.

[60] Most of this was due to Goering, who had been made Minister of the Interior of Prussia earlier.

[61] He removed hundreds of government officials and replaced them with Nazis.

[62] Also, he made sure the police knew who to leave alone, the Nazi candidates, and who to attack with enthusiasm, all the other candidates.

[63] Still, the communists nor the socialists dared show their faces in public.

[64] They were on the ballot, but there would be no rallies from them.

[65] Panicking, the Nazis had to do something.

[66] So on February 24th, Goering's police raided the communist headquarters in Berlin.

[67] It had been abandoned weeks before.

[68] but there remained scattered about propaganda pamphlets.

[69] Goering used these as evidence and proclaimed that he had proof that the communists were about to launch a revolution.

[70] However, the reaction by the public and some of the conservative elements was skeptical at best.

[71] Clearly, something more astounding had to happen before the March 5th elections.

[72] The four most powerful men in Germany were dining in two separate settings on the evening of February 27th.

[73] Vice -Chancellor Papen...

[74] was entertaining Hindenburg, and Goebbels was hosting the Fuhrer.

[75] Goebbels received a call telling him that the Reichstag was on fire.

[76] He did not believe the person on the other end and hung up.

[77] But soon at Pappen's home, which was near the Parliament building, a red glow could be seen from the window.

[78] Pappen was soon told by a servant that the building was aglow with fire.

[79] He told the president, threw the older man in his car, and rushed to the scene.

[80] By now, Goebbels had thought twice about the prank call and made some inquiries.

[81] He confirmed the information, told Hitler, and the two raced to the building.

[82] When Goebbels and Hitler arrived at the scene, they found that Goering was already there, screaming to the sky that this was the start of the communist revolution.

[83] The communists would not succeed, he said.

[84] They must all be shot.

[85] Hitler and Goebbels took up the announcement.

[86] This is the scene that Pappen and Hindenburg came upon when they got out of their car.

[87] The exact details will never be known about the fire, but it is generally believed now, after all the surviving evidence has been looked over, that Goering planned the event.

[88] From his house nearby, a tunnel under the street connected itself to the Reichstag.

[89] This passage was most likely used by an SA leader, Karl Ernst, and his men to start several fires with chemicals and lots of gasoline.

[90] Proving the claim that the devil takes care of his own, when an immediate investigation was launched, A half -witted communist with a penchant for arson named Marinus van der Lube was caught inside another part of the Reichstag trying to start a feeble fire only with his shirt.

[91] This man was a godsend to the Nazis.

[92] A few days earlier, he was picked up by the SA for loudly boasting he was going to set the government building on fire.

[93] Although later evidence would prove that this man did not have the material or the intelligence to create the large fire, Goering had him arrested on the spot.

[94] and then went on to name several of his communist conspirators that were to be arrested as well.

[95] Although Lube was found guilty and beheaded, the others arrested after him gave the Nazis legal trouble.

[96] Three other communists were acquitted, but later were taken into protective custody and never released.

[97] But this was later.

[98] Hitler wasted no time in taking advantage of the fire.

[99] On the following day, February 28th, Hitler implored the president to sign a decree for the protection of the people and state.

[100] The decree took away certain individual and civil liberties.

[101] The decree also took complete power from the federal states when necessary.

[102] The necessity would, of course, be determined by the Chancellor.

[103] The communist threat was now official.

[104] Thousands of political enemies were arrested and interrogated.

[105] The communist press and meetings were now officially illegal.

[106] When all was said and done, only the Nazis could campaign.

[107] Their message did instill fear of the communists in some people.

[108] but some also feared the Nazis even more.

[109] Then the German people witnessed a campaign the likes of which had never been seen before.

[110] With the resources of the government and the money from big business, the Nazis had entire streets and cities draped with swastika flags.

[111] There were mass rallies with torchlight parades, billboards, and constant loudspeakers with the message of a German paradise.

[112] Through all this, Hindenburg stayed silent.

[113] March 5, 1933 came, and even with all their mighty campaigning, the Nazis only gained 17 .3 million votes, or 44%.

[114] The majority of the country still wanted other leadership.

[115] The Center Party, even though they did not campaign, still gained 200 ,000 more votes than last time, bringing their total to 4 .4 million votes.

[116] These numbers, combined with the Center Party's ally, the Catholic Bavarian People's Party, gave them a total of 5 .5 million votes.

[117] The Social Democrats held on to their position as the second largest party, with 7 .2 million votes.

[118] The Communists, who had been completely shut down, only lost a million votes, but still managed to bring in 4 .9 million.

[119] The Nationalists, headed by Papen and Hugenberg, were the clear losers, with only 3 .1 million votes.

[120] So at the end of the day, the Nationalists' 52 seats, combined with the Nazis' 288 seats, finally gave Hitler the longed -for majority.

[121] by 16 seats in the Reichstag.

[122] Hitler knew that this was fine for day -to -day governing, but not for the bold plan he had waiting, namely establishing his dictatorship by Parliament's consent.

[123] Again, Hitler would seek his quest legally.

[124] He would ask the Reichstag to vote on giving its power to his cabinet for a term of four years to deal with Germany's problems.

[125] Of course, this change in the Constitution would require a two -thirds vote of the Reichstag, which he didn't have.

[126] Hitler held a cabinet meeting March 15th to see a way clear to how this could be done.

[127] But Hitler was cheerfully certain as the meeting opened.

[128] He now had the power to arrest as many political enemies as he wanted, but clearly the first step was to deny the communists their 81 seats.

[129] Pappen and Hugenberg tried to put obstacles in Hitler's way, like making the president a part of the process.

[130] But the Enabling Act, promulgated after the fire, meant he could ignore their requests.

[131] However, Hitler did not want to ignore them, or more correctly, whom they represented.

[132] He knew what he was about to ask would make most in the country nervous, so he needed to show the country, i .e., the president, the army, and the conservative element, that he could be trusted.

[133] So he and Goebbels, who had become the Minister of Propaganda on March 13th, came up with a gesture to put all in Germany at ease.

[134] The new Reichstag of the Third Reich would be opened March 21st at the Garrison Church in Potsdam, the great symbol of Prussianism and German military might.

[135] Here was laid the bones of Frederick the Great.

[136] Here the Hohenzollern kings had worshipped.

[137] The date was significant as well.

[138] March 21st, 1871 was the day that Bismarck, the Iron Chancellor, opened up the first Reichstag of the Second Reich.

[139] The aging President Hinderberg, with Hitler beside him, for Goebbels' cameras to see was moved to tears.

[140] The president said a few words, and then Hitler spoke next.

[141] He said in referring to World War I that Germany never wanted war, that it was not of Germany's doing.

[142] He then turned to the field marshal and thanked him for all his sacrifice for the fatherland.

[143] His speech tied the greatness of the president to the Nazi government that was supposedly under attack by communists and others who wanted to see Germany fail.

[144] Hitler then walked up to the president, bowed before him and shook his hand, whispering his thanks.

[145] Goebbels' microphones and cameras were recorded at all.

[146] The Army, President, and Conservatives were appeased.

[147] A few days later, on March 23rd, the Reichstag met in Berlin.

[148] Only one piece of business was to be conducted this day.

[149] The Enabling Act.

[150] called the Law for Removing the Distress of People and Reich was only five paragraphs long, and it took the legislative power, control of the budget, and approval of treaties with foreign states away from parliament and gave it to the Reich cabinet for supposedly four years.

[151] The power of the president would be undisturbed.

[152] Hitler, speaking before the representatives, was calm, even modest.

[153] He promised them all that this power would only be used to help their country.

[154] One Social Democrat, Otto Wells, who had colleagues detained by police, stood up and told Hitler that he might take their power, but never their honor.

[155] In response, Hitler jumped up and the assembly got a real taste of the man about to have their power.

[156] Hitler roared at the man for his late and feeble protests.

[157] Hitler said he did not need or even want his vote, and he got his wish.

[158] The bill passed 441 to 84.

[159] Every Social Democrat voted against it.

[160] The Reichstag would still exist.

[161] although it was now hollow and meaningless, but still a good place for Hitler to give speeches before the cameras.

[162] From now on, its members would be hand -picked by the Nazis.

[163] On March 23, 1933, Hitler became the legal dictator of Germany.

[164] Hitler and the Nazi hierarchy moved with incredible swiftness to begin to consolidate their power.

[165] The state governments were replaced by Nazi regimes.

[166] Each state now had a Reich governor, but even he was subject to Berlin.

[167] Hitler had done what Bismarck, Wilhelm II, and the Weimar Republic could not, abolish the state's powers and make them answerable to a central authority.

[168] Welcome to True Spies.

[169] The podcast that takes you deep inside the greatest secret missions of all time.

[170] Suddenly out of the dark it's appeared in love.

[171] You'll meet the people who live life undercover.

[172] What do they know?

[173] What are their skills?

[174] And what would you do in their position?

[175] Vengeance felt good.

[176] Seeing these people pay for what they'd done felt righteous.

[177] True Spies from Spyscape Studios.

[178] Wherever you get your podcasts.

[179] By the first anniversary of Hitler coming to power, his goal was to make the Nazis the only political party allowed in Germany.

[180] He accomplished this with time to spare.

[181] On June 22, 1933, the Social Democratic Party was dissolved by the Nazis as subversive.

[182] Of course, the communists had already been suppressed.

[183] The Catholic Bavarian People's Party announced its own dissolution on July 4.

[184] Its ally, the Catholic Center Party, did the same thing the next day.

[185] However, this clear intimidation of Catholics did not stop the cagey Vatican from signing a concordat with Hitler two weeks later.

[186] That left the one party that had allied itself with the Nazis, the Nationalist Party.

[187] It made Hitler's rise to power possible, as well as helping him, or at least not fighting him, once in office.

[188] The Nationalist membership consisted of the President, the Army Officer Corps, the Land of Junkers, and big business.

[189] But it, too, went the way of the other parties.

[190] On June 21st, the police raided the party's headquarters and took possession.

[191] On June 29th, Hugenberg, the party's leader, resigned from the government and his underlings dissolved the party.

[192] But the Nazis were not finished.

[193] On July 14th, a new law was passed by Hitler that made the Nazis the only political party allowed.

[194] Even though by early March, he knew these groups were no longer a threat to him.

[195] There was one organizing body left, the labor unions.

[196] For the last 50 years, Germany, along with Europe, celebrated May Day as a day of national labor.

[197] But since the group could not physically threaten Hitler's government, it was decided to use trickery instead of violence.

[198] The Union leaders were invited and flown to Berlin and treated regally on May 1, 1933.

[199] Hitler spoke to 100 ,000 workers about how much the Nazis respected their efforts and knew that success would only be by following their example.

[200] But on May 2, the truth came out.

[201] The union leaders were held in protective custody.

[202] Their funds seized and their headquarters occupied.

[203] Hitler next told the workers that despite what happened on May 2nd, they and their labor would still be respected and even protected by the Nazis.

[204] But within three weeks, that promise was broken too, when Hitler passed a law that made organizing and striking illegal.

[205] The business owners were once again the master of the house.

[206] Looking over Germany, Hitler could only envision two possible threats to himself, both internal and both possessed the power to physically hurt him and even more if desired.

[207] That was the army and the SA under Ernst Romm.

[208] The tension between the two groups of fighters had never left, but both had put aside their differences out of respect for Hitler.

[209] He was the belt that held the Nazis and the useful non -Nazis together.

[210] Now that Hitler was reasonably safe, he knew the country needed stability for economic growth.

[211] But Romm continually made his desires clear to absorb the army into the SA and continue on with the terror of the never -ending Nazi revolution.

[212] Hitler never believed the garbage spewing from himself during his climb to power, but it seems his henchmen did.

[213] The summer of 1933 saw the SA and the SS attempt to take over businesses or give themselves well -paying jobs within companies.

[214] Hitler did not forget that the Nazi revolution was a political, not an economic movement.

[215] The last thing the economic recovery needed was a bunch of thugs taking over businesses only to run them into the ground with their stupidity.

[216] Hitler started off by making speeches claiming that there would be no second revolution.

[217] This flew in the face of the very speeches made by Rom to his two million men.

[218] When his speeches or implied threats did not work, he then removed Nazi radicals within the SA and the SS.

[219] This move appeased the generals somewhat.

[220] Hitler knew he would need their loyalty soon.

[221] The president was 86 years old and fading, and it was just a matter of time before there was a showdown between the two Nazi veterans, Hitler and Rom.

[222] Hitler had already made several gestures to the army by this time.

[223] He made it clear to the top generals that their army would never be called on to fight in a civil war if there was one.

[224] But more importantly to the army, a new army law was created.

[225] that took jurisdiction away from the civil courts in matters concerning the army.

[226] Also, the representatives of the rank -and -file soldiers were done away with.

[227] The officer corps was back in charge of their men.

[228] Hitler, having made himself more appealing to the army, now sought to lower Rahm's defenses.

[229] On New Year's Day in 1934, Hitler made Rahm a member of the cabinet and deputy leader of the party.

[230] He then threw lavish praise on the SA leader, along with medals and a very grateful letter for all of Rom's hard work for the Nazi party.

[231] For now, the tension between Hitler, Rom, and the army was lulled to sleep.

[232] The main reason for Hitler's pace at curbing his internal enemies, besides defeating them before they could unite, was so he would be free to focus on the one topic most dear to him, foreign affairs.

[233] When he came to power, Germany's place in international politics was laughable.

[234] The Nazis were politically isolated and its military greatly reduced.

[235] Hitler's government had no chance of foreign support due to its violent methods and treatment of Jews.

[236] Jews had been banned from public service and a day of boycotting businesses owned by Jews was created.

[237] Even Hitler was seen as a kind of Mussolini Junior, someone only copying the renowned Duce.

[238] Hitler was wise enough to deal with Germany's position in the world in realistic terms.

[239] For now, Germany was weak and her enemy strong.

[240] He would have to reverse that equation before action could be taken to carry out steps spelled out in his book Mein Kampf.

[241] Hitler planned on making a speech to calm his European neighbors, explaining his government's desire for peace, but moved up the speech to take advantage of an announcement by the U .S. President Roosevelt on May 16, 1933.

[242] expressing the U .S.'s wishes of disarmament and peace, and calling for the abolition of all offensive weapons.

[243] Hitler's brilliant peace speech the next day showed the new government to be reasonable and approachable about arms reductions.

[244] Also, Hitler gave the German people what they wanted to hear.

[245] The equality in arms Hitler sought would allow Germany to rearm to match the Allies without provoking sanctions or risking a war.

[246] The Versailles Treaty would be dealt a blow and German honor restored.

[247] but this clause could be seen as a threat by the more pessimistic -minded.

[248] Hitler said that since he only desired peace, his demand for equal treatment regarding armaments was fair.

[249] If the new Germany could not be dealt with fairly by the international community, then Germany would desire to withdraw from the League of Nations.

[250] After Hitler's speech, the international community praised his desire for peace.

[251] The threat was ignored.

[252] By October 1933, the Allies responded to Hitler.

[253] by informing him that they would need eight years to bring down their military to match Germany's.

[254] Hitler, knowing a response like this was coming, abruptly announced on October 14th that since Germany was being denied equality of arms, it would carry out its threat to withdraw from the League of Nations and the Disarmament Conference.

[255] Since this was all part of Hitler's plan, he made three other moves in succession.

[256] First he dissolved the Reichstag, then he announced that he would allow a national plebiscite on the issue of leaving the League.

[257] Lastly, he issued secret orders to the defense minister to ready an armed resistance in case the League resorted to sanctions.

[258] Hitler knew, just as his generals knew, that the Allies could have easily defeated Germany at this point.

[259] But Hitler had the range of the Allies.

[260] They were too timid, with the memories of the last war still fresh in their minds, and too divided for an organized reaction.

[261] Hitler also had the range of the German people.

[262] He knew how they would vote in the plebiscite.

[263] Hitler set the date of vote on November 12, 1933, the day after the hated date of November 11, when Germany surrendered and World War I. He would also combine that voting with another vote for the Reichstag, but this time, the vote would be a guaranteed success for the Nazis.

[264] German frustration at Versailles was still strong, and the German people burned to rid themselves of the humiliating treaty.

[265] November 12 came, and 96 % of the registered voters went to the polls.

[266] 95 % of the people voted to withdraw from the League in Geneva.

[267] The vote for the single Nazi list was 92%.

[268] Even at the Dachau concentration camp, the German detainees were allowed to vote.

[269] German pride ran so high that 2 ,154 out of the 2 ,242 inmates voted for the government that had put them away.

[270] Hitler had had years to make plans for the day he was in power.

[271] He kept moving.

[272] shocking his own people, but also keeping his foreign enemies off balance.

[273] Three days after the voting, Hitler called for the Polish ambassador.

[274] Poland readied for the worst, but Hitler, again, with calm words, announced that Germany wanted to discuss the questions concerning both countries by direct negotiations and renounced the use of force.

[275] The German people were shocked.

[276] Most Germans hated Poland more than they hated France, the fatherland's greatest enemy.

[277] The main reason was the Polish corridor created after World War I, separating Germany proper from Danzig and East Prussia.

[278] This corridor was unacceptable, even by the German Republic, when it was in power.

[279] It had an open goal of wiping out Poland.

[280] Hitler had that goal as well, but knew he first must separate his intended victim from its ally, France, and the protection of the League of Nations.

[281] The German public was not happy, but as dictator, Hitler did not give the people's reaction a second thought.

[282] On January 26, days before Hitler gave his speech in the Reichstag for his first anniversary of coming to power, he announced a 10 -year non -aggression pact with Poland.

[283] Poland, under the dictator Marshal Pilsudski, was itself getting rid of parliamentary democracy.

[284] It now felt safe enough to begin to untangle the country from its promises of mutual protection with France.

[285] Hitler's speech to the rubber -stamped Reichstag on January 30, 1934 was a fond reminiscing of the last year for Hitler and Germany.

[286] He had overthrown the Weimar Republic, set up a dictatorship, destroyed all other political parties.

[287] destroyed the state governments and made them subservient to Berlin, wiped out the labor unions, driven the Jews out of public and professional life, rid Germany of free speech and free press, brought under Nazi rule the social, economic, political, and cultural aspects of German life, and finally removed Germany from the League of Nations with the approval of a supermajority of voting Germans.

[288] Yet Hitler's sky was not clear.

[289] Dark clouds in the form of tension between the SA and the army loomed near.

[290] Really, it had never gone away, but now that the foreign issues were calming down, the tense domestic political reality was coming to the forefront.

[291] The SA, despite Hitler's attempts, still spoke publicly of a second revolution.

[292] Its leaders still wanted to be the basis of a new German army.

[293] For the professionals in the army, whose family had served Germany for generations, could not stomach being in the same room with these undisciplined, sexually deviant hooligans.

[294] Hitler's problem.

[295] was at the SA number 2 .5 million men.

[296] The army's numbers, although already secretly increasing and rearming, were woefully short of this number.

[297] But Hitler needed the army, or more exactly, needed their support.

[298] Hindenburg was dying, and everyone knew it.

[299] But Hitler also knew that most in the conservative circles wanted to bring back the Hohenzollern monarchy once the president was gone.

[300] So Hitler did nothing.

[301] By the summer of 1934, cabinet meetings, when attended by Rahm and the Army's representative, General von Blomberg, often ended in shouting matches with unveiled threats.

[302] Hitler had Hindenburg closely watched and was told that the president was truly near the end.

[303] Hitler had to do something, quickly.

[304] Hitler got his chance to propose an idea to the chiefs of the Army and Navy on April 11th, when he attended spring maneuvers in East Prussia.

[305] Hitler told a small group that in exchange for their support, once the President was gone, he would promise to drastically reduce the SA numbers, get rid of the most troublesome leaders, and that the Army alone would be Germany's defender.

[306] He was going to do this anyway, but why not get something out of it?

[307] The Navy, under Rader, said yes right away, but the Army, only after discussing it amongst their officer corps, unanimously agreed to the deal.

[308] Now that Hitler had the Army's promise to support him, he could plan his next move.

[309] He needed to.

[310] The Nazi hierarchy was dividing itself into two camps about the Second Revolution, Rahm and the SA on one side and Goering and Himmler on the other.

[311] Himmler was in charge of the SS, technically under Rahm, but decided to take a chance on advancing his status.

[312] Hitler and Rahm had a five -hour argument over their differences in early June.

[313] To calm things down, Hitler told Rahm and the SA to take the month of July off, no wearing their uniforms or holding parades.

[314] By the middle of June, Ron was on sick leave.

[315] The colossal argument with his close friend and leader had worn him out.

[316] Meanwhile, Hitler left for Venice for a previously arranged meeting with il Duce Mussolini.

[317] But the meeting did not go well for Hitler.

[318] His clothes were rumpled and his hat was battered by the trip.

[319] Mussolini later said he looked like a repairman.

[320] Hitler was uncomfortable.

[321] Mussolini was suave and experienced.

[322] The Italian leader did not like most of the Nazis' views.

[323] did not trust their promises and rolled his eyes at their treatment of Jews.

[324] For Mussolini, a Jewish person was Italian first and everything else second.

[325] But what really upset Mussolini, who saw himself as the protector of Austria and its chancellor, Dolphus, was that the Nazis were trying to take it over by starting a Nazi party there.

[326] Hitler also spoke of his extreme anti -Slav stance.

[327] But for Mussolini, there should be no idea strong enough to take away a man's ability to see any situation clearly.

[328] but it was clear that the two men were very different.

[329] Hitler returned home in a foul mood, but his mood became more foul when Pappen, still vice -chancellor, gave a speech about the many Nazi abuses and extreme policies.

[330] Hitler denounced him.

[331] Pappen, in a rare rage, went to see Hitler and said that he had been speaking for Hindenburg.

[332] He then resigned his post and told Hitler he would see the president and inform him of Hitler's true intentions.

[333] Hitler was worried and was right to be.

[334] The president was openly talking about declaring martial law and putting the army in charge.

[335] The Nazi party would be outlawed and out of power.

[336] Hitler went to see the president on June 21st, but was told by the aging field marshal to do something about the internal tension and abuses of power in Germany.

[337] Flying back to Berlin, Hitler knew he had to stop the SA and the terror of the ongoing revolution.

[338] For now, the army was behind Hindenburg.

[339] Still, Hitler wavered.

[340] He would have to be ruthless and successful, or the millions of SA men would be after him.

[341] But Goering and Himmler pushed Hitler to act.

[342] They had already drawn up a list of names to be dealt with.

[343] The army pushed Hitler as well, by kicking Rahm out of the German Officers League on June 28th.

[344] But they would not be the ones to get their hands dirty.

[345] This was Hitler's problem.

[346] He had to fix it.

[347] On June 28th, Hitler left for Essen, in the southwest, for a wedding.

[348] Gehring and Himmler had the SS and the police put themselves on standby.

[349] They then called Hitler and told him that the SA were attempting a putsch.

[350] Hitler flew to Munich at 4 a .m. on June 30.

[351] He found some action had already been taken by Gehring and Himmler, as some of the SA officers had already been arrested.

[352] Hitler and his men tracked down Rom, who was nearby, asleep with a male lover.

[353] They were awakened, and most of the men, except for Rom, were taken outside and shot.

[354] Rahm was arrested and brought back.

[355] Once in prison, Hitler had put a pistol in Rahm's cell, no doubt hoping the SA leader would use it on himself.

[356] But Rahm yelled, If I am to be killed, let Adolf do it himself.

[357] Instead of the reaction he wanted, two SA officers came into the cell and shot Rahm point blank.

[358] This was only the beginning of what would later be called the Night of Long Knives, or the Blood Purge.

[359] Back in Berlin, some 150 SA leaders were round up, put against a wall, and shot.

[360] but the SA was not the only one to suffer.

[361] General von Schleicher, responding to a knock at his door, opened up and was shot where he stood.

[362] Gregor Strasser was taken to a cell and shot on the orders of Goering.

[363] Former Vice Chancellor Pappen was able to escape, but his main secretary, Bose, was shot at his desk.

[364] But then Pappen incredibly went to complain to Goering.

[365] Goering told him to shut up and put him under house arrest.

[366] Pappen must have had fortune on his side.

[367] because he survived and within a month he was sent to Austria as the German minister.

[368] Hitler also took this opportunity to get rid of those who had gave him trouble in the past.

[369] Others who were killed that day included the man who helped write Mein Kampf and probably knew too much, the man who suppressed Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch in 1923, and the man who had set the Reichstag fire.

[370] By the time Hitler flew back to Berlin in the afternoon of July 1st, most of the killings were complete.

[371] He then hosted a tea party at the Chancellery.

[372] The next day, Hindenburg thanked Hitler for his decisive action in saving Germany.

[373] The Cabinet and Army Officer Corps also thanked Hitler.

[374] It was time for Hitler to reward those who served him.

[375] The SS was made independent of the SA, which would soon be disbanded, and Himmler was put in charge, only answerable to Hitler.

[376] In time, the SS would grow and threaten the army more than the SA ever dreamed of.

[377] Soon, it would be time for the army to carry out its part of the deal with Hitler.

[378] Next up, Hindenburg will breathe his last breath, and Hitler will be the supreme political and military leader of Germany, der Fuhrer.

[379] The army will swear allegiance to Hitler personally.

[380] His enemies were no more.

[381] Welcome to True Spies.

[382] The podcast that takes you deep inside the greatest secret missions of all time.

[383] Suddenly out of the dark it's appeared in love.

[384] You'll meet the people who live life undercover.

[385] What do they know?

[386] What are their skills?

[387] And what would you do in their position?

[388] Vengeance felt good.

[389] Seeing these people pay for what they'd done felt righteous.

[390] True Spies from Spyscape Studios.

[391] Wherever you get your podcasts.