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In late 1933,
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Chancellor Adolf Hitler is one step
away from total power.
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Only Germany's elderly president,
Paul von Hindenburg,
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stands in his way -
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the one man with the power to sack a
Chancellor -
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so it's vital for Hitler to keep
him onside.
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Believe it or not,
Hitler can be charming...
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..and he exercised this charm on
Hindenburg,
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I think, to probably quite good
effect.
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Von Hindenburg, he, perhaps against
his better judgment,
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becomes a little impressed by
Hitler.
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This is the story of how Hitler went
from Chancellor
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to all-powerful dictator.
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To piece together how it happened,
historians and experts have examined
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this period - each from a different
individual perspective.
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You cajole, you influence,
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you manipulate.
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They'll take us inside the minds of
those that fought fascism...
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They realised that these people are
after your heads.
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They want to annihilate you from
existence altogether.
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..and the Nazis themselves.
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Himmler genuinely believed that he
would create a racially pure
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Germany, where the Aryan race would
reign supreme.
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The moments when history hung in the
balance
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and the world's worst atrocities
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could have been prevented.
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Mass murder was no problem...
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..but it was important to be
socially acceptable.
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Do people care about the truth?
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Adolf Hitler will go on to oversee
the murder of millions of people.
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But, in 1933,
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he is the outwardly respectable
Chancellor of Germany,
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the equivalent of Prime Minister.
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But, just under a year into the job,
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he's finding being in government a
difficult balancing act.
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He has two very different audiences
to please...
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..the aristocratic elite,
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the president,
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the generals
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and his Vice Chancellor.
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They're uneasy about the Nazis,
seeing them as thuggish
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and worrying they could destabilise
the whole system.
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On the other hand,
Hitler has his base,
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the Stormtroopers, the paramilitary
wing of the Nazis.
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Over two million angry young men.
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They're waiting for Hitler
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to deliver the Nazi revolution he
promised.
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None more so than the leader of the
Stormtroopers.
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For Rohm, the aim was a revolution
in Germany
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to change the political system.
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Ernst Rohm was a trained officer.
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He was military and ruthless.
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Rohm is an adventurer.
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He is not really a politician.
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Hitler owes Rohm a lot and he knows
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that Rohm is one of his oldest
comrades.
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Hitler promised Rohm that they would
get rid of the old elites,
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that they would get rid of the rich
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and they would change the whole
system.
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Hitler couldn't hold his promises.
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Unleashing violence against their
left wing enemies,
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Rohm's Stormtroopers have been
useful to Hitler -
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but now they could become a threat.
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Their violent attacks are upsetting
the public.
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As Chancellor, Hitler wants things
to appear calm.
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Rohm's actions pose a problem for
Hitler because Hitler
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needed to persuade the elites.
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He needed to persuade the
conservative establishment.
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He needed to persuade Hindenburg
that he was to be trusted,
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that he was a solid bourgeois
statesman.
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Hitler got increasingly concerned
about Rohm's discontent,
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as it were, and about his whole kind
of persona as a rough,
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soldierly, violent type.
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00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:16,560
But Hitler needs to placate Rohm
and,
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in a move that risks upsetting the
aristocratic elites,
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he brings the revolutionary Rohm
into the political fold,
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giving him a job in the cabinet.
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He's minister without portfolio.
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But Rohm isn't satisfied.
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He feels he and his millions of
Stormtroopers were promised more.
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Rohm doesn't want to command
auxiliaries.
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He wanted an army.
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He saw himself as a commander,
the commander of the new Nazi army.
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00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:09,480
These are promises Hitler made
before he became Chancellor.
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In his view, Hitler...
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..betrays his friends.
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So, running out of patience,
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Rohm makes a wild and bold move.
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He goes behind Hitler's back and
tries to take control of the army
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from the aristocratic generals,
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men who report directly to the army
supreme commander,
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President Hindenburg.
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I suspect Hindenburg is pretty
horrified at this.
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The armed forces are the servants
of that state and of its people...
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..on a apolitical basis,
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and there is no room for political
manoeuvring
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by the armed forces of any state.
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They were just a load of bully boys
and were, by no means,
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an army which could, for example,
attack France and prevail.
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I mean, it is unthinkable.
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That was the job of the army
proper.
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So Hitler can't afford to upset the
generals and the president.
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But, with Rohm, it's more than
politics -
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it's personal.
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Rohm opened gates for Hitler.
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Rohm was the one who had influence.
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Hitler is a frequent visitor to the
Rohm family,
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Rohm's mother and his sister,
Eleonore,
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so they became friends.
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And therefore Rohm is someone who
supports Hitler
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not only politically, but, at the
same time, personally.
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And when Hitler's niece and rumoured
lover killed herself,
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it was Rohm he wanted with him at
the graveside.
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Hitler is stuck between the
president and his friend.
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When it comes to dealing with Rohm,
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Hermann Goring has no such qualms.
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For Goring, the problem with Rohm,
I think,
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is that Rohm has ambitions to be a
second, perhaps,
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to Hitler. You know, that's what
Goring wants to be.
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Is it possible, perhaps, that Rohm
is thinking of launching some kind
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of revolution, even putting Hitler
to one side?
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Now, for Goring, that would be
unthinkable.
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He's got to find a way of persuading
Hitler that, you know,
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this is a point at which he's got to
break that friendship with Rohm.
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He's got to recognise that Rohm is
not just a companion
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but he's a threat,
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so all that Goring has got to do is
to show Hitler evidence
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that Rohm is not loyal.
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00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:45,520
So Goring orders his secret
surveillance organisation,
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the Research Bureau, to go after
Rohm...
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..building a file of everything Rohm
says or does.
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And Hitler publicly forces Rohm to
back down from his demands
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for the Stormtroopers to take over
Germany's army.
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He summons Rohm and the army leaders
to a meeting,
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where he makes it clear that the
army,
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and not the Stormtroopers,
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are Germany's military force.
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It's a devastating blow for Rohm.
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He's even forced to shake hands
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with the defence minister -
General Blomberg.
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Shaking hands with Blomberg meant
nothing to Rohm.
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He, er, saw...
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..the Nazi Party, the Nazi militia,
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now in the driver's seat.
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Afterwards, Rohm makes a series of
thinly veiled threats.
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"Hitler is a ridiculous corporal
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"and should go on leave."
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Rohm very openly criticised Hitler
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for his decision to go with an army,
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therefore he was, kind of,
a dangerous person
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because Rohm didn't let go.
He doesn't accept it.
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And he was a danger to this whole
notion of Hitler as Fuhrer.
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Goring now makes a shrewd move in
his plot against Rohm.
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He enlists the help of his rival -
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Heinrich Himmler.
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Over the past year,
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Himmler has taken over police forces
across Germany,
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but the biggest and most powerful
remains outside his control.
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In April, Goring gives Himmler
the thing he wants most -
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his Gestapo.
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In exchange, Goring plans to harness
Himmler's terror network
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to bring down Rohm.
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Himmler is pleased.
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He's now inspector of the Gestapo,
so he's almost there,
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on his way to taking over control of
all German police forces.
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One character trait about Himmler
that is the most important one
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is his absolute careerism and his
ruthlessness -
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his ambition, his drive,
to make it to the top.
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Here is someone who prioritises
rational procedures over emotions -
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over human feelings.
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As head of the Stormtroopers,
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Rohm is Himmler's superior,
a man he'd once hero worshipped.
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But Himmler now dreams of destroying
the Stormtroopers
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and making his own SS Germany's only
paramilitary force.
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Himmler, in public, had to display
some loyalty towards Rohm.
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Behind the scenes,
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Himmler had no qualms about getting
rid of Rohm.
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Himmler is collecting evidence
against Rohm,
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putting Rohm into a really bad
light,
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in terms of Rohm's private life,
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in terms of Rohm's political
activities.
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Himmler makes sure that it reaches
Hitler's desk.
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Himmler hopes very much that Hitler
will finally act
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and eliminate Rohm.
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Rohm has an Achilles heel
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that Goring and Himmler are keen to
exploit.
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He is openly gay at a time when it's
illegal.
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He frequented Berlin's famous gay
club, The Eldorado,
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sipping cocktails with men dressed
in drag.
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Rohm lived a different life than all
others.
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He was a homosexual
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and he lived this kind of life
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more and more openly.
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He met with male prostitutes.
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In the view of his comrades,
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he was not normal.
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Since the Nazis came to power,
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they have strictly enforced the
socially conservative laws -
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00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:44,560
meaning Rohm could face imprisonment
for his sexuality.
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Defying his colleagues,
Rohm has joined an organisation
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campaigning for gay rights.
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The Nazis wanted to transform
society.
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Everything should be clean, Aryan...
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Er, no prostitutes.
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00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:12,680
No smoking, women...
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00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:15,200
..and Rohm...
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..dismissed this.
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00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:29,800
It shows the stern character of Rohm
that he openly
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lived his homosexuality.
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00:18:33,120 --> 00:18:40,760
In a letter, he said, "I know it's a
criminal act in Germany,
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00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:44,920
"but, then, I'm a criminal and they
have to take me like this."
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00:18:48,120 --> 00:18:50,640
Rohm obviously felt very secure
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00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:53,880
because he was such a close friend
to Hitler.
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00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:03,480
For years, Rohm's sexuality has been
an open secret.
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00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:09,960
Hitler even defended Rohm when the
press tried to expose him.
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00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:16,280
Hitler wasn't particularly bothered
by Rohm's homosexuality.
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00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:20,160
He, as it were, forgave him because
of his services
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00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:23,800
to the movement and his obvious
loyalty to Hitler.
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00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:27,360
Hitler didn't really want to know
about people's private lives,
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I think.
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Hitler had a certain kind of loyalty
to old comrades,
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which he certainly felt towards
Rohm.
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00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:39,680
But now Hitler sees that Rohm's
sexuality
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00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:41,640
could be a way to bring him down.
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00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:46,120
Meanwhile, Rohm is making his own
moves.
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00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:27,560
In early 1934,
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00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:30,480
Rohm stages Stormtrooper manoeuvres
across Germany.
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00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:35,280
Stormtrooper membership is growing
fast
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and Rohm now commands around four
million men.
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He publicly calls for revolution.
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00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:04,640
Unable to bring Rohm to heel,
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00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:08,600
Hitler's ability to pass himself
off as a respectable statesman
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00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:10,240
is under threat.
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00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:18,720
The elites that surround President
Hindenburg are getting nervous.
235
00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:24,040
The aristocratic Vice Chancellor
Franz von Papen
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helped Hitler get into power.
237
00:21:30,120 --> 00:21:32,840
Now he's dealing with the
consequences.
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00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:36,640
Papen has been uneasy...
239
00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:40,040
..because of the...
240
00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:42,360
..the general lawlessness
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00:21:42,360 --> 00:21:46,520
is now becoming the talking point of
the civilised world.
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00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:50,560
These Stormtroopers are intimidating
diplomats,
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00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:53,640
people who are going to report back
to their own country.
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00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:59,360
It is a troubling thing for him to
see that this will essentially
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00:21:59,360 --> 00:22:02,960
end up by damaging Germany's
reputation in the outside world.
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00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:09,480
Then news comes through that the
president is on his last legs
247
00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:11,480
and won't live much longer.
248
00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:19,520
Hitler wants President Hindenburg to
name him successor before he dies
249
00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:22,160
so he can take complete control of
Germany.
250
00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:27,400
If the ruling class wants to stop
that from happening,
251
00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:29,360
it's now or never.
252
00:22:29,360 --> 00:22:33,040
And the next move comes from an
unlikely player.
253
00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:39,920
Inside the Vice Chancellor's office
is Papen's speech writer,
254
00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:42,200
Edgar Jung,
255
00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:46,920
a right wing intellectual, who is
secretly plotting Hitler's downfall.
256
00:23:00,360 --> 00:23:03,760
Jung belongs to the educated upper
bourgeois
257
00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:07,120
and he grows up steeped in their
values.
258
00:23:07,120 --> 00:23:11,520
He sees himself as belonging to the
class that should be ruling.
259
00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:15,120
He sees himself as a potential
Minister of the Interior,
260
00:23:15,120 --> 00:23:17,600
if not a Chancellor of a future
Germany.
261
00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:20,640
So, when the Nazis first come in,
Jung is absolutely delighted.
262
00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:23,920
He sees them as a very convenient
vehicle for change.
263
00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:30,000
They are very strong leadership.
264
00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:32,440
They are bringing a new
authoritarian sense
265
00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:34,240
of direction to Germany.
266
00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:40,440
1933, '34 is a very bad year for
Germany.
267
00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:45,320
There is still huge amounts of
violence,
268
00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:47,240
with the Stormtroopers on the
streets.
269
00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:54,760
There isn't the immediate economic
miracle they had hoped for.
270
00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:59,240
The honeymoon period for the Nazis
is over.
271
00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:02,320
I think Jung feels a real sense of
responsibility and guilt
272
00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:05,720
for enabling someone like this to
then entrench themselves
273
00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:07,760
at the leadership,
at the very highest levels
274
00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:09,720
of his country's politics.
275
00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:14,520
Deep within Papen's Vice
Chancellery,
276
00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:17,920
Jung and others have formed a
resistance cell.
277
00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:26,440
He's working with people who have
got connections in intelligence.
278
00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:28,880
They are trying to warn people
before they get arrested,
279
00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:31,720
they're trying to get people out of
the country when possible,
280
00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:34,760
they're trying to get people out of
prison when they have been arrested.
281
00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:37,440
Politically, they're manoeuvring
inside the Reichstag,
282
00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:39,440
so they're doing really quite
important
283
00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:41,280
and very dangerous political work.
284
00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:44,920
Jung had even made a plan to
assassinate Hitler...
285
00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:50,160
..but abandoned it in case it
damaged his own political ambitions.
286
00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:58,360
Instead, Jung plans to get Hitler
removed from power.
287
00:24:59,880 --> 00:25:02,680
He'll write a high profile speech
for Papen
288
00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:05,840
that will expose the violent truth
about Rohm,
289
00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:08,440
the Stormtroopers and Nazi rule.
290
00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:14,120
The speech should be enough to force
Hindenburg to get rid of Hitler...
291
00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:19,480
..but it all hinges on getting Papen
to deliver it.
292
00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:24,560
Jung realises that this is a good
moment,
293
00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:26,600
both because we have public
discontent,
294
00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:30,080
we have the threat of violence
turning into something more,
295
00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:31,960
perhaps a political putsch...
296
00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:37,120
..and we have Hindenburg's
deteriorating health.
297
00:25:37,120 --> 00:25:40,360
It's the time to act and,
conveniently, at this moment,
298
00:25:40,360 --> 00:25:43,840
Papen gets an invitation from the
University of Marburg
299
00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:46,480
to give a speech, which is perfect.
300
00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:53,120
Jung is an intellectual and he's a
communicator,
301
00:25:53,120 --> 00:25:57,840
and he puts pen to paper,
and what he drafts is basically
302
00:25:57,840 --> 00:25:59,680
his alternative manifesto,
303
00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:04,160
or at least his alternative path for
Germany.
304
00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:17,160
Jung doesn't trust Papen to deliver
the speech,
305
00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:20,880
but he has some insurance policies.
306
00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:23,280
He distributes advanced copies to
the press...
307
00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:27,000
..and gets Goebbels' propaganda
ministry
308
00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:29,880
to agree to a live radio broadcast
309
00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:34,000
so that Hindenburg can listen from
his estate.
310
00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:37,040
And Jung doesn't give Papen the
speech
311
00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:39,240
until he is on his way to Marburg.
312
00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:46,040
Papen is travelling towards Marburg
in Hesse, in central Germany,
313
00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:49,120
to give a speech to some 600 people.
314
00:26:49,120 --> 00:26:53,480
Papen, as a leading representative,
the Vice Chancellor,
315
00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:55,640
is a representative of the
government
316
00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:58,240
sent out, essentially, to do...
317
00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:02,080
..call it what you will, marketing
or PR for the government.
318
00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:05,120
And he reads the speech,
319
00:27:05,120 --> 00:27:08,680
the words that are being put into
his mouth, and he is alarmed.
320
00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:12,440
He says that this speech could cost
him his head.
321
00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:17,280
But the speech has already been sent
out, and therefore some members
322
00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:20,680
of the press already have the
speech. He can't go back on it,
323
00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:24,120
so he reluctantly agrees to deliver
the speech.
324
00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:31,400
Jung knows that Papen...
325
00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:35,760
..maybe he won't have the backbone
to give the talk word-for-word,
326
00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:38,600
as he's written it, but then also
maybe he hasn't got the intellect
327
00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:41,240
or the backbone to replace it with
something else.
328
00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:43,840
It's all very last-minute, so he's
really on tenterhooks
329
00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:45,320
to see what is delivered.
330
00:27:49,360 --> 00:27:53,320
Jung is listening to the radio,
incredibly anxious.
331
00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:55,200
"What's going to happen?"
332
00:27:57,720 --> 00:28:01,120
And Papen begins to deliver the
speech.
333
00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:18,120
And he gives is pretty much as
given.
334
00:28:18,120 --> 00:28:21,000
Because he gets on a roll,
he responds to his audience.
335
00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:23,040
This is revolutionary stuff.
336
00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:31,440
It is a very dramatic speech,
as well.
337
00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:33,880
He uses this incredibly strong
language,
338
00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:37,520
so he talks about it being time to
silence the fanatics
339
00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:42,400
and, er, make room for the work of
serious men to do the serious work.
340
00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:01,920
There's thunderous applause in the
hall and Papen adores being adored,
341
00:29:01,920 --> 00:29:03,560
and so he gets on a real roll
342
00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:05,760
and he delivers the whole thing
word for word.
343
00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:16,000
Jung can hardly believe it.
344
00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:18,120
He's banging his hand repeatedly
on the table,
345
00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:20,360
saying, "He bought it!
He bought it!"
346
00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:22,440
So he's absolutely delighted.
347
00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:29,920
Some of the Stormtroopers quite
pointedly walk out of the room,
348
00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:32,480
but essentially it's a huge success.
349
00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:38,600
Papen seems to be delighted.
350
00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:41,080
There's a wonderful photograph of
him walking down the steps
351
00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:43,160
of the hall afterwards and he really
looks like
352
00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:44,480
the cat that's got the cream.
353
00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:53,040
He was the object of the adulation
of the crowd
354
00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:56,320
and that sort of thing probably goes
to his head a little bit.
355
00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:05,680
The Marburg speech sent shock waves
across Germany
356
00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:08,440
and the public rally in support of
Papen,
357
00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:11,440
who sees an opportunity to become
President himself.
358
00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:14,960
To topple Hitler,
359
00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:19,880
all Papen needs to do now is seize
the momentum and get to Hindenburg.
360
00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:27,080
But when the Nazis order news of the
speech to be banned,
361
00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:31,480
Papen's ego is bruised and he
decides to first visit Hitler.
362
00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:35,280
Papen is furious and goes to
complain to Hitler,
363
00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:38,800
threatening to resign as
Vice Chancellor of the Reich.
364
00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:42,680
That was a big problem for him.
365
00:30:42,680 --> 00:30:45,920
There's a danger that Von Papen
would go to see Hindenburg
366
00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:49,160
and get his blessing to become his
successor.
367
00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:54,360
So this is not the moment Hitler
wants to see a rebellion
368
00:30:54,360 --> 00:30:56,320
within his own cabinet.
369
00:30:56,320 --> 00:30:59,640
Danger was that the army would link
up with Von Papen
370
00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:03,040
and the Conservatives because they
saw very much eye-to-eye.
371
00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:06,000
The senior generals themselves are
political conservatives,
372
00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:08,080
they weren't Nazis at this stage,
373
00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:11,840
and the danger was there'd be some
kind of Conservative coup.
374
00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:17,600
Hitler convinces Papen to delay his
visit to see Hindenburg,
375
00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:21,000
suggesting they make the trip
together instead.
376
00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:28,840
He manages to run rings around Papen
because Papen suddenly loses
377
00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:32,520
that ability to see the urgency of
the situation -
378
00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:36,080
that he needs to get to East Prussia
to talk to Hindenburg.
379
00:31:37,480 --> 00:31:40,120
If he moved at precisely that
moment,
380
00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:42,480
he might be able to do something.
381
00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:47,840
But, as it is, he loses that chance
and fails to seize the moment
382
00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:50,680
which might have been actually
instrumental
383
00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:52,320
in bringing Hitler down.
384
00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:01,480
Hitler has played Papen cleverly.
385
00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:04,680
Going behind his back,
386
00:32:04,680 --> 00:32:08,640
Hitler arranges to meet with the
president at his country estate.
387
00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:14,000
Hitler himself hotfoots it up to
Neudeck, in East Prussia,
388
00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:17,560
to go and see Hindenburg and find
out what sort of state
389
00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:21,000
his health's in and whether he's
likely to fall off the perch
quickly,
390
00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:24,120
or whether they need to do something
about it fast.
391
00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:30,960
Hindenburg and his generals issue
an ultimatum to Hitler to bring
392
00:32:30,960 --> 00:32:35,040
the revolutionary troublemakers
under control or face martial law
393
00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:37,520
and the transfer of power to the
army.
394
00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:41,080
Hindenburg is pointing to the
Stormtroopers and saying,
395
00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:42,280
"Enough is enough."
396
00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:47,680
Hitler, now seeing that he is
slightly pinched on both sides,
397
00:32:47,680 --> 00:32:51,640
both by the rebellious nature of
Papen...
398
00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:56,400
..and the fact that the President,
who can dismiss him,
399
00:32:56,400 --> 00:33:01,120
is looking angrily at him about the
Stormtroopers,
400
00:33:01,120 --> 00:33:03,000
Hitler then decides to act.
401
00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:11,600
And now Jung has created the crisis
and the man that capitalises
402
00:33:11,600 --> 00:33:14,760
on the crisis is not Papen,
403
00:33:14,760 --> 00:33:16,600
it's not Jung, it's Hitler.
404
00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:19,880
And suddenly he realises that there
is more to this man,
405
00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:22,480
that there is a real potential
problem here.
406
00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:28,640
Papen has missed a historic
opportunity to stop Hitler.
407
00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:32,880
Realising his life may now be in
danger, Jung starts planning
408
00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:35,120
to flee the country.
409
00:33:35,120 --> 00:33:37,520
Jung should have realised
immediately
410
00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:39,160
that his plan is unravelling
411
00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:42,480
and that potentially he himself
is personally in danger.
412
00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:51,600
British intelligence has uncovered
that he is likely to be arrested
413
00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:53,960
and he is warned by a British
journalist and a member
414
00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:57,480
of the Reichstag that his arrest is
likely to be imminent.
415
00:33:57,480 --> 00:34:00,640
Eventually, he concedes that perhaps
it is safer for him probably to get
416
00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:02,400
to Switzerland at this point.
417
00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:09,120
Hitler needs to now decide how to
deal with the two impending
418
00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:11,240
threats to his power,
419
00:34:11,240 --> 00:34:15,560
Rohm and the Stormtroopers, and the
aristocratic right
420
00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:18,880
that could still yet persuade
Hindenburg to get rid of him.
421
00:34:23,680 --> 00:34:25,520
Ready for this moment,
422
00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:29,280
Himmler and the SS have been busy
inventing evidence...
423
00:34:30,800 --> 00:34:34,840
..planting the seed of an idea that
Rohm and the elites have in fact
424
00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:37,720
joined forces to launch a coup
against Hitler.
425
00:34:44,680 --> 00:34:47,840
Himmler is working tirelessly in
June 1934...
426
00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:53,880
..cos Himmler knows that this is a
now or never moment for himself,
427
00:34:53,880 --> 00:34:58,360
for the SS, to win the upper hand
against the Stormtroopers
428
00:34:58,360 --> 00:35:03,760
and to retaliate against members of
the conservative elite
429
00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:06,320
who have expressed criticism of the
Nazis -
430
00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:08,840
people like Jung, people like Papen.
431
00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:16,080
Himmler created this dossier about
Rohm's alleged putsch plans
432
00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:21,240
against Hitler. Rohm is planning a
putsch aided by the former
433
00:35:21,240 --> 00:35:26,280
German Chancellor, Von Schleicher,
one of the archenemies of Hitler.
434
00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:31,080
Himmler really manages to construct
this image of a conspiracy,
435
00:35:31,080 --> 00:35:33,720
of a coalition between the
conservative right
436
00:35:33,720 --> 00:35:35,160
and the Stormtroopers.
437
00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:37,840
There was no such coalition.
438
00:35:37,840 --> 00:35:40,440
All of these charges were completely
trumped up.
439
00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:43,040
All of these charges are completely
trumped up.
440
00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:59,680
Meanwhile, Himmler's Gestapo agents
burst into Jung's apartment
441
00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:02,080
just as his bags are packed for
Switzerland.
442
00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:24,000
When they arrest him, they do a
thorough search of his apartment
443
00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:28,200
and they discover papers negotiating
the fee
444
00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:30,600
he would get for writing that speech
from Papen,
445
00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:32,040
so that is their evidence.
446
00:36:32,040 --> 00:36:34,880
It's now clear that he is
the author of the Marburg speech.
447
00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:37,480
He goes to the bathroom and he
actually scribbles "Gestapo"
448
00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:40,760
on the bathroom cabinet - to warn
his friends what has happened.
449
00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:47,600
With Jung in custody, Papen finally
understands what's at stake
450
00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:49,680
and just who he's dealing with.
451
00:36:49,680 --> 00:36:55,920
Papen hears that Edgar Jung has been
arrested and flies to Berlin
452
00:36:55,920 --> 00:36:58,640
and demands an audience with Hitler.
453
00:36:58,640 --> 00:37:00,440
Hitler refuses to see him.
454
00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:03,960
At this point,
Papen sees the urgency
455
00:37:03,960 --> 00:37:08,720
of visiting Hindenburg and arranges
to meet him
456
00:37:08,720 --> 00:37:11,320
in Neudeck, in East Prussia.
457
00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:13,680
This is a critical moment.
458
00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:17,360
Hindenburg's health has taken a turn
for the worse.
459
00:37:17,360 --> 00:37:21,600
If Papen is to stop Hitler, he must
get to Hindenburg immediately.
460
00:37:29,680 --> 00:37:35,240
But news of Papen's meeting reaches
Himmler, who is readying the SS
461
00:37:35,240 --> 00:37:39,560
to strike against the aristocracy
and the Stormtroopers.
462
00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:46,280
Himmler summons SS leaders and he
tells them that the Stormtroopers
463
00:37:46,280 --> 00:37:51,120
are planning a putsch. Robust action
must be taken swiftly, ruthlessly
464
00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:55,520
and decisively, so Himmler and the
SS are beginning to prepare lists
465
00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:59,360
of Stormtroopers who are to be
arrested, who are to be executed.
466
00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:10,320
But even as the time to act draws
near,
467
00:38:10,320 --> 00:38:13,840
Hitler seems to remain loyal to
Rohm.
468
00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:17,240
And Rohm promises to lie low.
469
00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:23,040
He takes leave at the Bavarian
lakeside resort of Tegernsee.
470
00:38:33,640 --> 00:38:38,600
Rohm leaves Berlin for Bavaria,
Tegernsee,
471
00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:42,520
where he stays in a nice hotel,
472
00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:45,600
and Rohm feels...
473
00:38:47,200 --> 00:38:49,160
..not very well.
474
00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:55,720
He had has problems with his health
and he is...
475
00:38:55,720 --> 00:38:59,440
..very thoughtful during this time.
476
00:38:59,440 --> 00:39:06,000
He is very, kind of, remote and this
is definitely not a time for him
477
00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:11,640
to party or to celebrate.
He seems to think about his future.
478
00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:26,040
Opposition inside and outside
the Nazi Party
479
00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:27,760
must now be annihilated...
480
00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:32,880
..but Goring and Himmler still need
word from Hitler
481
00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:35,960
before they can move against their
enemies.
482
00:39:43,280 --> 00:39:45,120
On the 28th of June,
483
00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:50,320
Hitler and Goring go to the wedding
of a local Gauleiter.
484
00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:54,800
It's a normal ceremony for Hitler to
attend.
485
00:39:57,080 --> 00:39:59,480
The conspirators have devised a plan
486
00:39:59,480 --> 00:40:02,920
to psychologically prepare Hitler
to take action.
487
00:40:13,240 --> 00:40:16,480
In the middle of the wedding,
488
00:40:16,480 --> 00:40:18,920
there's a moment of drama.
489
00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:26,400
Himmler arrives and this is the
point at which
490
00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:30,000
they're going to tell Hitler about
the dangers that he's facing.
491
00:40:41,720 --> 00:40:45,400
Himmler comes in with the news
that Papen...
492
00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:51,640
..is about to see
President von Hindenburg
493
00:40:51,640 --> 00:40:54,280
on his estate in East Prussia.
494
00:40:54,280 --> 00:40:57,240
This raises the alarm for Hitler.
495
00:40:59,160 --> 00:41:01,920
Hitler is extremely concerned that,
if he doesn't act swiftly
496
00:41:01,920 --> 00:41:04,960
against the Stormtroopers, now that
he knows that Papen
497
00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:08,080
will be seen by Hindenburg,
then Hindenburg might stop
498
00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:13,160
supporting the Nazi regime, that
Hitler might lose some of his power,
499
00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:15,800
that the army might be given some
more power.
500
00:41:18,680 --> 00:41:23,840
To give him a final push, Hitler is
shown documents that allege Rohm
501
00:41:23,840 --> 00:41:27,720
and the Stormtroopers are plotting
against him.
502
00:41:27,720 --> 00:41:31,720
I think, for Hitler, it's a
difficult moment, psychologically,
503
00:41:31,720 --> 00:41:35,400
to confront the fact that Rohm could
be...
504
00:41:36,840 --> 00:41:42,200
..guilty of plotting against Hitler,
plotting against the regime.
505
00:41:44,120 --> 00:41:47,480
Having two people there prodding
him, providing him with
506
00:41:47,480 --> 00:41:50,240
what was in fact rather spurious
evidence
507
00:41:50,240 --> 00:41:52,400
about the possibility of a coup,
508
00:41:52,400 --> 00:41:56,440
is, for Hitler, really necessary,
you know?
509
00:41:56,440 --> 00:41:59,880
He needs to have his indecision
ended.
510
00:41:59,880 --> 00:42:02,040
He needs somebody to prod him...
511
00:42:03,520 --> 00:42:05,840
..but then it needs to be his
decision.
512
00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:15,840
So, he's prodded and prodded and
prodded
513
00:42:15,840 --> 00:42:17,560
and suddenly says, "Yes, that's it."
514
00:42:17,560 --> 00:42:19,000
You know, "I've had enough."
515
00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:22,400
And what follows is, you know,
can be described only,
516
00:42:22,400 --> 00:42:24,240
really, as mafia politics.
517
00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:46,080
Hitler travels through the night to
personally arrest Rohm at his hotel.
518
00:42:52,800 --> 00:42:58,160
Rohm doesn't expect Hitler coming,
519
00:42:58,160 --> 00:43:02,600
practically with all members of the
inner circle,
520
00:43:02,600 --> 00:43:04,040
to arrest him.
521
00:43:07,640 --> 00:43:11,000
As far as we know,
Rohm was really stunned.
522
00:43:11,000 --> 00:43:15,240
He was very quiet during this time
of arrest.
523
00:43:18,080 --> 00:43:22,920
Rohm just sat there and it seems
524
00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:28,160
as if Rohm still feels very
confident...
525
00:43:29,280 --> 00:43:32,280
..that there is no danger for him,
personally.
526
00:43:39,840 --> 00:43:45,280
Meanwhile, Goring and Himmler are
poised for action in Berlin.
527
00:43:48,520 --> 00:43:52,520
Goring and Himmler have returned to
Berlin from Essen, from the wedding.
528
00:43:52,520 --> 00:43:55,440
They lock themselves away in the
Leipzig Palace,
529
00:43:55,440 --> 00:44:00,160
they surround it with armed guards,
just in case there really is
530
00:44:00,160 --> 00:44:02,400
an attack from the Stormtroopers.
531
00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:07,480
Himmler, in this situation,
is very cool.
532
00:44:07,480 --> 00:44:10,000
He's very calculated.
533
00:44:10,000 --> 00:44:11,480
He is patient.
534
00:44:11,480 --> 00:44:15,040
He knows that he needs to wait for
the order
535
00:44:15,040 --> 00:44:17,040
of the Fuhrer to come through.
536
00:44:25,520 --> 00:44:29,520
At 10.00am, Goring and Himmler
receive the code word.
537
00:44:31,520 --> 00:44:37,200
Then, throughout Germany,
sealed orders are opened by SS men -
538
00:44:37,200 --> 00:44:39,520
revealing lists of their victims.
539
00:44:46,440 --> 00:44:50,440
Goring is the kind of impresario of
the drama and Himmler, once again,
540
00:44:50,440 --> 00:44:51,960
is the obedient secretary,
541
00:44:51,960 --> 00:44:55,200
carrying everything out that needs
to be carried out.
542
00:44:55,200 --> 00:44:59,120
Himmler is coordinating the arrests
and executions in Berlin
543
00:44:59,120 --> 00:45:02,880
together with Goring. They go
through lists, they go through lists
544
00:45:02,880 --> 00:45:06,120
of who's to be arrested,
of who is to be shot.
545
00:45:07,240 --> 00:45:08,640
The killing begins.
546
00:45:20,920 --> 00:45:25,040
Former Chancellor Kurt von
Schleicher is murdered at home,
547
00:45:25,040 --> 00:45:26,800
alongside his wife.
548
00:45:32,760 --> 00:45:36,000
Rebel Nazis, who once threatened to
split the party,
549
00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:37,960
are also taken care of.
550
00:45:43,720 --> 00:45:47,040
The men in Papen's office are also
on the list.
551
00:45:52,920 --> 00:45:55,320
Papen is arrested and placed under
house arrest.
552
00:45:55,320 --> 00:45:59,960
He can't do anything to act,
to save the members
553
00:45:59,960 --> 00:46:03,600
of his own department, and various
people in his entourage
554
00:46:03,600 --> 00:46:07,760
are, essentially, murdered.
He is lucky, in many respects,
555
00:46:07,760 --> 00:46:09,680
to survive with his life.
556
00:46:15,080 --> 00:46:18,880
All we know with Jung is that he is
executed.
557
00:46:22,760 --> 00:46:25,120
The place of death is left
unrecorded,
558
00:46:25,120 --> 00:46:27,600
which is a mark of disrespect,
as well,
559
00:46:27,600 --> 00:46:30,600
and sometime later his family
receive his ashes
560
00:46:30,600 --> 00:46:32,280
and his empty wallet.
561
00:46:32,280 --> 00:46:34,080
That is the end of Jung.
562
00:46:40,480 --> 00:46:43,040
It sounds very bizarre to us,
but Himmler is guided
563
00:46:43,040 --> 00:46:44,680
by a different moral compass.
564
00:46:44,680 --> 00:46:48,600
Himmler believes that it is
necessary for the survival
565
00:46:48,600 --> 00:46:52,800
of the Nazi regime to act so
ruthlessly against the people
566
00:46:52,800 --> 00:46:57,440
on the list of those to be arrested,
of those to be executed.
567
00:46:57,440 --> 00:46:59,720
For Himmler, it is an office job
routine.
568
00:46:59,720 --> 00:47:02,520
For at least 100 people
who were murdered
569
00:47:02,520 --> 00:47:05,840
in the aftermath of the Night of the
Long Knives...
570
00:47:07,560 --> 00:47:09,360
..this was the end of their lives.
571
00:47:12,760 --> 00:47:15,120
By the evening of June the 30th,
572
00:47:15,120 --> 00:47:17,560
dozens have been executed.
573
00:47:17,560 --> 00:47:20,800
Any possible conservative or
Stormtrooper rebellion
574
00:47:20,800 --> 00:47:22,040
has been crushed.
575
00:47:23,320 --> 00:47:26,520
Still alive, though, is Hitler's
friend -
576
00:47:26,520 --> 00:47:28,040
Ernst Rohm.
577
00:47:54,560 --> 00:47:56,640
almost as if nothing had happened.
578
00:48:00,560 --> 00:48:03,360
It curiously resembled, I think,
the way that some murderers,
579
00:48:03,360 --> 00:48:06,120
when they've murdered somebody,
they wash their hands,
580
00:48:06,120 --> 00:48:09,160
they change their clothes, they want
to put all that behind them
581
00:48:09,160 --> 00:48:11,120
and then they can walk out into the
streets -
582
00:48:11,120 --> 00:48:12,640
as if nothing had happened.
583
00:48:15,640 --> 00:48:17,720
This is a really incongruous scene.
584
00:48:17,720 --> 00:48:21,440
Imagine that some of the bloodiest
murders in the history
585
00:48:21,440 --> 00:48:24,880
of the Third Reich have taken place
on the previous day.
586
00:48:24,880 --> 00:48:27,760
Now, Hitler has invited members of
the Reich cabinet
587
00:48:27,760 --> 00:48:29,720
and their wives to a party.
588
00:48:36,000 --> 00:48:40,280
Himmler and Goring learned that Rohm
has not been executed.
589
00:48:43,000 --> 00:48:45,760
He's an old companion, old fighter,
590
00:48:45,760 --> 00:48:50,160
and he just can't bring himself to
order Rohm to be murdered.
591
00:48:52,640 --> 00:48:56,280
So it's one of those occasions where
Hitler hesitates and he needs
592
00:48:56,280 --> 00:49:00,640
other people to prod him again into
making that decision.
593
00:49:00,640 --> 00:49:02,800
And for Goring and Himmler,
it's really important.
594
00:49:02,800 --> 00:49:04,840
You know, the whole thing was to
get rid of Rohm!
595
00:49:04,840 --> 00:49:07,920
So they've got to get Hitler to make
the decision
596
00:49:07,920 --> 00:49:10,080
that Rohm must be executed, too.
597
00:49:17,720 --> 00:49:19,880
As with other major decisions,
598
00:49:19,880 --> 00:49:23,800
Hitler has waited for the crucial
moment to play his hand.
599
00:49:29,000 --> 00:49:32,320
Hitler was always prepared to use
violent action in the end.
600
00:49:32,320 --> 00:49:35,880
He didn't have any hesitation about
having people shot, killed,
601
00:49:35,880 --> 00:49:38,920
murdered, robbed, beaten up or
tortured -
602
00:49:38,920 --> 00:49:40,760
it didn't really matter to him.
603
00:49:44,080 --> 00:49:48,000
In that sense, the so-called Rohm
putsch,
604
00:49:48,000 --> 00:49:51,080
the murder of scores of people
605
00:49:51,080 --> 00:49:54,520
he regarded as traitors to the
cause,
606
00:49:54,520 --> 00:49:58,120
that wasn't particularly something
that he felt was bad.
607
00:49:58,120 --> 00:50:00,280
He felt, by this stage, he was above
the law.
608
00:50:00,280 --> 00:50:03,120
In a sense, he'd always felt he was
above the law.
609
00:50:08,360 --> 00:50:10,840
Hitler's decision is to offer Rohm
610
00:50:10,840 --> 00:50:12,440
the honourable way out.
611
00:50:21,640 --> 00:50:23,600
At Stadelheim Prison,
612
00:50:23,600 --> 00:50:26,960
Rohm is forced to make a terrible
choice.
613
00:50:29,840 --> 00:50:32,480
For Rohm, it must have been
astonishing, then,
614
00:50:32,480 --> 00:50:37,400
to see Theodor Eicke, who is the
615
00:50:37,400 --> 00:50:42,480
commander of the
Dachau concentration camp.
616
00:50:51,520 --> 00:50:55,040
A pistol is put into Rohm's cell,
617
00:50:55,040 --> 00:50:59,120
together with a copy of the
Volkischer Beobachter Nazi
newspaper,
618
00:50:59,120 --> 00:51:01,840
with stories about the Rohm purge,
619
00:51:01,840 --> 00:51:03,840
about Rohm's alleged conspiracy.
620
00:51:15,240 --> 00:51:17,240
I wouldn't see Rohm as a victim.
621
00:51:17,240 --> 00:51:21,360
He himself, and he says this very
openly,
622
00:51:21,360 --> 00:51:25,520
he himself would kill people,
would kill his enemies.
623
00:51:26,800 --> 00:51:29,040
Killing was no problem for Rohm.
624
00:51:37,120 --> 00:51:39,880
Rohm does not want to shoot himself.
625
00:51:42,920 --> 00:51:44,920
So, after ten minutes,
626
00:51:44,920 --> 00:51:49,360
the commander of the Dachau camp,
Theodor Eicke,
627
00:51:49,360 --> 00:51:54,640
storms into Rohm's cell and shoots
him at close range.
628
00:52:12,120 --> 00:52:14,400
This is the end of the Night of the
Long Knives.
629
00:52:14,400 --> 00:52:16,280
This is the end of Rohm.
630
00:52:16,280 --> 00:52:18,640
This is the end of the leader of the
Stormtroopers,
631
00:52:18,640 --> 00:52:21,480
who was, until then, Hitler's
closest ally,
632
00:52:21,480 --> 00:52:24,160
Hitler's closest supporter.
633
00:52:36,840 --> 00:52:41,560
Hitler was always relieved after
he'd made up his mind
634
00:52:41,560 --> 00:52:46,120
on a difficult issue and taken
action -
635
00:52:46,120 --> 00:52:49,280
that gave him a sense of relief and
fulfilment.
636
00:52:49,280 --> 00:52:52,480
He knew, he felt in his bones,
that he had solved
637
00:52:52,480 --> 00:52:54,400
a really difficult problem.
638
00:52:57,880 --> 00:52:59,240
This is it.
639
00:52:59,240 --> 00:53:01,680
This is the end of this period of
seizing power
640
00:53:01,680 --> 00:53:03,720
and establishing power.
641
00:53:03,720 --> 00:53:07,880
Now we can move forward as one
united government, state,
642
00:53:07,880 --> 00:53:09,640
people under my command.
643
00:53:35,040 --> 00:53:37,640
Goring finally achieves his
ambition.
644
00:53:38,840 --> 00:53:41,320
As a reward for his brutality,
645
00:53:41,320 --> 00:53:45,400
Hitler promotes him and names him as
his successor.
646
00:53:47,000 --> 00:53:50,600
He will go on to oversee many of the
Nazis' worst atrocities.
647
00:53:55,920 --> 00:53:59,760
Later on, at Nuremberg, when Goring
is on trial for war crimes,
648
00:53:59,760 --> 00:54:02,880
he's asked about Rohm, "What did you
think? Why did you do it?"
649
00:54:02,880 --> 00:54:05,080
He said, "Well, he was in my way."
650
00:54:05,080 --> 00:54:07,240
For Goring, you know,
it wasn't a question
651
00:54:07,240 --> 00:54:09,120
I think he would have understood.
652
00:54:09,120 --> 00:54:11,400
You know, "Did you have a guilty
conscience afterwards?"
653
00:54:11,400 --> 00:54:12,960
"No, of course not."
654
00:54:15,480 --> 00:54:18,400
After the Night of the Long Knives,
655
00:54:18,400 --> 00:54:21,640
Hitler makes the SS a
fully autonomous organisation.
656
00:54:23,320 --> 00:54:24,960
Under Himmler's watch,
657
00:54:24,960 --> 00:54:28,800
it becomes one of the most feared
institutions in Germany,
658
00:54:28,800 --> 00:54:32,320
presiding over the systematic murder
of minorities,
659
00:54:32,320 --> 00:54:35,600
homosexuals and Jews.
660
00:54:35,600 --> 00:54:38,200
One of the keys to understanding
Himmler's personality
661
00:54:38,200 --> 00:54:43,080
and Himmler's career is by
reflecting about the word "decency".
662
00:54:44,360 --> 00:54:48,520
Himmler thought that he had always
been acting decently,
663
00:54:48,520 --> 00:54:51,000
that, in organising the Night of
Long Knives
664
00:54:51,000 --> 00:54:53,920
had been decent, that killing Jews
during the Second World War
665
00:54:53,920 --> 00:54:56,960
had been decent. This is abhorrent.
666
00:54:56,960 --> 00:55:01,080
Himmler thought that he had done the
right thing
667
00:55:01,080 --> 00:55:03,360
for the survival of the Germanic
race.
668
00:55:07,560 --> 00:55:10,480
By crushing the Stormtroopers,
669
00:55:10,480 --> 00:55:14,760
Hitler wins the support of most of
the German public,
670
00:55:14,760 --> 00:55:18,160
the army, the elites,
671
00:55:18,160 --> 00:55:20,000
and President Hindenburg.
672
00:55:24,880 --> 00:55:31,120
Hindenburg was always frightened of
instability.
673
00:55:31,120 --> 00:55:36,480
So, when action is taken in this
way, erm...
674
00:55:36,480 --> 00:55:40,720
..I suppose, I don't know,
a fit of relief or something
675
00:55:40,720 --> 00:55:44,720
and pens a letter to Hitler, saying,
basically, "Well done."
676
00:55:46,880 --> 00:55:49,600
Having won Hindenburg's approval,
677
00:55:49,600 --> 00:55:53,160
Hitler presents a new piece of
legislation
678
00:55:53,160 --> 00:55:56,440
combining the offices of President
and Chancellor
679
00:55:56,440 --> 00:55:59,240
to take effect on Hindenburg's
death.
680
00:56:02,880 --> 00:56:07,600
A day later, Hindenburg is on his
deathbed.
681
00:56:07,600 --> 00:56:10,400
When Hitler goes to pay his
respects,
682
00:56:10,400 --> 00:56:14,240
he finds Hindenburg drifting in and
out of consciousness,
683
00:56:14,240 --> 00:56:16,840
addressing him as "Your Majesty".
684
00:56:20,000 --> 00:56:25,840
I'm dubious about his ability to
make rational judgment
685
00:56:25,840 --> 00:56:27,720
as he approached his death.
686
00:56:29,440 --> 00:56:34,960
Might explain some of the very
difficult questions
687
00:56:34,960 --> 00:56:38,360
regarding his shift
688
00:56:38,360 --> 00:56:40,840
vis-a-vis Hitler and the Nazi Party.
689
00:56:46,800 --> 00:56:49,160
In his last rational moments,
690
00:56:49,160 --> 00:56:53,720
what did he think of when he thought
about Germany's future?
691
00:56:53,720 --> 00:56:55,680
Difficult to answer that one.
692
00:56:57,720 --> 00:57:02,040
He would want to vindicate his own
decisions,
693
00:57:02,040 --> 00:57:04,800
but he may be disturbed by...
694
00:57:06,120 --> 00:57:09,280
..what has happened since Hitler
took office.
695
00:57:11,920 --> 00:57:13,920
So he might have died a...
696
00:57:15,360 --> 00:57:17,080
..rather troubled man.
697
00:57:33,480 --> 00:57:39,360
And so Hitler now had nothing left
to restrain him.
58771
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