Hitler: Ascent, 1889-1939 (180 page)

4 
Wilhelm Treue, “Rede Hitlers vor der deutschen Presse (10 November 1938),” in
Vierteljahrshefte für Zeitgeschichte
, 6 (1958), p. 182. See Domarus,
Hitler
, vol. 1, part 2, p. 974.

5 
Eric Phipps’s report of 21 Nov. 1933;
Documents of British Foreign Policy 1919–1939 (DBFP)
, London, 1947–1984, 2nd series 1929–1938, vol. 6, no. 60, pp. 90f., quoted in Detlev Clemens,
Herr Hitler in Germany: Wahrnehmungen und Deutungen des Nationalsozialismus in Grossbritannien 1920 bis 1939
, Göttingen and Zurich, 1996, p. 350. In an article in the
Daily Mail
on 2 Nov. 1933, editor Ward Price answered the question “Can We Trust Hitler?” in the affirmative, calling Hitler an honest man who wanted to redirect the energy and enthusiasm of Germany’s youth toward domestic goals. Wolff’s Telegraphisches Büro no. 2765, dated 2 Nov. 1933; BA Berlin-Lichterfelde, R 43 II/959.

6 
George S. Messersmith’s report of 9 May 1933; Frank Bajohr and Christoph Strupp (eds),
Fremde Blicke auf das “Dritte Reich”: Berichte ausländischer Diplomaten über Herrschaft und Gesellschaft in Deutschland 1933–1945
, Göttingen, 2011, p. 372.

7 
On the continuity of personnel in the German Foreign Ministry see Eckart Conze, Norbert Frei, Peter Hayes and Moshe Zimmermann,
Das Amt und die Vergangenheit: Deutsche Diplomaten im Dritten Reich und in der Bundesrepublik
, Munich, 2010, pp. 31–41.

8 
Akten der deutschen Auswärtigen Politik 1918–1945 (ADAP). Series C: 1933–1937
, Göttingen, 1971–1981, vol. 1, part 1, no. 10, pp. 20f. See Klaus Hildebrand,
Das vergangene Reich: Deutsche Aussenpolitik von Bismarck zu Hitler 1871–1945
, Stuttgart, 1995, pp. 578, 580f.

9 
Die Tagebücher von Joseph Goebbels. Part 1: Aufzeichnungen 1923–1941
, ed. Elke Fröhlich, Munich, 1998, vol. 2/3, p. 386 (entry for 16 March 1934).

10 
See Hildebrand,
Das vergangene Reich
, pp. 550–2, 556; see also Schmidt,
Die Aussenpolitik des Dritten Reiches
, p. 31; Hans-Ulrich Thamer,
Verführung und Gewalt: Deutschland 1933–1945
, Berlin, 1986, pp. 312, 314.

11 
For a summary see Heinrich August Winkler,
Geschichte des Westens. Vol. 2: Die Zeit der Weltkriege 1914–1945
, Munich, 2011, pp. 577–602.

12 
See Schmidt,
Die Aussenpolitik des Dritten Reiches
, pp. 40–2; Bernd-Jürgen Wendt,
Grossdeutschland: Aussenpolitik und Kriegsvorbereitung des Hitler-Regimes
, Munich, 1987, p. 84.

13 
See the excellent account in Winkler,
Geschichte des Westens
, vol. 2, pp. 332–404.

14 
Bülow’s memorandum of 13 March 1933 is reprinted and annotated in Günter Wollstein, “Eine Denkschrift des Staatssekretärs Bernhard von Bülow vom März 1933: Wilhelminische Konzeption der Aussenpolitik zu Beginn der nationalsozialistischen Herrschaft,” in
Militärgeschichtliche Mitteilungen
, 1 (1973), pp. 77–94. Extensive detail on its contents in Wendt,
Grossdeutschland
, pp. 72–9. Neurath’s presentation in
Die Regierung Hitler
, part 1, vol. 1, no. 93, pp. 313–18.

15 
Max Domarus,
Hitler: Reden und Proklamationen 1932–1945. Vol. 1: Triumph. Part 1: 1932–1934
, Munich, 1965, pp. 270–9 (quotations on p. 273).

16 
Wilhelm Hoegner,
Flucht vor Hitler: Erinnerungen an die Kapitulation der ersten deutschen Republik 1933
, Frankfurt am Main, 1982, p. 203. See Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 2/3, p. 188 (entry for 18 May 1933): “The declaration of confidence from the entire house, including the SPD, accepted. Afterwards I was with the Führer. Everyone is happy.”

17 
Hedda Kalshoven,
Ich denk so viel an Euch: Ein deutsch-holländischer Briefwechsel 1920–1949
, Munich, 1995, pp. 201f.

18 
Quoted in Josef and Ruth Becker (eds),
Hitlers Machtergreifung: Dokumente vom Machtantritt Hitlers. 30. Januar 1933 bis zur Besiegelung des Einparteienstaats 14. Juli 1933
, Munich, 1983, p. 309. The Danish ambassador in Berlin reported that the chancellor’s statements had “undeniably been characterised by heartfelt moderation.” Bajohr and Strupp (eds),
Fremde Blicke auf das “Dritte Reich,
” p. 376.

19 
Harry Graf Kessler,
Das Tagebuch. Vol. 9: 1926–1937
, ed. Sabine Gruber and Ulrich Ott with Christoph Hilse and Nadin Weiss, Stuttgart, 2010, pp. 596f. (entry for 17 May 1933). See ibid., p. 571 (entry for 20 May 1933): “You can sense how uncomfortable the French are with Hitler’s speech. Their entire diplomatic position is under threat.”

20 
Thomas Mann,
Tagebücher 1933–1934
, ed. Peter de Mendelssohn, Frankfurt am Main, 1977, p. 88 (entry for 18 May 1933).

21 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
part 1, vol. 2/3, p. 276 (entry for 25 Sept. 1933).

22 
On the Geneva disarmament negotiations see Hans-Adolf Jacobsen,
Nationalsozialistische Aussenpolitik 1933–1939
, Frankfurt am Main and Berlin, 1968, pp. 396–9; Schmidt,
Die Aussenpolitik des Dritten Reiches
, pp. 142–52; Wendt,
Grossdeutschland
, pp. 91–3.

23 
Cabinet meeting on 13 Oct. 1933;
Die Regierung Hitler
, part 1, vol. 2, no. 230, pp. 903–6 (quotation on pp. 904, 905).

24 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 2/3, p. 290 (entry for 12 Oct. 1933). See ibid., p. 288: “The boss is struggling with the most difficult decisions.” See also Rudolf Hess to his aunt Emma Rothacker in Zurich, 30 Oct. 1933: “The last big foreign policy decision was of course very difficult for the Führer. He arrived at it after many sleepless nights, as he saw no other way for us.” BA Bern, Nl Hess, J1.211-1993/300, Box 4.

25 
Erich Ebermayer,
Denn heute gehört uns Deutschland…Persönliches und politisches Tagebuch
, Hamburg and Vienna, 1959, p. 184 (entry for 15 Oct. 1933).

26 
Kessler,
Das Tagebuch
, vol. 9, p. 608 (entry for 14 Oct. 1933).

27 
Domarus,
Hitler
, vol. 1, part 1, pp. 308–14 (quotations on pp. 309, 312).

28 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 2/3, p. 292 (entry for 16 Oct. 1933).

29 
Cabinet meeting on 17 Oct. 1933;
Die Regierung Hitler
, part 1, vol. 2, no. 231, p. 908.

30 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 2/3, p. 293 (entry for 17 Oct. 1933).

31 
Domarus,
Hitler
, vol. 1, part 1, pp. 318–23 (quotations on pp. 319, 321, 320, 322).

32 
Ibid., pp. 323f. See Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 2/3, p. 299 (entry for 25 Oct. 1933): “He spoke fabulously, especially at the end. Marvellous ovations. People were beside themselves. A good start.”

33 
See Hans Baur,
Ich flog Mächtige der Erde
, Kempten im Allgäu, 1956, pp. 108–10.

34 
Domarus,
Hitler
, vol. 1, part 1, p. 326.

35 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 2/3, p. 310 (entry for 9 Nov. 1923).

36 
Domarus,
Hitler
, vol. 1, part 1, p. 330.

37 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 2/3, p. 311 (entry for 11 Nov. 1933).

38 
Victor Klemperer,
Ich will Zeugnis ablegen bis zum letzten: Tagebücher 1933–1941,
ed. Walter Nowojski with Hadwig Klemperer, Berlin, 1995, pp. 67f. (entry for 11 Nov. 1933).

39 
Kessler,
Das Tagebuch
, vol. 9, p. 609 (entry for 15 Oct. 1933).

40 
See Domarus,
Hitler
, vol. 1, part 1, p. 331.

41 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 2/3, p. 313 (entry for 13 Nov. 1933).

42 
Klemperer,
Tagebücher 1933–1941
, p. 68 (entry for 14 Nov. 1933).

43 
See
Die Regierung Hitler
, part 1, vol. 2, no. 243n1, pp. 939f. See also Norbert Frei,
Der Führerstaat: Nationalsozialistische Herrschaft 1933 bis 1945
, new and expanded edition, Munich, 2001, p. 94.

44 
Dinichert to Federal Counsellor Giuseppe Motta, 17 Nov. 1933; Bajohr and Strupp (eds),
Fremde Blicke auf das “Dritte Reich,
” pp. 391f.

45 
Bernd Stöver,
Volksgemeinschaft im Dritten Reich: Die Konsensbereitschaft der Deutschen aus der Sicht sozialistischer Exilberichte
, Düsseldorf, 1993, p. 178.

46 
Die Regierung Hitler
, part 1, vol. 2, no. 243, pp. 339–41.

47 
Official communiqué dated 3 May 1933; ibid. part 1, vol. 1, no. 107, p. 382n4.

48 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 2/3, p. 277 (entry for 27 Sept. 1933).

49 
See Jacobsen,
Nationalsozialistische Aussenpolitik
, pp. 403–6; Gerhard L. Weinberg,
The Foreign Policy of Hitler’s Germany. Vol. 1: Diplomatic Revolution in Europe 1933–1936
, London, 1970, pp. 184–94.

50 
Ebermayer,
Denn heute gehört uns Deutschland
, p. 248 (entry for 28 Jan. 1934). See Irene Strenge,
Ferdinand von Bredow: Notizen vom 20. 2. 1933 bis 31. 12. 1933. Tägliche Aufzeichnungen vom 1. 1. 1934 bis 28. 6. 1934
, Berlin, 2009, p. 218 (dated 28 Jan. 1934): “Not a bad gambit.”

51 
See cabinet meeting on 25 April 1933;
Die Regierung Hitler
, part 1, vol. 1, no. 107, p. 381.

52 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 2/3, p. 317 (entry for 17 Nov. 1933).

53 
Phipps to Simon, 31 Jan. 1934;
DBFP 1919–1939
, 2nd series, vol. 6, p. 365; see Schmidt,
Die Aussenpolitik des Dritten Reiches
, p. 157.

54 
Domarus,
Hitler
, vol. 1, part 1, p. 357.

55 
Hildebrand,
Das vergangene Reich
, p. 586.

56 
Speech to his cabinet on 26 Sept. 1933;
Die Regierung Hitler
, part 1, vol. 1, no. 218, p. 838. See also Bülow’s memorandum of 26 Sept. 1933;
ADAP, Series C
, vol. 1, part 2, no. 457, pp. 839f.: “He said that it was only natural for a sharp antagonism to persist between Germany and Russia, but that he didn’t support breaking off German–Russian relations or giving the Russians any pretence for doing so.”

57 
Die Weizsäcker-Papiere 1933–1950
, ed. Leonidas Hill, Frankfurt am Main, Berlin and Vienna, 1974, pp. 70, 76 (dated 30 March 1033, end of Aug. 1933). See Conze
et al.
,
Das Amt und die Vergangenheit
, pp. 69f.

58 
See Jacobsen,
Nationalsozialistische Aussenpolitik
, pp. 45ff., 90ff., 252ff.; Schmidt,
Die Aussenpolitik des Dritten Reiches
, pp. 60, 65–70.

59 
Die Weizsäcker-Papiere 1933–1950
, p. 74 (dated 6 Aug. 1933).

60 
André François-Poncet,
Als Botschafter in Berlin 1931–1938
, Mainz, 1947, p. 146. After visiting Berlin in May 1934, King Boris of Bulgaria stated: “I have seen many great dictators, but none of them were as proper and upstanding as Hitler!” German embassy in Sofia to Foreign Minister von Neurath, 24 May 1934; BA Koblenz, N 1310/10.

61 
Anthony Eden,
Angesichts der Diktatoren: Memoiren 1923–1938
, Cologne and Berlin, 1964, p. 88; R. R. James,
Anthony Eden
, London, 1988, p. 135; See Schmidt,
Die Aussenpolitik des Dritten Reiches
, p. 23.

62 
Conversation between Hitler and Lord Eden, 20 Feb. 1934;
Die Regierung Hitler
, part 1, vol. 2, no. 305, pp. 1143–9 (quotation on p. 1149). See also Hitler’s letter to Lord Rothermere dated 2 March 1934 (with Hitler’s handwritten corrections), in which he expressed his longing for “an honest understanding between the peoples of Europe” and invited Rothermere to visit Germany. BA Berlin-Lichterfelde, NS 10/123. Rothermere, the owner of the
Daily Mail
, had written an op-ed piece supporting the Nazi regime in July 1933. In December 1934, he was one of the guests of honour at an evening gala in the Chancellery. See Ian Kershaw,
Making Friends with Hitler: Lord Londonderry and Britain’s Road to War
, London, 2005, pp. 59. In a letter from May 1935, after Germany had re-introduced universal conscription, Hitler assured the press baron as to his “abiding determination…to make a historical contribution towards re-establishing good and lasting relations between the two Germanic nations” (ibid., p. 82). The letter was apparently preceded by another Rothermere visit to Berlin. On 28 April 1935 Wilhelm Brückner’s notebook read: “Rothermere—Boss”; BA Berlin-Lichterfelde, NS 26/1209. On Rothermere’s visit to the Obersalzberg at the beginning of January 1937 see Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 3/2, p. 320 (entry for 8 Jan. 1937).