Chapter 154 Hitler's New Deal 4

When the flames rose above the Reichstag, Hersmann was in charge of the presidential palace at 73 Wilhelm Street, not too far away. His classmate in Grosshilfeld, Colonel Kurt von Tippelskirch, who was very handsome and popular with girls when he was young, led a whole regiment of soldiers to set up guards at the presidential palace and the nearby Chancellery (77 Wilhelm Street).

Colonel Tippelskirch was also a figure from the Military Intelligence Bureau system. He had a very close relationship with Hersmann and was considered the backbone of the "Hersmann Gang". When the compulsory military service system was restored, he was promoted to colonel and sent to the Zossen Barracks to command an elite infantry regiment.

This was part of the "conspiracy" of Schleicher and Hersmann. Taking advantage of the opportunity to preside over the expansion of the army, they placed many of their confidants in key positions. The garrisons around Berlin were firmly controlled by them!

A few hours before the Reichstag fire, Colonel Tippelskirch was ordered to lead his team, carrying all heavy weapons, "through" the city of Berlin - nominally a night march drill - and then was temporarily transferred to defend the presidential palace and the chancellery. In fact, it was the first time to control the power center of Germany and President Hindenburg, who was in power but had dementia.

If Hitler and the Nazi Party were going to use the chaos brought about by the "Reichstag fire" to attack the Junker Group and hold a night of long knives. Then Schleicher and Hersmann would immediately launch a coup - although this would cause unmanageable consequences and even make Germany lose the ability to start World War II, Hersmann still had the determination to smash the plate.

Because he knew what kind of disaster Germany would suffer because of Hitler's misbehavior after establishing a personal dictatorship.

"Lieutenant General," President Hindenburg's son Oscar von Hindenburg quickly walked behind Hersmann, who was watching the fire in the distance on the balcony of the presidential palace, holding a folder in his hand. "This is what you want... abolish the emergency decree in the constitution that guarantees personal freedom!"

Germany is now a country that abides by the law. Even if the Nazi Party-Junker Group wants to rule, it must "act according to the law." This is why Hersmann strongly advocates cooperation with the Nazi Party.

Because only the Junkers plus the Nazis can get a majority in parliament. The majority of parliament plus the power of the Nazi Party at the grassroots level plus the Junkers' military force can firmly control Germany. Otherwise, the Junker Group can only establish a very unstable oligarchy at most, and most of its energy must be used for internal repression.

To implement internal repression, relying solely on Stasi agents to carry out assassinations and kidnappings will not solve the problem. After all, the Stasi is a military intelligence department, and it cannot do whatever it wants in spy activities involving German internal politics, otherwise it will become a public enemy in the political world.

Therefore, when the Stasi agents are deployed on a large scale, they must also follow the Weimar Constitution. According to this constitution, the president has the right to issue an order to temporarily suspend the implementation of the provisions in the constitution that protect personal freedom when the country is in a state of emergency.

What Oscar von Hindenburg got for Hersman now was the presidential decree signed by his father, President Hindenburg, to stop protecting the personal freedom of citizens.

"Thank you, Oscar, you have helped a lot this time." Hersman took the folder handed over by Oscar von Hindenburg with both hands and said a word of thanks.

"Haha, this is what I should do," Oscar von Hindenburg laughed, "You and Kurt want me to help, how can I refuse? We are all family."

Of course I can't refuse! Hersman got Oscar von Hindenburg 2,000 hectares of land in Hanover State and gave him stocks of large German companies worth 1 million marks - all from the "Hersman Fund".

The Economic Promotion Company, which monopolized the Soviet-German barter trade, has made a lot of money over the years. While paying most of the expenses of the Stasi agency, it also saved up a secret fund of several hundred million marks to establish the "Hersman Special Fund." This "special fund" was at the personal disposal of Hessmann, and was mainly used by him to bribe politicians and give "special benefits" to his subordinates. Everyone in the "Hessmann Gang" had received large sums of cash or other prizes from their boss, Hessmann.

"Friedrich," Hessmann opened the folder, confirmed it, and called his adjutant Paulus to his side, and then took out an order signed by Hindenburg (there were two orders, one for the Chancellery and one for the General Staff) and handed it to him, "Take it to the Chancellery and give it to Minister Schleicher."

After the Reichstag was burned, Hitler immediately convened an emergency cabinet meeting. Schleicher was the Minister of Defense and was now attending the meeting at the Chancellery at 73 Wilhelm Street. In fact, he was waiting for the order signed by Hindenburg.

Once the order was in hand, Hitler could issue an order to ban the Bolshevik Party, and then send military police and stormtroopers to seal up Bolshevik party departments in various places and arrest Bolshevik members.

…

“Quick, quick, quick, burn the documents, burn them all!”

In the office of the Third International in Berlin, black smoke was billowing out of the chimney of the fireplace at this time - that was burning documents and telegrams! This office was semi-public, without hanging signs or red flags, but politicians in Berlin knew where it was.

Therefore, once the enemy raised the "slaughter knife", they would not be unable to find a target. After the fire in the Reichstag, many underground workers of the Third International lurking in Berlin called the Third International Office in "code words" and reported the news that a large number of Wehrmacht soldiers (including the Waffen SS) had entered Berlin.

These Wehrmacht and SS were definitely not here to save the fire in the Reichstag, they were definitely here to arrest people! To arrest the Bolsheviks, they might also target the office of the Third International in Berlin.

Moreover, the secret sentries arranged around the office of the Third International had just reported the news that the military police and secret agents had blocked the surrounding roads.

It was obvious that the enemy would soon rush to the door to arrest people!

Natalie Lesinskaya was standing at the window at this time, looking at the empty streets illuminated by the moonlight and street lights. She guessed that Hersman did not want to break up with the Soviet Union. So his spies and military police must be waiting, waiting for Dimitrov's people to destroy all the evidence that should be destroyed, and then rush in to arrest people.

This shows that she and her comrades in the Third International are not in danger... at least there will be no danger in Germany.

But what about after being released back to the Soviet Union? People like her will probably go directly to "Sorovsky" for labor reform, right?

Just as Natalie was thinking about it, a large group of military police had already rushed downstairs to the representative office of the Third International...

"I am Congressman Thälmann. I am protected by the constitution. What right do you have to arrest me?"

At the same time, Ernst Thälmann had just returned to his home. Before he had time to call his comrades and invite them to a meeting, Stasi agents broke in, knocked Thälmann's bodyguards to the ground, and surrounded the leader of the Bolshevik Party himself.

"I am Ernst Thälmann! Do you know what you are doing?" Thälmann asked in an angry voice.

He had thought that the enemy might raise the butcher knife, but his identity as a member of parliament and the rule of law and democracy of the Weimar Republic in recent years still gave him a false sense of security.

"Mr. Thälmann," a Stasi officer pointed a gun at Thälmann and said to him with a smile, "We are here to arrest you! Because your people set fire to the Reichstag and attempted to riot and overthrow the legitimate government, which has endangered national security. According to Article 48 of the Constitution, the President issued a decree to suspend the provisions of the Constitution that protect personal freedom. The cabinet also decided to ban the German Bolshevik Party... You November criminal, I am arresting you now. If you want to resist, I will be more than happy!"

"No, I will cherish my life," Thälmann sneered, "not because I am afraid of death, but to expose the conspiracy of fascists like Hitler, Schleicher and Hessmann in court! They will not succeed for too long, and the German people will soon see their true colors!"

...

Here at the Third International Office, people are also being arrested. However, the scene is much more peaceful. The Soviet-German cooperation is still continuing. Both the Soviet Union and Germany need each other very much. Banning the German Bolshevik Party was a necessary means to implement Hitler's new policy, and there was no need to break off relations with the Soviet Union.

Sending people to seal up the office of the Third International in Germany was a simple matter - in the eyes of Hitler and Hersmann, the Third International was a tool for the Soviet government to mess up foreign countries, and it would be best if it could be driven out of Germany.

However, even if they were driven out, the harmony could not be damaged. Hersmann was unwilling to participate in the farce of "trial" Dimitrov in history - people like Dimitrov could not be scared unless they were treated harshly. Wouldn't it be boring to go to court to debate? An old socialist in 1902, who would he be afraid of when he reasoned?

So he ordered Lieutenant Colonel Stockhaus, who led the arrest team, to "politely" "protect" the friends of the Third International. In addition, Natalie Lesinskaya must be detained alone - in the Kaiserhof Hotel.

"Ms. Lesinskaya," Stockhausen smiled and shook hands with Natalie as soon as he saw her. "Today's scene is really embarrassing, but I assure you that we will not hurt anyone... The current measures are only to implement the new policy."