26 Nov. 45
desired a new system of selection. I
wanted to educate a minority which would take over the leadership.
After 15 years I arrived at my goal, after strenuous struggles and
many setbacks. When I came to power in 1933, a period of the most
difficult struggle lay behind me. Everything existing before that had
collapsed. I had to reorganize everything, beginning with the mass of
the people and extending it to the Armed Forces. First,
reorganization of the interior, abolishment of appearances of decay
and defeatist ideas, education to heroism. While reorganizing the
interior, I undertook the second task: To release Germany from its
international ties. Two particular characteristics are to be pointed
out: Secession from the League of Nations and denunciation of the
Disarmament Conference. It was a hard decision. The number of
prophets who predicted that it would lead to the occupation of the
Rhineland was large, the number of believers was very small. I was
supported by the nation, which stood firmly behind me, when I carried
out my intentions. After that the order for rearmament. Here again
there were numerous prophets who predicted misfortunes, and only a
few believers. In 1935 the introduction of compulsory armed service.
After that, militarization of the Rhineland, again a process believed
to be impossible at that time.The number of people who put trust in
me was very small. Then, beginning of the fortification of the whole
country, especially in the west.
"One year later, Austria came."--I suppose he meant
Austria went.--"This step also was considered doubtful. It
brought about a considerable reinforcement of the Reich. The next
step was Bohemia, Moravia, and Poland. This step also was not
possible to accomplish in one campaign. First of all, the western
fortification had to be finished. It was not possible to reach the
goal in one effort. It was clear to me from the first moment that I
could not be satisfied with the Sudeten-German territory. That was
only a partial solution. The decision to march into Bohemia was made.
Then followed he erection of the Protectorate, and with that the
basis for the action against Poland was laid, but I wasn't quite
clear at that time whether I should start first against the East and
then in the West, or vice versa."
There are some curious antitheses of thought in that speech, as
in most of Adolf Hitler's speeches. In one sentence he combines
guidance by Providence with the making of brutal decisions. He
constantly speaks of how very few people were with him, and