. NMT06-T0434
Volume VI · Page 434
| [responsi…] bility, would gradually become more moderate and would steer a more reasonable coarse. Thus my opinion was strengthened by the slow and moderate political development in my own home town here, where the NSDAP had also put representatives in the most responsible offices, and these representatives seemed very moderate and intelligent. Added to that was that the achievements in the economic and social fields during the first years doubtlessly had to be recognized, particularly the solution found to the unemployment problem was an achievement which at that time had to impress every businessman and for which one or the other mistake of the government in one field or another could be forgiven. We have never found a government with which we would be 100 percent satisfied, at least not in Germany. What I did not like was the complete penetration by the Party into all phases of life, all branches of the political and economic life, the so-called synchronization of all units and organizations [Gleichschaltung aller Verbaende, aller Organisationen], and a certain coercion which in some respect could be noted from the beginning The SA ruled the streets, there were too many uniforms altogether. But at that time I traveled abroad quite a bit. My firm at certain times exported 60 to 70 percent of their total production and I visited roughly 20 countries during the years when I worked with my firm. During these trips abroad I could also see that the opinion in foreign countries was divided with respect to the new government. In many respects Germany had even gained in reputation. Successes in the field of foreign policy were added, which had been achieved with the constant emphasis by Hitler that he, as an old combat soldier had learned to know what war was and dreaded it, and that his only aim was to get Germany on equal footing with other countries again. One saw that many foreign statesmen came to Germany, from France, and from England, and that they had friendly negotiations with the German Government. In the Saar an overwhelming majority voted for the reattachment to Germany. The proclamation of the rearmament and remilitarization of the Rhineland was accepted by the foreign powers, in England partly even with friendly commentaries; and the successful conclusion of the German-English Naval Treaty made a great impression, too. Then the international events in Germany — the Olympics in 1936, for instance, showed the German people that the government was well-considered abroad, and doubtlessly that led to the taking up of many personal contacts in foreign countries. At the beginning of 1938 followed the annexation [Anschluss] of Austria amidst great joy and jubilation of the Austrian population. In autumn 1938 the Munich Agreement found the solution to a problem — a |
