Page 119 - Was Hitler a Riddle?

106 The French Diplomats

For several weeks after Hitler’s appointment as chancellor, François-Pon-
cet alternated between exposing the anti-democratic measures of the new
government and declarations of uncertainty about its future course. He was
forceful in denouncing the elections of March 5, 1933, which yielded a de-
cisive victory for the Nazis and therefore strengthened the Führer’s hand.
He pointed out that by no stretch of the imagination could the voting be
said to have been free, despite all the promises Hitler had made to Hinden-
burg that he would not tamper with democratic processes. the ambassador
cited several government measures that violated Hitler’s commitments: the
newspapers of the social democrats and Communists had been shut down
and the two left-wing parties prohibited from organizing meetings; only
parties friendly to the Nazis were permitted access to the radio; and citizens
were subjected to various forms of intimidation and intense pressure to
vote for the Nazis.
Many Germans, in François-Poncet’s view, approved of these measures
because the reichstag fire of February 27, which had been set by a dutch
Communist, Marinus van der lubbe, had persuaded the “simple-minded
and naïve masses” that the security of the country and public order were en-
dangered and that a Bolshevik attempt to seize power was imminent. the
ambassador also invoked German history to explain the success of the Na-
zis in winning the support of the masses. Germany was a country in which
the traditions of individualism and free speech were “infinitely less well de-
veloped than the spirit of gregariousness, admiration of force, the fear of
coups, and [the tradition] of docility with regard to authority.” a month
23
later, on april 5, the ambassador informed Paul-Boncour about additional
violations of the rule of law: the government had sponsored a boycott of
Jewish businesses on april 1 and had ordered the arbitrary arrests of Jews.
these measures were further indications of Hitler’s penchant for repressive
measures against German citizens, in this case those he considered racially
inferior. 24
His first meeting with Hitler, on april 8, gave François-Poncet an op-
portunity to test his perceptions of the Führer’s personality and, more im-
portant, to probe his intentions toward France. General von Blomberg,
the minister of defense, was present, and it was therefore appropriate for
the ambassador to initiate the discussion by reminding his host of a recent
declaration he had made to the reichstag that he had “peaceful intentions”
toward other countries, and especially France. François-Poncet pointed out
that in view of the new regime’s “propaganda” on matters of foreign policy
he feared that the future looked bleak. How could Hitler reconcile his re-