4. Unconscious Political Principles

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. INTRODUCTION vii
3. CONTENTS xiii
4. PART I: The Early Years: Far Removed from Politics
5. 1. As a Child at Home 3
6. 2. Schooldays (1891-1902) 7
7. 3. University (1902-1905) 13
8. 4. Unconscious Political Principles 22
9. 5. When You Do Not Know What You Want— 29 In-Service Training (1906-1909) 29
10. 6. The Great State Examination—Death of My Father— Judge in Lubeck (1910) 34
11. 7. In the Federal Department of Justice (1910-1918) 38
12. PART II: Political Awakening
13. 8. Events But Dimly Noticed 44
14. 9. Political Education Through the War's Outbreak (1914) 49
15. 10. Political Education Through the War's Aims 59
16. 11. Political Education Through the Struggle for World Opinion 70
17. 12. Constitution and Leadership 72
18. 13. Life Before Death Goes on Even in War 75
19. PART III: Political Education through the War’s End
20. 14. My First Weeks in the Chancellery—Discovery of the Real Situation (October, 1918) 80
21. 15. Interlude: A Non-Delivered Speech 96
22. 16. The Last Cabinet Meeting Before the Revolution in Kiel (November 2,1918): Minutes Lost, But Rediscovered 97
23. PART IV: Political Education through Revolution
24. 17. The German November Revolution 108
25. 18. The Chancellery in the Period of Transition from Monarchy to Republic 119
26. 19. The Struggle Around a Proletarian Dictatorship 126
27. 20. Lack of Power from the Top Downward 131
28. 21. Why the Old Army? Why Not a New People’s Guard ? 139
29. PART V: Weimar
30. 22. Political Education Through the Act of Voting 147
31. 23. Democracy and Constitution 153
32. 24. The Chancellery in the Transition to Democracy— The Struggle for a Planned Economy 159
33. 25. The Peace Treaty—Responsibility for the Collapse 164
34. 26. Erzberger in Weimar 169
35. 27. Looking Back at Life in Weimar 171
36. PART VI: The Loss of Pro-democratic Majorities
37. 28. Vain Attempt to Escape Politics—Controversy with Ludendorff 174
38. 29. A Winter of Unpleasantness—Kapp Putsch—Loss of the Democratic Majority (1919-1920) 175
39. 30. Reflections on the Loss of a Pro-Democratic Majority Under a Democratic Constitution 184
40. 31. The First Cabinet Without Socialists (1920) 191
41. 32. Historical Turning Points—Meetings with Pohner, Hitler, Pacelli (1920,1921) 194
42. 33. Figures Difficult to Understand 201
43. 34. Meeting Hauptmann 203
44. 35. The Two Bachelors: Wirth and Rathenau 204
45. 36. Changes in the Chancellery and in the Cabinet 212
46. 37. The Anniversary of the Constitution (August 11, 1921) 215
47. 38. The Death of Erzberger 218
48. 39. The End of My Three Years in the Chancellery—Taking Over the Constitution Division in the Ministry of the Interior 220
49. PART VII: Reformer in the Ministry of the Interior (1921-1927)
50. 40. The Magic of Limited Functions 223
51. 41. Staff Problems 224
52. 42. The Death of Rathenau 226
53. 43. Political Consequences of the Rathenau Murder 231
54. 44. Edging to the Right—Black-Red-Gold—Stresemann’s Flag-Damascus 234
55. 45. Occupation of the Ruhr—Revolt in Bavaria—Hitler Putsch—The Hundred Days of Chanceller Stresemann 237
56. 46. Changes in the Ministry of the Interior 241
57. 47. Germany's Reorganization (Reichsreform) 244
58. 48. Electoral Reform 247
59. 49. Easing of International and Economic Tensions—The Dawes Plan—Further Jolt to the Right 250
60. 50. Ebert’s Death 254
61. 51. Hindenburg's Election: The Apparent and the Real Surprise 256
62. 52. Continuing Work Under Anti- and Pro-Democratic Ministers—Luther's Defeat on the Flag Issue 260
63. 53. Dimissal by My Eighth Minister—Appointment in Prussia 263
64. PART VIII: Across the Wilhelmstrasse— Working for Germany from Prussia
65. 54. Prussia in the Twenties 269
66. 55. The Reichsrat (Federal Council) 273
67. 56. Rapporteur for the Federal Budget—International Comparison of Public Expenditures 276
68. 57. The Myth of the Pocket Battleship 280
69. PART IX: The Struggle for Germany’s Reorganization (Reichsreform)
70. 58. Fitting Prussia and Bavaria into Germany's Reorganization 285
71. 59. Death of My Mother 288
72. 60. Declining Appointment to Chief of the Chancellery 289
73. 61. The Triumph of Cooperation 290
74. 62. Bavaria’s Dissent 296
75. 63. Backstage in Prussia—My Relations to Minister-President Braun 299
76. 64. The Failure of the Federal Reform 300
77. PART X: From Young Plan to Brüning’s Dismissal
78. 65. The Young Plan and Dr. Schacht’s Leaving the Democratic Band Wagon 304
79. 66. Stresemann's Death and the End of the Great Coalition 309
80. 67. Brüning 311
81. 68. Brüning’s Fight Against Reparations and Germany’s Unilateral Disarmament 317
82. 69. Brüning’s Fight Against Unemployment—His Policy of Deflation 320
83. 70. Brüning’s Frontal Attack on National Socialism 324
84. 71. The Prussian Government’s Fight Against National Socialism 325
85. 72. Personal Commitment—Deutschlandbund 327
86. 73. Presidential Election, 1932—Hindenburg’s Re-Election— Dissolution of Hitler’s Storm Troops—Brüning’s Triumph Thwarted—The Tragedy of a Rule Too Weakly Grounded 331
87. PART XI: Why into the Abyss? (1932-1933)
88. 74. Hindenburg’s Ominous About-Turn 337
89. 75. Dilettante Methods 341
90. 76. Germany’s Reorganization by Force 345
91. 77. The 20th of July, 1932—My Speech at the Supreme Constitutional Court 352
92. 78. Equal Treatment of National Socialists and Communists ? 360
93. 79. Active or Passive Resistance ? 364
94. 80. Intermezzo—Papen Caught in His Own Snares 368
95. 81. Proceedings Before the Supreme Constitutional Court—Its Decision (October 10-25, 1932) 370
96. 82. The Myth of the Court’s Failure 376
97. 83. Back in the Reichsrat—Refusal of Promotion to State Secretary 380
98. 84. Hope and Lull—Stab in the Back—Papen’s Triumph, and Hitler’s 381
99. 85. What Were the Alternatives? 389
100. 86. Reflections on the Responsibilities for Hitler’s Appointment 392
101. PART XII: From Hitler’s Appointment to His Obtaining Total Power
102. 87. How Far Will Hitler Go? 400
103. 88. Hitler in the Reichsrat (February 2, 1933) 406
104. 89. Renewed Dismissal of the Prussian Cabinet—Unconstitutional Dissolution of the Landtag (February 6, 1933) 409
105. 90. My Dismissal Repeated—The Reichsrat Disemboweled—Braun and Severing Charged with Fraud—The Reichstag Arson (February 27) 412
106. 91. Braun Crosses Lake Constance Too Soon—The Elections (March 5, 1933)—Eviction from Our Quarters—Resignation of the Prussian Ministers—The End of Prussia 421
107. 92. From the Enabling Act to One-Party Rule 425
108. 93. Reflections on the Responsibility for Hitler’s Obtaining Total Power 431
109. 94. Personal Fate Amidst Impersonal Disaster—Arrest—Departure from Germany (November 9, 1933) 436
110. PART XIII: In the United States (Since 1933)
111. 95. Role Change in Mid-Life 446
112. 96. Risky Visits to Germany Before the War 448
113. 97. The Death of Gertrud and Ossip (July, 1939) 452
114. 98. The United States and Germany: During the War and Shortly After 455
115. 99. Postwar Problems—Germany’s Reunification 459
116. 100. Personal Experiences in the United States 468
117. 101. Science, Practice, and Faith 482
118. EPILOGUE 495
119. APPENDIX 499
120. PUBLICATIONS WITH POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS AFTER 1933 BY ARNOLD BRECHT 512
121. SYNOPSIS OF CHAPTER NUMBERS IN THE GERMAN AND AMERICAN EDITIONS OF THESE MEMOIRS 518
122. INDEX 521