1964 TV SHOW

[Music] in 1933 one man represents the age-old virtues of judy and honor to all germany he is field marshal paul von hindenburg aging symbol of the ruling weiner republic on this day in the name of duty he will commit an act beyond all honor hindenburg will give control of germany to a man he dislikes and distrusts adolf hitler a man of violence hitler had once threatened to seize power by force he will instead accept it as a bride [Music] this is a story of men in crisis [Music] [Music] 1931 germany has been ruled by the aging single-minded old warrior field marshal paul von hindenburg honored as the symbol of glory's past he is 84 and fast slipping in personality as president however is the only man who can keep germany from being splintered by political strife few men ever held a position so vital no man ever wanted it less born to an impoverished aristocratic family young hindenburg becomes a soldier by tradition his military career is a study in obscurity after 45 years of undistinguished service he is content to retire in 1911 to live out his remaining years on a general's pension at 65 he considers his duty done in world war one he is called out of retirement as commander-in-chief of the army he wins germany's only clear-cut victory at the battle of tannenberg after the war he again retires seemingly untroubled by the chaos unrest and soaring inflation that racks germany four years later however hindenburg is told that only the hero of tannenberg can unite germany under a stable government he accepts the call to duty at the age of 78 hindenburg becomes president and his nation begins a period of remarkable economic recovery [Music] as prosperity returns to germany a small political party in munich born in the wake of the war struggles to survive its slogan is germany awake with armed revolution it's about aim it attracts its members from the political lunatic fringe called nazis they are led by a one-time vagrant painter named adolf hitler [Music] most germans dismiss the nazis as a comic band of toy soldiers particularly after they stage an abortive uprising but the debacle has taught hitler that he must find another way to power the nazi party begins a quest for respectability and members in four years hitler will recruit more than 150 000 germans mainly discontented veterans of world war one once again they play at being soldiers and hitler tells them what they want to hear that they were not defeated on the battlefield but stabbed in the back at home nationalism is hitler's theme but his goal has little to do with germany's honor he wants to destroy the government so that he can take control of the nation ironically the very power which hitler craves rests with a man who considers it a burden general hindenburg is 83 years old he is a figurehead unequipped to deal with a crisis that now threatens his nation the onslaught of the great depression of the 1930s september 1930 the depression brings adolf hitler into sudden and unexpected prominence 107 nazis have been elected in a stunning upset frightened and bewildered by the economic collapse germans have turned against the majority parties even hitler is surprised for overnight he has become leader of the second most powerful party in germany he is long ago sworn to destroy the parliamentary system using its own rules now he's ready to execute his plans without nazi votes few laws can be passed they will have to come to me he says and then i shall be able to take from them the power i want to put the government under even greater pressure he orders his stormtroopers to create chaos on the streets and to his henchman he says never have we been closer to success within weeks in berlin uniformed nazi delegates take their seats in the reichstag the german parliament they set out to systematically bring the government's activities to a standstill their favorite tactic is the walkout marching out of a session as a group they leave behind as an observer one man hitler's personal minister of propaganda joseph goebbels with parliament paralyzed it appears that hindenburg will be forced to take hitler into the government [Music] summoned to hindenburg's estate at noydeck a frightened hitler makes a poor impression on the old general hindenburg offers no government post instead he lectures hitler for disrupting the reichstag and worst of all refuses to listen when hitler tries to answer him of hitler hindenburg says he will make a post office minister at best humiliated and enraged hitler makes a brash decision he will challenge hindenburg at the polls the 1932 election campaign is dominated by hindenburg's image of strength and stability the savage nazi campaign to discredit him gains little support hindenburg is so confident of victory he personally makes just one campaign speech a mild announcement of hitler hitler's election would expose the fatherland to serious disturbance duty commands me [Music] for the most part hindenburg leaves his campaign in the hands of liberals and moderates who are also opposed to hitler in the muskegon by dyches land taking his audiences where he can find them hitler makes the same speech over and over again for every national ill he offers a scapegoat germany's defeat is blamed on the government the depression on the jews the growing disorder in germany on the communists in a spectacular stunt devised by goebbels hitler makes a flying tour of germany by being the first politician to use the airplane as a campaign tool he captures the imagination of the people in every major city he offers the same cure for every illness himself the people respond and for the first time hitler takes on the appearance of a respectable politician [Music] drawn by the nazi undercurrent of brutal anti-semitism and blatant appeals to violence the crowds grow [Music] comes right saints and merc diagon the nazi campaign shaped by goebbels stress is bred for the people honor for the nations foreign a confident hitler even attacks the venerable hindenburg calling him a tool of international traitors in this campaign for the first time even his opponents admit that hitler's hysterical oratory moves the crowd inflames the people [Applause] my [Music] on election eve may 12 1932 hitler is convinced he will win he looks forward to celebrating his next birthday in the presidential palace in april he will be 43. [Applause] for the nazi party the critical moment is approaching hitler has gambled heavily on this one spectacular throw of the dice march 13th 1932 dawn's crisp and clear for the first time in months hitler's personal army the storm troopers are not on the streets spoiling for a fight they are pressed into service to help the second the lane to the poles like every propaganda device used by the nazis this idea comes from joseph goebbels for him the campaign has been a triumph [Music] for a little known aristocrat named franz von poppin it is also a victory for von poppin is one of the men who convinced hindenburg he must run against hitler 85 years old and terribly tired hindenburg is torn between his sense of duty and his need for rest as the counting begins it becomes obvious that while the nazis are making significant gains hitler himself will fall far short of the majority needed to win the enormous gains made by the party do not satisfy hitler for he has been defeated he has received 13 million votes but it is clear that this is all he can ever acquire in a free and open election if he is to take power it must be by another means and many nazis are now advocating armed revolution now he is faced with a problem of controlling his impatient followers who are bent on victory at any price [Applause] most germans however rejoice in hindenburg's victory the old gentleman is in power somehow they feel he will put an end to the chaos in the streets cure the depression bring stability to germany it is much to ask of a doddering old man [Music] [Music] in the summer of 1932 nazi stormtroopers are openly discontented with hitler's reluctance to lead an under but hitler knows that he cannot risk open conflict with a german army loyal to hindenburg [Music] nazis are marshalled for still another national election campaign the fifth in the year there is a set routine of rallies and parades that must be followed but now there is a new sense of urgency for the nazis are running out of money the cost of maintaining an army plus the expensive election campaigns has drained the nazi treasury [Music] the german communist party is still another threat to the nazis for years they have been a convenient enemy for hitler but they openly advocate the overthrow of the government by pitting himself against them hitler masquerades as a patriot now however with the depression overwhelming germany the communists too gain strength the nation is racked by open conflict between the two militant political forces the nazis and the communists in effect by challenging hitler the communists are creating the very disorder the chaos he needs i the sound of rioting is loud enough to reach all the way to the prussian estate of president hindenburg hindenburg's answer to the problem is to give control of the nation to the army to the suggestion that hitler be brought into the government so that order can be restored he answers bluntly i will never appoint that bohemian corporals despite hindenburg's opposition and hitler's personal defeat the nazis are now the nation's largest party led by herman gerry the nazis now control 230 of the 608 seats in the reichstag effectively paralyzing the government the only solution is for hindenburg to declare a state of emergency and assume dictatorial powers but when the move is proposed german army chief general von schleicher convinces hindenburg that it will cause the army to rebel what von schleicher really wants is to be appointed chancellor and hindenburg in desperation gives him the post the backroom intrigues of german politics frustrated schleich's plans he had hoped to gain the support of enough splinter parties to form a majority in the reichstag but out of the scheming and bargaining one man emerges with a dangerous idea he is 53 year old franz von puppen a close friend of hindenburg's von poppin surrounds himself with the elite of german society gentlemen all they displayed dueling scars as badges of honor with these man as his cabinet von poppin had at one time been chancellor of germany but because of hitler he had been deposed now von poppin is sure he can return to power by making hitler chancellor for reserving the real authority for himself [Music] hitler knows that his nazi party is in danger torn by strife nearly bankrupt it is threatened by collapse until now he has arrogantly turned down all offers to form a coalition government unless he is in full command when von poppin invites him to a meeting hitler readily accepts he knows he must take action soon the old confidence begins to return [Music] convinced that he can put hitler in his pocket von poppin explains his proposal hitler can be chancellor and can even appoint nazis to three of the eleven ministries the stipulations are three hitler must abide by the constitution he must never see president hindenburg alone and von poppin must be retained as vice chancellor deluding himself that he can control hitler by being his only lifeline to hindenburg von poppin sets out to convince his old friend to confirm the deal lured by the scent of power from pop and hastens to noidec hindenburg the symbol of duty and honor listens to the voice of expedience to soften the blow von poppin assures hindenburg that he will never have to deal with hitler alone i will always be with him he says tired of the intrigue hindenburg signs the order [Music] after 14 years of violent struggle hitler has at last achieved the goal he set for himself as a [ __ ] in vienna for hindenburg the ordeal is over an aging general and a cynical opportunist have paved the way for adolf hitler to become the chancellor of germany delirious stormtroopers march in the streets the third reich of adolf hitler is born it will last he says a thousand years on this night gerbils writes in his diary it is almost like a dream a fairy tale 14 years of work have been crowned with victory [Applause] historian alan bullock comments adolf hitler has come to power not as the result of any irresistible revolutionary or national movement nor even of a political victory at the polls but as part of a shoddy political deal hitler did not seize power it was given to him through back stairs and trees [Music] august 2nd 1934 hindenburg is dead all of germany pays tribute with a moment of silence [Music] so with the funeral of hindenburg the last vestige of restraint disappears for adolf hitler the last obstacle has finally been removed his control of germany is now absolute an old idol is gone a new one is raised up [Music] because order was valued more than honor adolf hitler has had his way a nation has become the tool of a tyrant here [Applause] [Music] me [Music] so you