74
Reich chancellery
Berlin
“NO!”
Inside the chancellor’s office, a wall-wide swastika as his background, Adolf Hitler ripped the press releases into pieces and flung them through the air. “A boycott of German goods? An international Jewish boycott? I will not stand for this!”
“Indeed, you should not, mein Führer.” Joseph Goebbels, sitting across Hitler’s desk alongside Hermann Goring, sat forward. “Countermeasures are in order.”
“Yes—countermeasures! Precisely! Countermeasures.” Hitler shook his head, fuming, veins prominent on his forehead.
“The rest of Europe thinks it can intimidate me? The Jews in the United States think I care for their threats? I will not compromise. I will never show weakness.” He marched to the window and looked out over the plaza.
“That’s what they want. They want me to react with weakness. ”
“Never apologize,” said Goebbels. “Instead, I suggest a boycott of our own, mein Führer. A national boycott of Jewish businesses within Germany.”
Goring cleared his throat. “We must be careful, mein Führer, not to harm our self-interests. For the time being, Jewish businesses provide a substantial share of our economy. That will change, of course, but we cannot end it abruptly. Should economic conditions sour dramatically, we will have to answer for it.”
“Then a boycott just for one day,” said Goebbels. “To show them what we are capable of. And we let it be known: if the worldwide Jews persist in their attempts to intimidate us, the boycott will be resumed until German Jewry has been annihilated.”
Hitler pointed at Goebbels. “And say just like that! ‘Until German Jewry has been annihilated.’ Those words verbatim!”
“As you wish, mein Führer.” Goebbels made a note on his pad.
“What else?” Hitler asked himself, rubbing his hands together. “We continue on our legislative path. The civil-service law.”
“Mein Führer,” said Goring. “We just passed the Enabling Act, granting you unfettered power. Perhaps a short pause might be in order before—”
“No, Hermann!” Hitler pounded his desk. “No delays. No pauses. I don’t want them in our government service. I don’t want them poisoning the minds of our children. I don’t want them in our courts. I don’t want them laying their hands on our German citizens!”
Goring knew better than to argue.
“I want that law passed next week! And what little of the Jewish intelligentsia remains will be gone.” He removed a handkerchief and wiped his mouth. “Speaking of the intelligentsia—where is its fearless leader? Have we located him?”
“Not yet,” said Goring. “We’ve searched his flat in Berlin, his cottage in Caputh, his university office. We understand he is out of the country but returns soon.”
“Well, find him!” Hitler shouted. “And lock him up! They listen to him. Everyone listens to him.”
“Don’t you worry, mein Führer.” Goebbels rose to his feet. “In no more than a week’s time, intellectualism in this country will be dead. And with it, any meaningful resistance to our cause.”