“The ‘people’s chancellor’ was recently in Dresden for the ‘Reich Theater Week’. For several days. As prescribed, forests of swastika flags hung in the streets all week long, newspapers printed articles: ‘The Thrilling Experience of Dresden’ and so on. But the SA, insofar as it was not deployed on the streets, was on permanent alert (I know that from my students: ‘All these days in the Kugler Hostel!’), and the Leader appeared, disappeared, moved around, constantly slept in a different place and at a different time than had been officially announced. Like the Czar, like a Sultan and even more fearful.
And the signs of the approaching collapse are multiplying. For the first time, half hidden in a new victory report on the ‘Battle for Work’: ‘We have discharged 100,000 emergency and a small number of permanent workers from structural and civil engineering, in order to carry on the battle above all in the cities.’ I.e.: work is at a standstill on the motor roads and the housing schemes, and the more dangerous loudmouths in the city must be stopped. — Then the mysterious ‘order’ from SA chief Rohm as he went on leave to the SA as it went on leave: ‘We wish to grant our enemies the brief hope that we shall not come again. But on August 1 we will be back again in full force and do what is necessary…’ What does that mean?”
— June 13, 1934
