HITLER AND I

In September, 1939, the German army crossed the
Polish frontier, and this time war broke out on two
fronts.

The ultimate consequences of these repeated acts of
aggression did not come within the dictator's vision.
During all these years his unchanging political am-
bition had been an alliance of Germany with Italy and
Britain against Russia and France. In this he found
himself in agreement with the Pan-Germans and in
partial opposition to the real Prussians. The latter,,
represented by the Junker clique from which the officers
of the army were recruited, were in favour of a Russian
alliance. They had a centre at Bonn, a students'
organization known as the 'Borussians', a name that
stresses the similarity of race between the Slavs of the
U.S.S.R. and those of the banks of the Spree.

For centuries all self-respecting Prussians had recog-
nized only three enemies — France, Austria and
Poland, the three Powers that threatened them.

But in 1871, when German capitalism was born and
German foreign trade started its expansion, a new idea
was born in the minds of the National-Liberals, who
were supported by heavy industry and high finance.
This idea was Pan-Germanism.

Pan-Germanism aimed at European domination.
It preached an alliance with England in the interests of
foreign trade, and was fiercely hostile both to Russia
and France.

Hitler had moved a long way from the National-
Socialist programme, which certainly demanded

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