Читаем Soldaten полностью

CRÜWELL: I am convinced that a great part of the FÜHRER’S success as Party Leader is accounted for by pure mass suggestion. It’s bound up with a kind of hypnotism, and he can exercise this on a great many people. I know people who are undoubtedly superior to him mentally and who yet fall under his spell. I cannot explain why it doesn’t affect me. I mean, I know perfectly well that he carries a superhuman burden of responsibility; what he said to me about AFRICA was astonishing, but I can’t say that (I was influenced). One outstanding thing is his hands—he has beautiful hands. You don’t notice it in the photographs. He has the hands of an artist. I always looked at his hands; they are beautiful hands, and there is nothing common about them—they are aristocratic hands. In his whole manner, there is nothing of the little man about him. What surprised me so much—I thought he would fix me with an eagle eye—I don’t mean I expected a long speech but… “Allow me to present you with the Oakleaves,” in a quiet voice, you understand. I had pictured that quite differently.⁴⁹⁴

WALDECK: All his notions are prompted by his feelings.

CRÜWELL: If he wants to influence his people, then he must behave naturally. If he considers the impression he wants to give, then it’s bad. I know very good soldiers who have always sought out someone on whom to model themselves. That’s always bad. He has an elastic step. He is very nicely dressed, quite simply, with black trousers and a coat. Rather more grey than this one, it’s not field grey. I don’t know what kind of material it is, and unlike GÖRING, he wears no decorations!⁴⁹⁵