The Fourth Reich

Chapter 4

4

A hush descended as the Chief Executive of The New Aryan Order (NAO), Dirk Schmid, strode down the long aisle in the middle of the packed room. A self-assured man in his forties, six-foot-two, with broad shoulders, athletic, tanned with thinning blond hair and sharp blue eyes, he wore the Nazi uniform like the model of the perfect Aryan man. Two men followed him on stage, his brother Thorsten, the organization’s financial controller—a slimmer version of Dirk but with fearful eyes—and the operating officer, Michael Krupp, a respectable looking man in his sixties.

Close to three hundred men and women rose to their feet, and as Dirk turned at the podium to address the audience, he saluted them. In unison, the members responded with ‘Heil Hitler’ salutes. Behind him large banners featuring the swastika hung from the ceiling. A large framed photo of Adolph Hitler took pride of place on center stage.

This was no normal party; no skinheads or thugs looking for a fight or somewhere to belong. Admission was by birthright and achievement only: German ancestry, a degree qualification and an investment of half a million dollars each. They were the educated, wealthy elite; and dangerous. Together they prepared for the Nazis' return to power but Dirk Schmid had another agenda—a very personal one involving Benjamin Hoefer.

He took a deep breath and looked out over the audience; his colleagues resplendent in their uniforms. He drew strength and pride from what he saw. He began his address using the words of Adolf Hitler:

“My German countrymen and women …”

The audience burst into applause and shouted, “Heil Hitler.”

Dirk Schmid continued. “Every month we gain in strength. I look around and I see so many great minds sharing a vision. The Führer said in his speech at the Berlin Sports Palace on January 30, 1941, that ‘changes of government have occurred frequently in history, and in the history of our people. It is certain, however, that never was a change of government attended with such far-reaching results’.” The audience murmured their agreement.

Dirk continued, talking over them. “The Führer says the Reich was desperate and he was called upon to take over the leadership at a time when it did not seem that they could ever rise to power. I quote ‘We were given power in circumstances of the greatest conceivable pressure, the pressure of the knowledge that, by itself, everything was lost, and that, in the eyes of the noblest minds, this represented a last attempt’.” Dirk looked up for effect. Like Adolf Hitler, Dirk’s oratory skills were his best assets. Seeing he had the audience in his hands, he continued.

“The Führer said, ‘unless the German nation could be saved, by a miracle, the situation was bound to end in disaster.’ When he started the Movement, he had but one thousand members. Can you imagine that? How that changed once the Führer came to power! In his words, ‘here are 85,000,000 Germans looking into the future with pride and confidence. They are heirs of a great history.’ We are now heirs of a great history and this is but the beginning.”

Every person in the room rose to their feet and cheered.

“Sieg Heil,” Dirk Schmid led the crowd.

“Sieg Heil, Sieg Heil, Sieg Heil!”