It is not necessary to see Himmler’s flirtation with the opposition in black and white terms as either a genuine move against Hitler or on the other hand a high-level provocation to probe and keep the leading opposition figures under observation. It is more explicable in terms of his natural bent for intrigue, for playing one grouping against another, for knowing everything, for keeping files on everyone, and for building and maintaining power through his secret knowledge; it is explicable above all perhaps in that byzantine world in terms of his skill in keeping all options open until forced
...more
