It Cannot be Stormed

by Ernst von Salomon

This is the story of the disaffected intellectual Iversen, who runs a small newspaper in Weimar Germany during the 1920s. He becomes involved in the Farmers' Movement, a revolutionary organisation which forms around the archetypal, heroic farmer Claus Heim. Iversen heckles the oppressive, debt-ridden German institutions in the name of traditional peasants' rights. A series of outrageous events prompts him to leave the countryside for an unspecified town in an effort to mobilise the forces of political dissatisfaction on behalf of the farmers' interests. He prowls the fragmentary landscape of Weimar-era underground politics, vainly seeking allies among the Communists, National Socialists and anyone who will listen, never being quite sure where he stands or why. Finally he is left only with his sense of attachment to the rural life to which he's never quite belonged, and his loyalty to Claus Heim, as he navigates a dark world that is careening toward disaster.

Ernst von Salomon (1902-1972) was one of the writers of the German Conservative Revolution of the 1920s. A member of the paramilitary Freikorps, he participated in the assassination of Foreign Minister Walther Rathenau, for which he was imprisoned. He went on to write many books and film scripts. It Cannot Be Stormed is one of his lesser-known works. As much a politico-philosophical tract as a novel, it describes both the ideology and the atmosphere of inter-war German counterculture through the eyes of a tragic hero.

Genres: German Literature, Fiction, Politics

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1932

About the author

German writer and Freikorps member.

He was born in Kiel, the son of an army officer. From 1913 he was a cadet in Karlsruhe and Berlin-Lichterfelde; starting in 1919, he joined the Freikorps ("Free-Corps") in the Baltic, where he fought against the Bolsheviks. Later he fought against Polish insurgents in Upper Silesia.

He received a five year prison sentence in 1922 for his part in the assassination of Walther Rathenau — he provided a car for the assassins. In 1927, he received another prison sentence for an attempted feme murder (paramilitary "self-justice"), and was released after a few months - he had not killed the severely wounded victim, Wagner, when he pleaded for his life, which was noted by the court.

After 1933, Salomon said, he did not support Nazism. He earned his living by writing film scripts. His wife, Ille Gotthelft, was Jewish but was protected due to his support. In his autobiography The Answers of Ernst von Salomon he described how both were mistreated by American soldiers when they were arrested, and called "Nazi swine."

Salomon was imprisoned by the Americans as POW from 1945–1946. The 1940 colonial film Carl Peters, which Salomon wrote the screenplay for, was forbidden by British occupation authorities, because of allegedly being "anti-English".

In 1951 he published the book Der Fragebogen ("The Questionnaire"), in which he gave his rather ironic answers to the 131 point questionnaire concerning their activities under Nazism. A famous public discussion of the book took place in the main train station of Cologne, organised by bookseller Gerhard Ludwig.

Salomon died in Stoeckte near Winsen.

Reviews

[noblethumos · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It Cannot be Stormed" is a memoir written by German nationalist and conservative author Ernst von Salomon, first published in 1932. The book recounts von Salomon's experiences as a member of the Freikorps, a paramilitary group that arose in Germany after World War I.

Von Salomon was a prominent figure in the Freikorps, which was composed of demobilized soldiers and other right-wing nationalists who were opposed to the new Weimar Republic government. The Freikorps engaged in a range of violent activities, including suppressing left-wing uprisings and assassinating political opponents.

"It Cannot be Stormed" is a controversial book, as it presents a sympathetic view of the Freikorps and their actions. Von Salomon argues that the Freikorps were a necessary response to the chaos and disorder of the Weimar Republic, and that they were fighting for a noble cause.

The book was widely read in Germany in the early 1930s, and it was seen as a precursor to the rise of Nazism. However, von Salomon himself was critical of the Nazi regime, and he was eventually imprisoned by the Gestapo for his opposition to Hitler.

Today, "It Cannot be Stormed" is viewed as a historical document that sheds light on the political and social turmoil of Germany in the aftermath of World War I. However, it is also controversial for its sympathetic portrayal of the Freikorps, who are often associated with right-wing extremism and political violence.

GPT

[Friedrich Mencken · Rating 1 out of 5]

What an insufferable windbag! Endless fictional dialog that leads nowhere, just seems like a whole lotta nonsense to me.

[Shortsman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get that you can write a fiction book that's supposed to further a real, non-fiction discussion, but this book is pretty much nothing but discussion and dialogue.

[Richard Zellers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I'm only 3/4 completed with this book, I really don't want to finish. Just over half way through it gets very preachy and tries to be philosophical, but is just boring and distracting.
There is a better story about same issue, the farmer's revolt, Landvolkbewegung, in 1928, titled A Small Circus by Hans Fallada.