You know, it's possible for someone to be smart and resourceful enough to find a way to conceal the gathering and mobilization of a large force of mercenaries and the like to raid the forest, only to have their intelligence/cunning fail them at a crucial moment that makes them look stupid. Adolf Hitler was smart enough to learn from his earlier mistakes in attempting to take over the German government (namely, the Beer Hall Putsch) and figure out how to seize power from within the Weimar Republic political system (instead of a revolt, which essentially attempts a takeover from outside the system), and was also smart enough to notice and exploit several opportunities in the subsequent years to cement his power, including testing the willingness of his potential enemies to crack down on his attempts at expansionism (answer: not much willingness to start a war, thus being able to get away with occupying Czechoslovakia and annexing Austria; it took invading Poland for the UK and France to declare war); but then he proved stupid enough to believe that overengineered super-heavy tanks like the Tiger is a more practical option than increasing production of the tried and proven Panzer IVs and Panthers, that Germany had an actual chance at defeating the Soviet Union, that he knew better than his own generals at how to conduct a war despite him having never risen above the rank of corporal (not even a commissioned officer!), and that guts could somehow defy reality and overcome impossible odds.