Seeking help with a sentence.

[edmont]

The main point of the below German sentence seems to be a contrast between hope and expectation. 

The sentence I guess is saying that while there might still be hope that a massive movement could bring the idea to people, there was no longer any expectation that that would happen, even in the best case. Have I understood the sentence?

Eine große Hoffnung auf eine gewaltige Bewegung verband sich allerdings nicht mehr damit, allenfalls die Erwartung, auf diese Weise die Idee an die Menschen heranzubringen.

Thank you for any assistance.

[edmont]

    
The main point of the below German sentence seems to be a contrast between hope and expectation. 

The sentence I guess is saying that while there might still be hope that a massive movement could bring the idea to people, there was no longer any expectation that that would happen, even in the best case. Have I understood the sentence?

Eine große Hoffnung auf eine gewaltige Bewegung verband sich allerdings nicht mehr damit, allenfalls die Erwartung, auf diese Weise die Idee an die Menschen heranzubringen.

Thank you for any assistance.

Since I posted the above, my sense of the meaning has changed. Is the new translation right?

New translation:

However, there was no longer great hope mixed with expectation that, in the best case, a massive movement would bring the idea to the people.

Thank you for any assistance.

[Duckduck]

Hi edmont,

sorry, both suggestions are ...  
What is meant is that there was no longer any hope that a massive movement (lots of supporters of the ideas) might form itself, but that only the expectation of people getting at least acquainted with the ideas remained.

Duckduck

[edmont]

Duckduck, thanks!  Now it's crystal clear.
What got me off track was that I wrongly took it for granted that damit referred to what followed it.