Hitler's Revolution: Ideology, Social Programs, Foreign Affairs by Richard Tedor

Author:Richard Tedor [Tedor, Richard]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi, pdf
ISBN: 9780988368217
Publisher: Richard Tedor
Published: 2013-03-16T22:00:00+00:00

Returning to the British embassy with Ogilvie-Forbes, Dahlerus received Henderson’s permission to telephone Number 10 Downing Street, the prime minister’s office in London. Dahlerus stated on the line that the Marienwerder proposals “had been formulated in order to show how extremely anxious the Führer was to reach an agreement with Great Britain,” as Cadogan reported in a memo.98 The Swede further blamed the Poles for “obstructing possibilities of negotiation.” With Europe only hours from war, Halifax responded by admonishing Henderson, “In the future please prevent persons not belonging to the English mission from using its telephone line."99

Throughout August, the English exerted none of their substantial influence over Poland to bring Warsaw to the conference table. Beck confided to U.S. Ambassador Anthony Biddle that he based Polish foreign policy on the orientation of the Western powers.100 London’s unconditional support encouraged Beck in his decision to defy and provoke Berlin. For their part, Halifax and Chamberlain were aware of the effect maintaining a potentially hostile military presence in Germany’s flank would exercise on Hitler. According to a Foreign Office memo, aides “kept Halifax supplied with information which supported Henderson’s line that Hitler was unlikely to risk his life’s work on the throw of the dice of war, unless he felt encircled."101

Duff-Cooper’s remark, “in Munich we lost 35 superbly equipped divisions” (referring to the Czech army), the Germans interpreted as proof of England’s hostile intentions.102 Had Chamberlain compelled the Poles to peacefully resolve the Danzig and minority issues with Hitler, then England would have lost Poland as an ally. The Polish diplomat Count Lubienski confessed that without Chamberlain’s guarantee, “A settlement with Germany could very easily have been reached."103

On September 1, 1939, the German invasion of Poland began. On its second day, Hitler arranged through his foreign minister another appeal to England. He offered to withdraw his army from Poland and compensate the Poles for damages, if London would mediate the Danzig/corridor dispute.104 Chamberlain’s response was to declare war on Germany the next day. Allied with England, France followed suit. Halifax commented, “Now we have forced Hitler to war."105

On September 4, French and British military leaders, including Gamelin and Ironside, privately agreed not to launch an offensive against the Reich. They also decided against aerial bombardment, fearing German retaliation. At a session of the Inter-Allied Supreme War Council one week later, the same generals speculated that any significant military pressure on the Germans may cause them to transfer troops from Poland to fight in the West. Anxious to avoid such a development, Chamberlain summarized, “There is no hurry as time is on our side."106

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