The New Federalist December 4, 1987 Pages 5 and 8

American Almanac
Munich's Lesson for Ronald Reagan
by Molly Hammett Kronberg
Neville Chamberlain. . . . . . and the man he trusted.
A man in his seventies, head o government o one o the world!s greatest
"owers, decides that he wants to be the one to bring a generation o "eace to
the whole world# $e %nows he conronts great obstacles in doing this& he is
aced with an aggressive o""onent bent on b'ilding a gigantic war(machine
or his own co'ntr)# *'t, reasons the "eacema%er, he %nows, with his charm
and "olitical savv), how to gain the tr'st and coo"eration o even the most
violent, intractable oe#
This "eacema%er has come to dis"'te the arg'ment that the onl) g'arantee
o "eace is a strong deense# +n the midst o a lingering economic de"res(
sion, he longs to be able to c't his own government!s deense b'dget, and to
conront his aggressive o""onent with s'ch deals and com"romises that the
o""onent will do the same#
,onald ,eagan- No, Neville .hamberlain/ whose name has become
s)non)mo's with a""easement& who, 50 )ears ago, gave the 1est one o
the greatest strategic setbac%s in its histor), at the 2'nich conerence with
Adol $itler in 3e"tember 1948#
Toda), the President o the 5nited 3tates, ,onald ,eagan, also wishes to go
down in histor) as a great "eacema%er# To that end, he "ro"oses to sign with
2i%hail 6orbachev o the 3oviet 5nion, at a s'mmit conerence on Dec# 7,
an +ntermediate N'clear Force treat) which he believes will create "eace or
a generation# 5nort'natel), the o""osite is the case# +t will disarm o'r
allies in 7'ro"e, and arm o'r oes in 2oscow# +t will bring disaster on the
1est once more, a disaster ar more "roo'nd than even that o 1948#
1hat does histor) teach 's in this crisis- 2'nich is the stor) o how the
leading 1estern "owers o the da) betra)ed a aith'l all) or the sa%e o a
s"'rio's 8"eace,8 and in so doing o"ened the wa) to war# 9'st as the +NF
Treat) toda) will betra) o'r 7'ro"ean allies, and bring war '"on 's in the
name o "eace#
Man of Munich
+n 1948, Neville .hamberlain, the wo'ld(be architect o a generation o
"eace, was 70 )ears old, the Tor) Prime 2inister o 6reat *ritain# A
conservative, b) bac%gro'nd and career a scra"") "olitical in(ighter with a
re"'tation or to'ghness and coolness/a man who had climbed to the to" o
the Tor) Part) and government b) means o his determination and wits/
.hamberlain did not seem the %ind o man who co'ld be blac%mailed or
b'aloed b) an)one# 3ort o the wa) ,eagan seemed to Americans, when
the) voted overwhelmingl) or him in 1980 and !84#
1ith characteristic determination, .hamberlain had decided to c't thro'gh
the red ta"e and b'rea'cratic conerences that characteri:ed 7'ro"ean
di"lomac), and as% one ;'estion/81hat do )o' reall) want-8/directl) o
Adol $itler, the F'ehrer o the rearming nation o Na:i 6erman)# And
.hamberlain was conident that he, with his )ears o "olitical e<"erience,
wo'ld be able to arrange 7'ro"ean matters so that $itler got what he
wanted, learned to behave li%e a gentleman, and was bloc%ed rom la'nching
general war#
A Tough ld !u""ard#
.hamberlain was not ;'ite the wim" he now seems to have been# The
"ostwar image o him as a doddering old coot with 'mbrella and bowler hat
is s'"ericial, at best# As histor) has ta'ght, he was a do'ble(d)ed ool/b't
to his contem"oraries, he seemed a to'gh old b'::ard with whom the) hated
to tangle# +n the )ears leading '" to 2'nich, .hamberlain had mowed down
most o his "olitical o""onents in *ritain, starting rom his "ost as Tor)
.hancellor o the 7<che;'er =1941(47>? the man who r'ined the 'nding o
the *ritish deense "rogram#
And, ater he became Prime 2inister o *ritain in 1947, .hamberlain
cleared o't his .abinet with the same r'thlessness and eicienc)# Pre"aring
or his 2'nich debacle, he had h'ng rom his belt the "olitical scal"s o
man) l'minaries, Anthon) 7den most "rominentl)# $e got rid o those who
disagreed with his "olic), irst im"lemented at the 7<che;'er, o c'tting the
*ritish deense b'dget to ribbons, and he got rid o his longtime riends rom
the .onservative Part), who were 'nnerved b) his )earnings to deal with
$itler#
The 8great vision8 animating .hamberlain in his .abinet "'rges was that o
coming to terms with Na:i 6erman), containing $itler and t'rning this
terri)ing creat're into a reliable asset o the *ritish "olic) o 8balance o
"ower8 on the continent o 7'ro"e# .hamberlain!s to" adviser, the sinister
3ir $orace 1ilson, ass'red him that he co'ld win his la'rels or taming the
beast/not 'nli%e the line o the 5#3# 3tate De"artment toda), in its :eal to
beriend the 3oviet dictatorshi"#
Angel of $eace
1as there an) reason or .hamberlain to be war) o $itler- Ater all, $itler
had s"o%en almost incessantl) o "eace or the "ast ive )ears# $e s"o%e o
"eace more oten, more eelingl), more movingl) even than 2i%hail
6orbachev# +n 2a) 1944, o'r months ater coming to "ower, $itler gave
The Peace 3"eech which molded 7'ro"ean o"inion so eectivel), and
erroneo'sl), or )ears to come# @ne o his harshest critics, Aonrad $eiden,
wrote, 8$itler ste""ed orward in the ig're o an eccentric saint who
a""arentl) was slow to give his signat're, b't once he had given it, never
bro%e his word# # # # Facts were "owerless against the tone o tr'th in $itler!s
B"eaceC s"eeches# # # # 1hen he stood beore the ,eichstag and the world on
2a) 17, Fate, or a moment at least, "'t it in his "ower to sa) what the
world elt#8
And what was that- $itler declared?
No new 7'ro"ean war wo'ld be able to re"lace the 'nsatisactor)
conditions o toda) with an) better ones# # # # 7ven i a new 7'ro"ean
sol'tion bro'ght a decisive s'ccess, the end res'lt wo'ld be onl) to
increase the dist'rbance o the 7'ro"ean balance, th's "lanting the
seeds o new 't're conlicts and entanglements# New wars, new
victims, new insec'rit), and new economic distress# # # # 1e see the
7'ro"ean nations aro'nd 's as a given act# Frenchmen, Poles, and so
on are o'r neighbors, and we %now that no event that is historicall)
conceivable can change this realit)#
Two )ears later, in 2a) 1945, $itler was singing the same song?
The blood shed on the 7'ro"ean continent in the co'rse o the last 400
)ears bears no "ro"ortion to the national res'lt o the events# +n the
end, France has remained France, 6erman) 6erman), Poland Poland,
and +tal) +tal)# 1hat d)nastic egoism, "olitical "assion and "atriotic
blindness have attained in the wa) o a""arentl) ar(reaching "olitical
changes b) shedding rivers o blood has, as regards national eeling,
done no more than to'ched the s%in o the nations#
1hat did $itler oer-
6erman) has solemnl) recogni:ed and g'aranteed France her ron(
tiers as determined ater the 3aar "lebiscite# # # # 1e thereb) inall)
reno'nced all claims to Alsace(Dorraine, a land or which we have
o'ght two great wars# # # # 1itho't ta%ing the "ast into acco'nt,
6erman) has concl'ded a non(aggression "act with Poland# # # # 1e
shall adhere to it 'nconditionall)# # # # 1e recogni:e Poland as the
home o a great and nationall) conscio's "eo"le#
Did the 1est want disarmament, to save the e<"ense o mo'nting an
ade;'ate deense- $itler was read) to go the limit# $e became the greatest
cham"ion o 7'ro"ean disarmament?
The 6erman government is read) to agree to an) limitation which
leads to abolition o the heaviest arms, es"eciall) s'ited or aggres(
sion, s'ch as the heaviest artiller) and the heaviest tan%s# # # # 6er(
man) declares hersel read) to agree to an) limitation whatsoever o
the caliber o artiller), battleshi"s, cr'isers and tor"edo boats# The
6erman government is read) to agree to the limitation o tonnage or
s'bmarines, or to their com"lete abolition#
Finall), $itler said with eeling?
1hoever lights the torch o war in 7'ro"e can wish or nothing b't
chaos# 1e, however, live in the irm conviction that in o'r time will
be 'lilled not the decline b't the renaissance o the 1est# That
6erman) ma) ma%e an im"erishable contrib'tion to this great wor% is
o'r "ro'd ho"e and o'r 'nsha%able belie#
7'ro"e was charmed/and *ritish .hancellor o the 7<che;'er Neville
.hamberlain as%ed his colleag'es, .an!t we deal with this man-
Toda) the 3tate De"artment tells ,eagan he has nothing to ear rom
6orbachev, o'r latter(da) evangelist o 8"eace#8 +t was not tr'e in the 1940s&
it is not tr'e now# *'t ater "eace s"eeches li%e those cited above, how
co'ld .hamberlain %now he had to be ca'tio's in dealing with $itler-
7asil)/E'st as we arg'e toda) that 6orbachev means war, not "eace# The
most c'rsor) loo% at $itler!s record sho'ld have told .hamberlain that here
was bloodshed, br'talit), and an overriding "lan or aggressive war# +n
1948, as .hamberlain "re"ared his 2'nich debacle, he co'ld have loo%ed at
$itler!s career in the ive )ears since he had come to "ower =or the 14 )ears
beore that, the inanc) and adolescence o the Na:i movement>#
3ince becoming 6erman .hancellor in 1944, $itler had?
F ctober %&''( 1ithdrawn rom the Deag'e o Nations and the 6eneva
Disarmament .onerence#
F )uly %&'*( 7gged on his Na:i bac%ers in A'stria to attem"t a co'", and to
m'rder the co'ntr)!s .hancellor, 7ngelbert Doll'ss#
F March %&'+( ,e"'diated the Gersailles Treat) and anno'nced the
"eacetime e<"ansion o the 6erman Arm) =limited at Gersailles to 100,000
soldiers> to 500,000 men#
F Also March %&'+( ,evealed that 6erman) was b'ilding an Air Force, the
D'twae =soon to become the world!s largest>, in contravention o the
Gersailles Treat)#
F May %&'+( Anno'nced that 6erman) no longer elt bo'nd b) the
Docarno Pact#
F March %&',( 3ent 6erman troo"s into the ,hineland/b) the Docarno
and Gersailles Treaties, a demilitari:ed b'er area between France and
6erman)#
F March %&'-( And, si< months beore 2'nich, m'gged the A'strian
government and ta%en over A'stria#
Did this mean onl) that $itler was reestablishing his co'ntr)!s "ower and
inde"endence- Ater all, 6erman) had been stri""ed o territor), wealth,
sovereignt), and sel(esteem b) the wretched terms o the Gersailles Treat)
that ended 1orld 1ar +#
1ell, i .hamberlain tho'ght so, he co'ld have reviewed $itler!s record in
domestic aairs, to get a meas're o the man he "ro"osed to beriend#
Domesticall), $itler had?
F %&''.'*( @'tlawed all o""osition "arties and trade 'nions, and thrown
their leaders into concentration cam"s#
F )une %&'*( 2'rdered abo't 1,000 actional o""onents in the Na:i Part),
in the blood(soa%ed Night o the Dong Anives# And E'stiied this ram"age
b) telling the ,eichstag that 8+n those ho'rs,8 he had been 8s'"reme trib'nal
o the 6erman nation#8
F /e0tember %&'+( Forbidden 6erman)!s 9ews to marr) other 6ermans, or
to "ractice medicine or law, or to teach, or to serve in the government or
armed orces o their co'ntr)# This was the "rel'de to a traged) o antastic
"ro"ortions#
*'t $itler had done it all to the accom"animent o h)mns to "eace/as the
,'ssians do now, while b'tchering Aghanistan, bac%ing Ahomeini, and
threatening o'r 7'ro"ean and Asian allies# $ow was .hamberlain to %now-
TH1 NA23 1M$3R1 A4T1R M5N3CH
The /etting
At the end o 1947, ater .hamberlain!s irst hal()ear as Prime 2inister, the
"revailing attit'de o the *ritish .abinet toward $itler was that e<"ressed b)
7dward Dord $alia<, one o .hamberlain!s best riends and Dord Priv)
3eal# $alia<, having met with $itler in November 1947, ret'rned to
Dondon to tell the .abinet that the F'ehrer was a 86andhi in Pr'ssian
boots,8 a visionar) li%e the +ndian leader, a man with the highest ambitions
or his "eo"le who was 8more a "ro"het than a "olitician#8
.hamberlain nodded sagel)& this conormed to his own view, that $itler
wo'ld behave i onl) he were 'nderstood#
2eantime, a ew wee%s ater meeting with $alia<, $itler reorgani:ed his
government or war# *etween December 1947 and Febr'ar) 1948, $itler
cashiered his 1ar 2inister, 6en# 1erner *lomberg =heretoore one o
$itler!s biggest ans> or ins'icient :eal or war& his Foreign 2inister,
*aron von Ne'rath =to bring in the odio's 9oachim von ,ibbentro">& and
his 7conomics 2inister and Pleni"otentiar) or 1ar 7conom), $Ealmar
3chacht =to be re"laced b) $ermann 6oering># *) the time his "'rge was
done, $itler himsel had ass'med direct control o the 6erman Armed
Forces#
As soon as this was accom"lished, $itler too% the action which sho'ld have
showed the dimmest intellects in *ritain how m'ch a man o 8"eace8 he
was# @n 2arch 11(1H, 1948, he sent the 6erman Arm) across the 6erman(
A'strian border, occ'"ied his homeland, and, rom Gienna, "roclaimed
A'stria a "rovince o the 6erman ,eich#
The inde"endent state o A'stria had overnight ceased to e<ist# And $itler
had added 7 million so'ls, an entire co'ntr), and its militar), to his ,eich#
Not a shot was ired#
*'t .hamberlain!s .abinet too% a "aciic view# 8The A'strians are !reall)!
6ermans, ater all,8 the) reasoned# The) "ointed to the warm A'strian
rece"tion or $itler and his troo"s, as 8"rooI that A'stria, with her
tho'sand()ear histor), "reerred to be wi"ed o't as a nation#
3o the Na:i Anschluss with A'stria did nothing to dam"en .hamberlain!s
desire or a great "eace combine with $itler# + an)thing, it whetted
.hamberlain!s desire to ind the magic orm'la b) which he co'ld bind this
diic'lt character $itler to him in detente#
The *ritish redo'bled eorts to come to an 'nderstanding# And in 2a)
1948 $itler began to beat the dr'ms over .:echoslova%ia# Fo'r months
later, at 2'nich, .:echoslova%ia was m'rdered#
Hitler's Target
+t did not ta%e a geni's to loo% at the ma" o 7'ro"e in s"ring 1948, and
ded'ce that $itler!s ne<t target m'st be .:echoslova%ia# +n act, l)ing bac%
to *erlin ater the Anschluss with A'stria, in 2arch 1948, $itler had torn
rom a Giennese news"a"er a ma" o .entral 7'ro"e, showing the new
borders o the Third ,eich, and handed it to 6en# 1ilhelm Aeitel, head o
6erman)!s @A1# $itler laid oreinger and th'mb along 6erman)!s new
borders =e<tended b) the addition o A'stria>, and then closed the circle/
aro'nd .:echoslova%ia# $e t'rned to Aeitel and win%ed#
*'t the word in the *ritish government/and other 7'ro"ean ca"itals/was
that it wo'ld ta%e $itler a long time to 8digest8 A'stria, so no new aggres(
sions or demands need be eared immediatel)#
Jet secretl), in A"ril 1948, two wee%s ater the end o A'stria, $itler laid o't
to Aeitel wa)s and means or ta%ing over .:echoslova%ia# The introd'ction
to $itler!s memo read?
A# Political Possibilities
1# A strategic s'r"rise attac% o't o a clear s%) with no ca'se or
E'stiication won!t do# ,es'lt wo'ld be? hostile world o"inion, which
can lead to critical sit'ation# # # #
H# Action ater a "eriod o di"lomatic clashes, which grad'all) come
to a crisis and lead to war#
4# Dightning(swit action as the res'lt o an incident =e#g#, assassina(
tion o 6erman ambassador in connection with an anti(6erman
demonstration>#
$itler contem"lated m'rdering his own ambassador to .:echoslova%ia, to
"rovide a "rete<t or invasion#
Then, on 2a) 40, 1948, $itler revised his directive or .ase 6reen =the
6erman Arm)Ks battle "lan or con;'ering .:echoslova%ia># $e added to
the directive the ollowing "reace?
+t is m) 'nalterable decision to destro) .:echoslova%ia b) militar)
action within the oreseeable 't're# +t is the res"onsibilit) o the
"olitical leadershi" B$itler means himselC to determine or bring abo't
the "oliticall) and militaril) s'itable moment# # # #
.onditions in .:echoslova%ia or other "olitical events in 7'ro"e
creating an 'ne<"ectedl) avorable o""ort'nit), which ma) "erha"s
not rec'r, ma) ca'se me to ta%e earl) action#
The "ro"er choice and decisive and 'll 'se o a avorable moment is
the s'rest g'arantee o s'ccess# Accordingl), "re"arations are to be
made at once#
3o m'ch or $itler!s "eace'l state o mind as .hamberlain was wooing the
F'ehrer most eagerl)#
Tr'e, .hamberlain did not %now an) o this/ onl) ater the war did the
secret archives o $itler!s ,eich become available to 's# *'t man) in the
1est co'ld see what .hamberlain co'ld not/the handwriting on the wall
that read 8danger#8 1hat these "eo"le, incl'ding in .hamberlain!s .abinet,
had to sa) =and which .hamberlain ignored> will a""ear in d'e co'rse#
6hat 7id He 6ant#
1hat did $itler want rom the .:echs- $e wanted the 3'detenland, the
areas o .:echoslova%ia bordering 6erman) and A'stria in which lived 4#5
million 6ermans# *e)ond that, man) things# Almost all o .:ech heav)
ind'str) was located in the 3'detenland# The 3%oda wor%s, 7'ro"e!s largest
m'nitions man'act'rers, were there# *esides, all .:echoslova%ia!s
elaborate border ortiications against 6erman invasion ran across the
3'detenland/and wo'ld all into $itler!s hands, i he got his wa)# *e)ond
leaving the rest o .:echoslova%ia "rostrate beore him =as the +NF Treat)
wo'ld render 7'ro"e "rostrate beore the ,'ssians>, $itler!s ac;'isition o
the 3'detenland with its ortiications wo'ld give him an 'n"aralleled
o""ort'nit), or the ortiications had been b'ilt b) French engineers, and
bore man) and detailed similarities to the 2aginot Dine with which France
had ortiied her border against 6erman) ater the First 1orld 1ar# + $itler
got the 3'detenland, he wo'ld have the o""ort'nit) to train his militar) on
these str'ct'res, as a dr) r'n or a 't're attac% on France#
Terror $olitics
And so, having grabbed A'stria, $itler t'rned east to .:echoslova%ia, and
began once more his reliable tactic o oreign di"lomac)? tal% o "eace, and
threats o terror# The $itlerian di"lomatic c)cle was b) now amiliar to
7'ro"eans? "ress're b'ilding to terror, then release o "ress're, ollowed b)
new and greater demands# Now, $itler discovered the 8o""ression8 o 4#5
million 6erman(s"ea%ing .:ech citi:ens at the hands o the .:ech govern(
ment in Prag'e#
1estern a""easers co'ld still comort themselves with the tho'ght that, ater
all, these "eo"le too were 8reall)8 6ermans, li%e the A'strians# 1h) not tr)
to satis) $itler-
*'t $itler too% care not to be too easil) satisied# +n secret meetings at his
*avarian mo'ntain ho'se the *ergho that s"ring and s'mmer, he instr'cted
the chietains o the 3'deten Na:i Part) to "resent s'ch ar(reaching
demands or "olitical a'tonom) to Prag'e, that the demands co'ld never be
met#
3im'ltaneo'sl), Na:i Pro"aganda 2inister 9ose 6oebbels cran%ed '" his
"'blicit) machine to "'blish *ig Dies o .:ech 8atrocities8 in 3'deten areas#
All 7'ro"e was nervo's, that s'mmer o 1948/ever)one b't Neville
.hamberlain, that is# To 8get to the bottom8 o what $itler wanted in
.entral 7'ro"e, .hamberlain!s government sent 1alter Dord ,'nciman on a
oredoomed 8mission8 to .:echoslova%ia, to ascertain the state o aairs
there# .hamberlain elt certain that he co'ld solve all the "roblems $itler!s
e<istence "osed, i onl) he co'ld "in down $itler!s demands, in order to
meet them#
1hile ,'nciman d'ti'll) made his wa) thro'gh .:echoslova%ia, $itler
t'rned '" the heat# $aving sat or m'ch o the s'mmer/as one historian
commented/8on his *avarian mo'ntainto" wra""ed in a clo'd li%e 9ove,8
li%e 9ove he h'rled his th'nderbolt# @n 3e"t# 1H, at a rall) in N'remberg,
$itler let l) a venomo's s"eech attac%ing, vili)ing, and threatening 7d'ard
*enes, President o .:echoslova%ia# $is words "rovo%ed "ro(6erman riots
all across the 3'detenland#
Des"ite the violence o his s"eech, which let 7'ro"e!s di"lomats gas"ing,
$itler sto""ed short o threatening invasion# $e remained vag'e as to what
he wanted# The seeming vag'eness was reall) elasticit)/the less s"eciic
he was, the more he was li%el) to gain, or be given# +n an) case, he had s'c(
ceeded "ower'll) in conve)ing to *ritain and France an aw'l sense o
militar) menace#
Then he let *erlin or his mo'ntain astness in *avaria, to await develo"(
ments? to see whether his arm) wo'ld have to march, or whether another
sol'tion wo'ld be orthcoming#
$e did not have long to wait# @ne da) ater $itler!s N'remberg s"eech, on
3e"t# 14, the Prime 2inister o 6reat *ritain comm'nicated with *erlin that
he wished an immediate a'dience with the 6erman F'ehrer, 8in a last eort
to ind a "eace'l sol'tion8 to $itler!s dierences with the .:echs#
$itler assented to .hamberlain!s visit, and one da) later, on 3e"t# 15, the
world was treated to the s"ectacle o the 70()ear(old .hamberlain, leader o
a great 1estern nation, embar%ing on his irst air"lane tri" or the seven(
ho'r light to *avaria, to all at the eet o the 49()ear(old Na:i dictator#
At the *ergho, $itler told .hamberlain what he wanted?
6erman) =said $itler> had # # # "'t orward a general demand in all
clarit)? +n an) circ'mstances ret'rn to the ,eich m'st be made
"ossible or the 10 million 6ermans who lived in A'stria and
.:echoslova%ia, and whose earnest desire it was to ret'rn to 6erman)#
+n the case o the 7 million 6ermans in the @stmar% BA'striaC this
demand had been met# The ret'rn to the ,eich o the 4#5 million
6ermans in .:echoslova%ia he wo'ld ma%e "ossible at all costs# $e
wo'ld ace an) danger incl'ding the ris% o war, even world war, or
this end# $ere the limit had been reached where the rest o the world
co'ld do what it li%ed& he wo'ld not )ield a single ste"#
+n other words, $itler demanded that ever) area o .:echoslova%ia whose
"o"'lation was 51L o 6erman e<traction, sho'ld be handed over orthwith
to 6erman)# And he made "lain that i these areas were not ceded, his arm)
was "re"ared to go and get them# =$e had alread) secretl) ordered the
1ehrmacht to activate .ase 6reen, the invasion "lan or .:echoslova%ia,
and had set the invasion date or @ct# 1#>
And so the two men "arted, .hamberlain "atheticall) sa)ing o $itler, 8+ had
established a certain conidence, which was m) aim, and on m) side, in s"ite
o the hardness and r'thlessness + tho'ght + saw in his ace, + got the im"res(
sion that here was a man who co'ld be relied '"on when he had given his
word#8
1hile .hamberlain was thin%ing this, $itler was brieing Foreign 2inister
,ibbentro" and 3tate 3ecretar) 7rnst von 1ei:saec%er# The stor) was later
told b) 1ei:saec%er?
$itler gave 's a livel) and Eo)'l acco'nt o the conversation# # # # $e
cla""ed his hands as ater a highl) s'ccess'l entertainment# $e elt that he
had managed to mane'ver the dr) civilian into a corner# # # # B$eC then
enlarged on his more remote and highal'tin "lans, s'ch as his intention to
see thro'gh to the end in his own lietime the inevitable conlict with o'r
enemies#
8LA/N/T %&'9/ /T:L1
Hitler ;ith youthful admirers at the !erghof.
Hitler greets members of the /an 4rancisco /inging Choir< %&'=.
A Reaction in !ritain
As $itler ch'c%led over the eect he had had on .hamberlain, the Prime
2inister was l)ing home to *ritain, to get the a""roval o his .abinet or
the "ro"osal to destro) .:echoslova%ia# 2an) among his .abinet were not
as enth'siastic as he, as s'ggested in their diaries and records o the Prime
2inister!s brieing#
Alred D' .oo"er, First Dord o the Admiralt), wrote?
The bare acts o the interview Bbetween $itler and .hamberlainC
were right'l# None o the elaborate schemes which had been care(
'll) wor%ed o't, and which the Prime 2inister had intended to "'t
orward, had ever been mentioned# $e had elt that the atmos"here
did not allow o them#
From beginning to end $itler had not shown the slightest sign o )ielding on
a single "oint#
3ir Thomas +n%si", .oordinator o Deense, reerring to .hamberlain as the
8P#2#8 and $itler as 8$#,8 wrote?
The im"ression made b) the P#2#!s stor) was a little "ain'l# $# had
made him listen to a boast that the 6erman militar) machine was a
terrible instr'ment, read) to move now, and once "'t into motion
co'ld not be sto""ed# The P#2# said more than once to 's that he was
E'st in time# +t was "lain that $# had made all the r'nning& he had in
act blac%mailed the P#2#
3till, des"ite a growing ear among his .abinet, on 3e"t# HH .hamberlain
was winging his wa) bac% to 6odesberg on the ,hine, where he and $itler
were to meet again# 5"on his de"art're he told the thronging Eo'rnalists, 8A
"eace'l sol'tion o the .:echoslova%ia "roblem is an essential "reliminar)
to a better 'nderstanding between the *ritish and the 6erman "eo"les, and
that in t'rn is the indis"ensable o'ndation o 7'ro"ean "eace#8 1oe to the
.:echsM 1ith him .hamberlain bore *ritish acce"tance o $itler!s
'ltimat'm#
'3'm Terribly /orry'
At 6odesberg, .hamberlain e<"lained to $itler with "ride how he had
sec'red *ritish a""roval o all $itler!s demands to dismember .:echo(
slova%ia# $e waited to be congrat'lated# +nstead, $itler as%ed, 8Do +
'nderstand that the *ritish, French, and .:ech governments have agreed to
the transer o the 3'detenland rom .:echoslova%ia to 6erman)-8 1hen
ass'red b) a smiling .hamberlain that this was so, $itler re"lied, 8+ am
terribl) sorr), b't ater the events o the last ew da)s, all that is 'seless
now#8
Di%e an) blac%mailer, $itler '""ed his demands? Now, he told .hamberlain,
beca'se o new 8atrocities8 b) the .:echs against the 3'deten 6ermans, he
co'ld 8no longer hold bac%8 his arm) =which was alse>, and wo'ld be
orced to march into .:echoslova%ia, to right the wrongs done 6erman
honor# Not onl) that, b't Polish, $'ngarian, and ,omanian claims against
the .:ech state wo'ld have to be reali:ed, as well as his own, in order to
%ee" the 7'ro"ean "eace# The .:ech state, constr'cted at the end o 1orld
1ar +, was to be ri""ed a"art into its constit'ent ethnic gro'"s#
F'rthermore, $itler declared, 8the "roblem m'st be settled deinitel) and
com"letel) b) @ct# 1 at the latest#8 +n act, he demanded that the 3'deten(
land be evac'ated b) .:ech orces in order to be militarily occu0ied b) the
6erman arm) within two da)s/b) 3e"t# HN# + not, the 1ehrmacht wo'ld
move in# 1hen .hamberlain eebl) challenged him, the F'ehrer re"lied b)
citing an old "roverb? 8*etter an end even with terror, than terror witho't
end#8
Finall), with an air o ma%ing a great concession, $itler told .hamberlain
that he wo'ld alter his O(Da) rom 3e"t# HN to @ct# 1# The .:echs had one
wee%!s time to withdraw their militar) and their "olice, and their civilian
"o"'lation, rom the 3'detenland beore the 6erman Arm) arrived# And he
reass'red his g'est? This was 8the last territorial demand + have to ma%e in
7'ro"e#8
3o .hamberlain r'shed bac% to *ritain, to ascertain whether the Dondon,
Paris, and Prag'e wo'ld agree to $itler!s new o'trage#
The .abinet was aghast# 3ir Ale<ander .adogan wrote?
$itler!s memo now in# +t!s aw'l# A wee% ago when we moved rom
8a'tonom)8 Bor the 3'detenlandC to cession Bo the area to 6erman)C,
man) o 's o'nd great diic'lt) in the idea o ceding "eo"le to Na:i
6erman)# # # # Now $itler sa)s he m'st march into the whole area at
once =to %ee" orderM> and the saeg'ards/and "lebiscitesM can be held
after> This is throwing awa) ever) last saeg'ard that we had# P#2#
is transmitting this 8"ro"osal8 to Prag'e# # # #
2eeting o 8+nner .abinet8 at 4?40 and P#2# made his re"ort to 's# +
was com"letel) horriied/he was ;'ite calml) or total s'rrender#
2ore horriied still to ind that $itler has evidentl) h)"noti:ed him to
a "oint#
*'t .hamberlain reass'red them? 8$e tho'ght,8 according to min'tes o
this meeting, 8he had established some degree o "ersonal inl'ence over
$err $itler# # # # $e was also satisied that $err $itler wo'ld not go bac% on
his word once he had given it# # # # $e wo'ld not deliberatel) deceive a man
whom he res"ected and with whom he had been in negotiation# # # # 1hen
$err $itler anno'nced that he meant to do something it was certain that he
wo'ld do it # # # altho'gh he had odd views as to the "ro"er wa) to give
eect to the "rinci"le#8
Hymn of Hate
2eantime, $itler 'sed a maEor s"eech in *erlin on 3e"t# HN, to ma%e "'blic
his determination to have the 3'detenland b) @ct# 1#
According to historian Telord Ta)lor, $itler!s s"eech was 8a h)mn o hate
against *enes, whose name he mentioned, alwa)s with a snarl, over 40
times# # # #8 $e insisted that 8when this "roblem is solved there is or
6erman) no 'rther territorial "roblem in 7'ro"e,8 and screamed that ater
he got the 3'deten 6ermans, 8+ have no 'rther interest in the .:ech
state# # # # 1e want no .:echsM8
$itler bellowed that in the name o .:ech President *enes was 8concen(
trated all that which toda) moves millions, which ca'ses them to des"air or
ills them with anatical resol'tion# # # # This .:ech state # # # began with a
single lie and the ather o this lie was named *enes#8 This .:ech state was
now dominated b) a 8reign o terror8? 81hole stretches o co'ntr) were
de"o"'lated,8 $itler raved, 8villages b'rned down, attem"ts were made to
smo%e o't 6ermans with hand(grenades and gas# # # # Now two men stand
arra)ed against one another? There is $err *enes, and here stand +# # # #
Now let $err *enes ma%e his choice#8
Ferocio's as this s"eech was, it ins"ired .hamberlain to greater eorts to
%ee" the "eace# $e sent a l'rr) o messages to *erlin, begging that 8the
.hancellor not reEect this "ro"osal # # # which # # # will satis) the 6erman
desire or the 'nion o 3'deten 6ermans with the ,eich witho't the
shedding o blood in an) "art o 7'ro"e#8
That same morning, .hamberlain!s emissar) $orace 1ilson had h'rried
rom Dondon to *erlin to "lead with the F'ehrer to sta) his hand# *'t $itler
"o'nded 1ilson or =he said> *ritain!s having enco'raged the .:echs to
re'se his memorand'm demanding instant 6erman occ'"ation o the
3'detenland# Finall), linging himsel rom the room, $itler screamed at
1ilson,
+n the event o a reEection o the memorand'm, + will smash .:echo(
slova%iaM @n @ct# 1, + shall have .:echoslova%ia where + want herM +
France and 7ngland decide to stri%e, let them # # # + do not care a
"ennig # # # # Toda) is T'esda)& b) ne<t 2onda) we shall all be at
war# # # # +t is not or nothing that + have s"ent 4#5 billion mar%s on the
1estern ortiicationsM
All o 7'ro"e mobili:ed/there seemed no "ros"ect b't war# And, i war
had come that s'nn) 3e"tember o 1948, Adol $itler wo'ld have been de(
stro)ed ininitel) more easil) than he was in act, when war came almost a
)ear to the da) later#
+n 7ngland, soldiers, civilians and little children tried on gas mas%s# +n
France militar) leave was canceled& in doomed .:echoslova%ia, the arm)
mobili:ed one last time#
6H1R1 A$$1A/1M1NT L17
MARCH %&'-
Hitler's trium0hant entry into Austria.
CT!1R %&'-
Hitler marches into the /udetenland.
MARCH %&'&
The Na"i occu0ation of C"echoslova?ia.
At the !rin? of 6ar
*'t Neville .hamberlain was determined not to go to war with the man in
whom he had latel) develo"ed so great a tr'st# As $itler "resided over last(
min'te "re"arations b) the 6erman Arm) or invading .:echoslova%ia, a
deus ex machina a""eared in the sto't orm o *enito 2'ssolini, dictator o
ascist +tal) and $itler!s treat) "artner#
2'ssolini wanted no war? + he were dragged into war b) $itler, his
econom) co'ld not s'rvive# $e and .hamberlain saw e)e(to(e)e, and in the
night o 3e"t# H7 develo"ed a "lan# $ow wo'ld it be i 2'ssolini were to
contact the F'ehrer, and s'ggest last(min'te mediation, a conerence o +tal),
6erman), France, *ritain, and the .:echs, to tr) to gra""le with the crisis
$itler had 'nleashed- .hamberlain sighed with relie, and 2'ssolini made
his "hone call to the ,eichschanceller) in *erlin#
The date was 3e"t# H8# $itler assented to 2'ssolini!s "ro"osal, insisting
onl) that the conerence ta%e "lace in 6erman) =$itler s"eciied 2'nich>,
and that no .:ech re"resentatives be "ermitted#
.:ech 2inister 9an 2asar)% said solemnl) to .hamberlain and Dord $alia<
that night, 8+ )o' have sacriiced m) nation to "reserve the "eace o the
world, + will be the irst to a""la'd )o'# *'t i not, gentlemen, 6od hel"
)o'r so'lsM8
And so Neville .hamberlain set o't once more, on his third and most
degrading "ilgrimage to the shrine o Na:ism, the birth"lace o $itler!s bid
or world con;'est# For the conerence wo'ld be held at 2'nich!s
*ra'nha's, the head;'arters o the Na:i Part)#
.hamberlain came, and 7d'ard Daladier, the sad and c)nical Prime 2inister
o France# 2'ssolini!s train steamed northward to 6erman), to meet $itler
at A'stein and be brieed on the F'ehrer!s 8'nalterable demands#8
@n 3e"t# H9, E'st "ast noon, the heads o government o the o'r maEor
"owers o 7'ro"e converged in $itler!s oice, to rati) the ra"e o France
and *ritain!s most im"ortant 7astern 7'ro"ean all)#
$itler o"ened the conerence b) sa)ing that he 8had declared # # # he wo'ld
march in Bto .:echoslova%iaC on @ct# 1# $e had received the answer that
this action wo'ld have the character o an act o violence# $ence the tas%
arose to absolve this action rom s'ch a character#8
The 1estern leaders com"lied, .hamberlain eager, Daladier de"ressed# The
.:echs re"resentatives, whom $itler had barred rom his "resence, waited
an<io'sl) across the street to hear their ate# 6erman occ'"ation o the
"redominantl) 6erman areas o the co'ntr) wo'ld be carried o't in o'r
stages, on @ct# 1(7# The remaining 3'deten territor), where the 6ermans
made '" a large b't not maEorit) "ro"ortion o the "o"'lation, wo'ld be
occ'"ied b) @ct# 10# The .:ech 8evac'ation o the territor) shall be
com"leted b) @ct# 10, witho't an) e<isting installations having been
destro)ed, and the .:ech government will be held res"onsible or carr)ing
o't the evac'ation witho't damage to said installations#8
The inal 2'nich settlement gave $itler 11,000 s;'are miles o .:echo(
slova%ia, in which lived H#8 million 6ermans and 800,000 .:echs# .:echo(
slova%ia lost NNL o its coal, 80L o its lignite, 8NL o its chemicals, 80L
o its cement, 80L o its te<tiles, 70L o its iron and steel, 70L o its
electric "ower, and 40L o its timber# +t lost its ortiications, and its vast
m'nitions ind'str)# And all o these, it lost to the war machine o Adol
$itler#
*) nightall 3e"t# H9, this "ros"ero's, technologicall) advanced, well(armed
nation, the onl) democrac) in 7astern 7'ro"e, had ceased to e<ist#
Jawning "leasantl) at the end o his long da)!s wor%, .hamberlain com(
mented that he 8associated himsel with the F'ehrer!s remar%s on the satis(
action o the "eo"les concerned with the o'tcome o 2'nich#8 *'t the
French Ambassador, Andre Francois(Poncet, m'ttered 83ee how France
treats the onl) allies who remained aith'l to her#8
'$eace for ur Time'
The ne<t da), 3e"t# 40, Neville .hamberlain insisted on a 'rther, "rivate
meeting with $itler at the latter!s 2'nich a"artment# There =having irst
solicited, b't not received, $itler!s s'""ort or a "ro"osal to immediatel)
abolish all bomber aircrat as wea"ons o war> the Prime 2inister "ressed
into $itler!s hand or his signat're a comm'ni;'e .hamberlain had
"ersonall) drawn '", which he desired to have with him when he ret'rned to
Dondon#
The comm'ni;'e, which $itler signed witho't ;'ibble, read?
1e, the 6erman F'ehrer and .hancellor and the *ritish Prime
2inister, have had a 'rther meeting toda) and are agreed in
recogni:ing that the ;'estion o Anglo(6erman relations is o the irst
im"ortance or the two co'ntries and or 7'ro"e#
1e regard the agreement signed last night Bthe 2'nich PactC and the
Anglo(6erman Naval Agreement Bo 1945C as s)mbolic o the desire
o o'r two "eo"les never to go to war with one another again#
1e are resolved that the method o cons'ltation shall be the method
ado"ted to deal with an) other ;'estions that ma) concern o'r two
co'ntries, and we are determined to contin'e o'r eorts to remove
"ossible so'rces o dierence and th's to contrib'te to ass're the
"eace o 7'ro"e#
And th's .hamberlain ret'rned to *ritain rom 2'nich, with the amo's
"iece o "a"er# As he arrived at Ten Downing 3treet that evening, he waved
alot that "iece o "a"er and told the assembled crowd? 82) good riends,
this is the second time in o'r histor) that there has come bac% rom 6erman)
to Downing 3treet, "eace with honor# + believe it is "eace or o'r time#8
8Peace or o'r time-8 1hen $itler in tri'm"h accom"anied his arm) into
the 3'detenland a ew da)s later, the war had alread) started# *'t no one on
the 1estern side )et %new it# No one on the 1estern side was ighting#
10ilogue
The "remise o .hamberlain!s a""easement had been sim"le? 6ive to $itler
all the 6ermans in 7'ro"e, and he!ll leave the rest o 's alone# +n A'stria, in
the 3'detenland, in the ,hineland remilitari:ation, in the reattachment o the
3aarland to the ,eich, $itler had 8bro'ght bac% home,8 as he "hrased it,
6ermans# 1as not that the ver) "rinci"le o national sel(determination
enshrined in the Gersailles Treat), cham"ioned b) America!s 1oodrow
1ilson-
$itler said so, at an) rate#
*'t then, on 2arch 15, 1949/a )ear since he had ta%en over A'stria/
$itler did something that shoc%ed Neville .hamberlain "ast re"airing# $e
sent his arm) into Prag'e, to occ'") the rest o .:echoslova%ia, the non(
6erman lands, the "eo"le o whom he had s"at contem"t'o'sl) si< months
beore, 81e want no .:echsM8
@n that da), as what remained o .:echoslova%ia was dissolved, b) $itler!s
order, into the ,eichs Protectorate o *ohemia and 2oravia, even .hamber(
lain inall) elt a risson o ear#
9'st as $itler =having browbeaten the aging 7mil $acha, ig'rehead "resi(
dent o the r'm" state o .:echoslova%ia, into s'bmission to his scheme>
b'rst into his secretaries! oice in the ,eichschanceller) and cried, 86irlsM
6ive me a %issM + shall go down in histor) as the greatest 6erman/+!ve
gotten bac% *ohemia and 2oravia, ater a tho'sand )earsM8/Neville
.hamberlain admitted to his .abinet he had been ho"elessl) and horribl)
deceived#
81e want no .:echsM,8 $itler had screamed# And now he had ta%en them, in
cr'de and 'tter deiance o 2'nich Pact# $itler was not to be tr'sted,
.hamberlain sadl) told his .abinet#
*'t in the ate'l )ear between the A'strian Anschl'ss and 2'nich, .ham(
berlain had ailed to see that war had started# $e had given comort to the
enem)# And now, beca'se o his ail're, that enem) commanded vast new
territories, and new slave labor, rom which to la'nch a worldwide war#
.hamberlain dragged on another )ear, seeing, in 3e"tember 1949, the g'ns
and bombs o 1orld 1ar ++ e<"lode across Poland/almost a )ear rom that
miserable da) when he had gone bac% to Dondon with 8"eace or o'r time#8
.hamberlain dragged on, seeing, in s"ring 1940, the 6erman Arm) smash
into 1estern 7'ro"e with the erocit) o blit:%rieg# @n 2a) 10, 1940, at
last, he was t'rned o't o oice# @n Nov# 9, 1940, he died a bro%en man#
*'t the e"ita"h or .hamberlain and all his del'sions had alread) been
s"o%en a )ear beore/b) Adol $itler# +n 3e"tember 1949, the F'ehrer had
told his inner circle? 8@'r enemies are little worms# + %now# + saw them at
2'nich#8