Read Online The Day We Went to War by Terry Charman - Free Book Online
Authors: Terry Charman
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undertaking is fundamentally aimed at Russia, just as he wrote in Mein Kampf back in 1925. If Britain and France are so stupid as not to recognise this, he tells the Swiss diplomat, then he will be forced to join with Russia in order to annihilate them. Then, he will turn on Russia and gain the Lebensraum (living space), so vital for the German race. Back home in Basle, Burckhardt reports the conversation to British and French diplomats. He fails, however, to mention Hitler’s remarks about Russia because he believes ‘a German-Soviet pact was simply too absurd to contemplate’.
11 August, W ORTHING
‘Danzig events look ugly – Herr Forster has been to see Hitler and made violent anti-British and anti-French speech to the Danzigers on his return.’ (Joan Strange)
12 August, M OSCOW
The Anglo-French military mission begins their first formal discussions with the Soviets. The Russian delegation is headed by Soviet Commissar for Defence, Marshal Klementi Voroshilov, a crony ofStalin’s. Voroshilov is not over-endowed with brains. ‘He would have made a good sergeant-major in anyone else’s army’ is the general opinion of him among Western military attachés. The talks get off to a bad start with suspicion on both sides. Captain André Beaufre of the French part of the military mission comments that the British and French strongly suspect ‘The Soviet had organized the conference in order to obtain, on the eve of war, an idea of our plans, and then naturally, to pass them on to Germany.’ The talks will continue inconclusively until a final meeting on 25 August. The great stumbling block is the Poles’ refusal to have Red Army troops on their soil, even in the event of a German invasion. Their attitude is summed up by commander-in-chief Marshal Smigly-Rydz: ‘With the Germans we risk the loss of our liberty, but with the Russians we lose our soul.’
12 August, O BERSALZBERG
Count Ciano has arrived from Rome for talks with von Ribbentrop and Hitler. Ciano is told quite frankly by von Ribbentrop that it is not a question of Germany wanting Danzig or the Polish Corridor. Hitler wants war. Ciano records in his diary, ‘The decision to fight is implacable . . . I am certain that even if the Germans were given more than they ask for they would attack just the same, because they are possessed by the demon of destruction.’ In between his meetings with Count Ciano, Hitler sets the date for the invasion of Poland. It will begin on Saturday, 26 August at 4.30am.
12 August, O BERSALZBERG
During the discussions with Count Ciano, von Ribbentrop is called to the telephone. The foreign ministry in Berlin tells him that the Russians are now prepared to open talks in Moscow.
14 August, M OSCOW
The German ambassador calls on the Soviet foreign ministry with a message that von Ribbentrop is willing to fly to Moscow, ‘tolay the foundations for a final settlement of German-Russian relations’.
16 August, D OORN
Ex-Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, living in exile in Holland, receives two British visitors, John Wheeler-Bennett and Robert Bruce Lockhart. In discussing the present crisis he tells them, ‘Don’t go away with the idea that Russia and Germany will go to war.’ And as they leave, Wilhelm ruefully comments, ‘The machine is running with him as it ran away with me. ’
16 August, L ONDON
Registrar-General Sir Sylvanus Vivian announces that, in event of war, everyone in Britain will have their own National Registration number and an identity card.
19 August, O BERSALZBERG
Hitler receives from his ambassador in Moscow a message that the Russians are prepared to receive von Ribbentrop on 27 or 28 August to negotiate and sign a non-aggression pact. The Fuehrer is jubilant but because of the date set for the attack on Poland, he wants von Ribbentrop’s visit to be brought forward.
20 August, O BERSALZBERG
From the Berghof, Hitler sends a personal message to Stalin. He proposes that ‘in view of the
11 August, W ORTHING
‘Danzig events look ugly – Herr Forster has been to see Hitler and made violent anti-British and anti-French speech to the Danzigers on his return.’ (Joan Strange)
12 August, M OSCOW
The Anglo-French military mission begins their first formal discussions with the Soviets. The Russian delegation is headed by Soviet Commissar for Defence, Marshal Klementi Voroshilov, a crony ofStalin’s. Voroshilov is not over-endowed with brains. ‘He would have made a good sergeant-major in anyone else’s army’ is the general opinion of him among Western military attachés. The talks get off to a bad start with suspicion on both sides. Captain André Beaufre of the French part of the military mission comments that the British and French strongly suspect ‘The Soviet had organized the conference in order to obtain, on the eve of war, an idea of our plans, and then naturally, to pass them on to Germany.’ The talks will continue inconclusively until a final meeting on 25 August. The great stumbling block is the Poles’ refusal to have Red Army troops on their soil, even in the event of a German invasion. Their attitude is summed up by commander-in-chief Marshal Smigly-Rydz: ‘With the Germans we risk the loss of our liberty, but with the Russians we lose our soul.’
12 August, O BERSALZBERG
Count Ciano has arrived from Rome for talks with von Ribbentrop and Hitler. Ciano is told quite frankly by von Ribbentrop that it is not a question of Germany wanting Danzig or the Polish Corridor. Hitler wants war. Ciano records in his diary, ‘The decision to fight is implacable . . . I am certain that even if the Germans were given more than they ask for they would attack just the same, because they are possessed by the demon of destruction.’ In between his meetings with Count Ciano, Hitler sets the date for the invasion of Poland. It will begin on Saturday, 26 August at 4.30am.
12 August, O BERSALZBERG
During the discussions with Count Ciano, von Ribbentrop is called to the telephone. The foreign ministry in Berlin tells him that the Russians are now prepared to open talks in Moscow.
14 August, M OSCOW
The German ambassador calls on the Soviet foreign ministry with a message that von Ribbentrop is willing to fly to Moscow, ‘tolay the foundations for a final settlement of German-Russian relations’.
16 August, D OORN
Ex-Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, living in exile in Holland, receives two British visitors, John Wheeler-Bennett and Robert Bruce Lockhart. In discussing the present crisis he tells them, ‘Don’t go away with the idea that Russia and Germany will go to war.’ And as they leave, Wilhelm ruefully comments, ‘The machine is running with him as it ran away with me. ’
16 August, L ONDON
Registrar-General Sir Sylvanus Vivian announces that, in event of war, everyone in Britain will have their own National Registration number and an identity card.
19 August, O BERSALZBERG
Hitler receives from his ambassador in Moscow a message that the Russians are prepared to receive von Ribbentrop on 27 or 28 August to negotiate and sign a non-aggression pact. The Fuehrer is jubilant but because of the date set for the attack on Poland, he wants von Ribbentrop’s visit to be brought forward.
20 August, O BERSALZBERG
From the Berghof, Hitler sends a personal message to Stalin. He proposes that ‘in view of the
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