Munich's Lesson for Ronald Reagan

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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 toconront 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 est one o

the greatest strategic setbac%s in its histor), at the 2'nich conerence with

Adol $itler in 3e"tember 198#

Toda), the President o the nited 3tates, onald eagan, also wishes to go

down in histor) as a great "eacema%er# To that end, he "ro"oses to sign with2i%hail 6orbachev o the 3oviet nion, at a s'mmit conerence on Dec# 7,

an +ntermediate N'clear Force treat) which he believes will create "eace or

a generation# nort'natel), the o""osite is the case# +t will disarm o'r

allies in 'ro"e, and arm o'r oes in 2oscow# +t will bring disaster on the

est once more, a disaster ar more "roo'nd than even that o 198#

hat does histor) teach 's in this crisis- 2'nich is the stor) o how the

leading estern "owers o the da) betra)ed a aith'l all) or the sa%e o a

s"'rio's "eace, and in so doing o"ened the wa) to war# 'st as the +NF

Treat) toda) will betra) o'r 'ro"ean allies, and bring war '"on 's in thename o "eace#

Man of Munich

+n 198, 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#

ith characteristic determination, .hamberlain had decided to c't thro'gh

the red ta"e and b'rea'cratic conerences that characteri:ed 'ro"ean

di"lomac), and as% one ;'estion/hat do )o' reall) want-/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 '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 <che;'er =191(7>? the man who r'ined the 'nding o

the *ritish deense "rogram#

And, ater he became Prime 2inister o *ritain in 197, .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) den most "rominentl)# $e got rid o those who

disagreed with his "olic), irst im"lemented at the <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 great vision 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 balance o

"ower on the continent o 'ro"e# .hamberlain!s to" adviser, the sinister

3ir $orace ilson, ass'red him that he co'ld win his la'rels or taming the

beast/not 'nli%e the line o the #3# 3tate De"artment toda), in its :eal to

beriend the 3oviet dictatorshi"#

Angel of $eace

as 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) 19, o'r months ater coming to "ower, $itler gave

The Peace 3"eech which molded 'ro"ean o"inion so eectivel), and

erroneo'sl), or )ears to come# @ne o his harshest critics, onrad $eiden,



wrote, $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# # # # hen 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#

And what was that- $itler declared?

No new 'ro"ean war wo'ld be able to re"lace the 'nsatisactor)

conditions o toda) with an) better ones# # # # ven i a new '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 '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# # # # e see the

'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) 195, $itler was singing the same song?

The blood shed on the 'ro"ean continent in the co'rse o the last 00

)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)# hat d)nastic egoism, "olitical "assion and "atriotic

blindness have attained in the wa) o a""arentl) ar(reaching "oliticalchanges b) shedding rivers o blood has, as regards national eeling,

done no more than to'ched the s%in o the nations#

hat did $itler oer-

6erman) has solemnl) recogni:ed and g'aranteed France her ron(

tiers as determined ater the 3aar "lebiscite# # # # e thereb) inall)

reno'nced all claims to Alsace(orraine, a land or which we have

o'ght two great wars# # # # itho't ta%ing the "ast into acco'nt,

6erman) has concl'ded a non(aggression "act with Poland# # # # eshall adhere to it 'nconditionall)# # # # e recogni:e Poland as the

home o a great and nationall) conscio's "eo"le#

Did the est 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 '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?

hoever lights the torch o war in 'ro"e can wish or nothing b't

chaos# e, however, live in the irm conviction that in o'r time will

be 'lilled not the decline b't the renaissance o the est# 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#

'ro"e was charmed/and *ritish .hancellor o the <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 "eace# +t was not tr'e in the 190s&

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-

asil)/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 herewas bloodshed, br'talit), and an overriding "lan or aggressive war# +n

198, 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 1 )ears

beore that, the inanc) and adolescence o the Na:i movement>#

3ince becoming 6erman .hancellor in 19, $itler had?

ctober %&( ithdrawn rom the eag'e o Nations and the 6eneva

Disarmament .onerence#

)uly %&*( gged on his Na:i bac%ers in A'stria to attem"t a co'", and to

m'rder the co'ntr)!s .hancellor, ngelbert Doll'ss#

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#



Also March %&+( evealed that 6erman) was b'ilding an Air Force, the

'twae =soon to become the world!s largest>, in contravention o the

Gersailles Treat)#

May %&+( Anno'nced that 6erman) no longer elt bo'nd b) the

ocarno Pact#

March %&,( 3ent 6erman troo"s into the hineland/b) the ocarno

and Gersailles Treaties, a demilitari:ed b'er area between France and

6erman)#

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 orld ar +#

ell, 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?

%&*( @'tlawed all o""osition "arties and trade 'nions, and thrown

their leaders into concentration cam"s#

)une %&*( 2'rdered abo't 1,000 actional o""onents in the Na:i Part),in the blood(soa%ed Night o the ong nives# And E'stiied this ram"age

b) telling the eichstag that +n those ho'rs, he had been s'"reme trib'nal

o the 6erman nation#

/e0tember %&+( Forbidden 6erman)!s ews 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 homeini, and

threatening o'r 'ro"ean and Asian allies# $ow was .hamberlain to %now-



TH1 NA23 1M$3R1 A4T1R M5N3CH

The /etting

At the end o 197, ater .hamberlain!s irst hal()ear as Prime 2inister, the

"revailing attit'de o the *ritish .abinet toward $itler was that e<"ressed b)

dward ord $alia<, one o .hamberlain!s best riends and ord Priv)

3eal# $alia<, having met with $itler in November 197, ret'rned to

ondon to tell the .abinet that the F'ehrer was a 6andhi in Pr'ssian

boots, a visionar) li%e the +ndian leader, a man with the highest ambitions

or his "eo"le who was more a "ro"het than a "olitician#

.hamberlain nodded sagel)& this conormed to his own view, that $itlerwo'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 197 and Febr'ar) 198, $itler

cashiered his ar 2inister, 6en# erner *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 oachim von ibbentro">& and

his conomics 2inister and Pleni"otentiar) or ar conom), $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 "eace he

was# @n 2arch 11(1H, 198, 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# The A'strians are !reall)!

6ermans, ater all, the) reasoned# The) "ointed to the warm A'strian

rece"tion or $itler and his troo"s, as "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)

198 $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 'ro"e in s"ring 198, 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 198, $itler had torn

rom a Giennese news"a"er a ma" o .entral 'ro"e, showing the new borders o the Third eich, and handed it to 6en# ilhelm eitel, head o

6erman)!s @# $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 eitel and win%ed#



*'t the word in the *ritish government/and other 'ro"ean ca"itals/was

that it wo'ld ta%e $itler a long time to digest A'stria, so no new aggres(

sions or demands need be eared immediatel)#

Jet secretl), in A"ril 198, two wee%s ater the end o A'stria, $itler laid o't

to eitel wa)s and means or ta%ing over .:echoslova%ia# The introd'ctionto $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#

# ightning(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) 0, 198, $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 '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

est co'ld see what .hamberlain co'ld not/the handwriting on the wall

that read danger# hat 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#

hat did $itler want rom the .:echs- $e wanted the 3'detenland, the

areas o .:echoslova%ia bordering 6erman) and A'stria in which lived #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, '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 '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 ine with which France

had ortiied her border against 6erman) ater the First orld ar# + $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 $oliticsAnd 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

'ro"eans? "ress're b'ilding to terror, then release o "ress're, ollowed b)

new and greater demands# Now, $itler discovered the o""ression o #5

million 6erman(s"ea%ing .:ech citi:ens at the hands o the .:ech govern(

ment in Prag'e#

estern a""easers co'ld still comort themselves with the tho'ght that, ater

all, these "eo"le too were reall) 6ermans, li%e the A'strians# h) 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 ose 6oebbels cran%ed '" his

"'blicit) machine to "'blish *ig ies o .:ech atrocities in 3'deten areas#

All 'ro"e was nervo's, that s'mmer o 198/ever)one b't Neville

.hamberlain, that is# To get to the bottom o what $itler wanted in

.entral 'ro"e, .hamberlain!s government sent alter ord 'nciman on a

oredoomed mission 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#

hile '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 historiancommented/on his *avarian mo'ntainto" wra""ed in a clo'd li%e ove,

li%e ove 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 d'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 '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# 1, the Prime 2inister o 6reat *ritain comm'nicated with *erlin that

he wished an immediate a'dience with the 6erman F'ehrer, in a last eortto ind a "eace'l sol'tion 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 estern 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 #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

ehrmacht 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, + 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#hile .hamberlain was thin%ing this, $itler was brieing Foreign 2inister

ibbentro" and 3tate 3ecretar) rnst von ei:saec%er# The stor) was later

told b) ei: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 Prime2inister!s brieing#

Alred D' .oo"er, First ord 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

P#2# and $itler as $#, 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# "on his de"art're he told the thronging Eo'rnalists, A

"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 'ro"ean "eace# oe to the

.:echsM ith 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, Do +



'nderstand that the *ritish, French, and .:ech governments have agreed to

the transer o the 3'detenland rom .:echoslova%ia to 6erman)- hen

ass'red b) a smiling .hamberlain that this was so, $itler re"lied, + am

terribl) sorr), b't ater the events o the last ew da)s, all that is 'seless

now#

i%e an) blac%mailer, $itler '""ed his demands? Now, he told .hamberlain,

beca'se o new atrocities b) the .:echs against the 3'deten 6ermans, he

co'ld no longer hold bac% 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 'ro"ean "eace# The .:ech state, constr'cted at the end o orld

ar +, was to be ri""ed a"art into its constit'ent ethnic gro'"s#

F'rthermore, $itler declared, the "roblem m'st be settled deinitel) and

com"letel) b) @ct# 1 at the latest# +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# H# + not, the ehrmacht wo'ld

move in# hen .hamberlain eebl) challenged him, the F'ehrer re"lied b)

citing an old "roverb? *etter an end even with terror, than terror witho't

end#

Finall), with an air o ma%ing a great concession, $itler told .hamberlain

that he wo'ld alter his O(Da) rom 3e"t# H to @ct# 1# The .:echs had onewee%!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 the last territorial demand + have to ma%e in

'ro"e#

3o .hamberlain r'shed bac% to *ritain, to ascertain whether the ondon,

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 roma'tonom) 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 "ro"osal to Prag'e# # # #



2eeting o +nner .abinet at ?0 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? $e tho'ght, according to min'tes othis meeting, he 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# # # # hen

$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#

Hymn of Hate

2eantime, $itler 'sed a maEor s"eech in *erlin on 3e"t# H, 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 a h)mn o hate

against *enes, whose name he mentioned, alwa)s with a snarl, over 0

times# # # # $e insisted that when this "roblem is solved there is or

6erman) no 'rther territorial "roblem in 'ro"e, and screamed that ater

he got the 3'deten 6ermans, + have no 'rther interest in the .:ech

state# # # # e want no .:echsM

$itler bellowed that in the name o .:ech President *enes was concen(

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# This .:ech state was

now dominated b) a reign o terror? hole stretches o co'ntr) were

de"o"'lated, $itler raved, villages 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#

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 the

.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 'ro"e#





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 oascist +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 an 2asar)% said solemnl) to .hamberlain and ord $alia<

that night, + )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'lsM

And so Neville .hamberlain set o't once more, on his third and mostdegrading "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 d'ard Daladier, the sad and c)nical Prime 2inister

o France# 2'ssolini!s train steamed northward to 6erman), to meet $itler

at 'stein and be brieed on the F'ehrer!s 'nalterable demands#

@n 3e"t# H9, E'st "ast noon, the heads o government o the o'r maEor

"owers o 'ro"e converged in $itler!s oice, to rati) the ra"e o Franceand *ritain!s most im"ortant astern 'ro"ean all)#

$itler o"ened the conerence b) sa)ing that he had 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#



The estern 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 evac'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#

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 L o its coal, 80L o its lignite, 8L o its chemicals, 80L

o its cement, 80L o its te<tiles, 70L o its iron and steel, 70L o itselectric "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 astern 'ro"e, had ceased to e<ist#

Jawning "leasantl) at the end o his long da)!s wor%, .hamberlain com(

mented that he associated himsel with the F'ehrer!s remar%s on the satis(

action o the "eo"les concerned with the o'tcome o 2'nich# *'t theFrench Ambassador, Andre Francois(Poncet, m'ttered 3ee how France

treats the onl) allies who remained aith'l to her#

'$eace for ur Time'

The ne<t da), 3e"t# 0, 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

ondon#

The comm'ni;'e, which $itler signed witho't ;'ibble, read?

e, 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 'ro"e#

e regard the agreement signed last night Bthe 2'nich PactC and the

Anglo(6erman Naval Agreement Bo 195C as s)mbolic o the desire

o o'r two "eo"les never to go to war with one another again#

e 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 '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? 2) 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#

Peace or o'r time- hen $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 estern side )et %new it# No one on the estern side was ighting#

10ilogue

The "remise o .hamberlain!s a""easement had been sim"le? 6ive to $itlerall the 6ermans in '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 bro'ght bac% home, as he "hrased it,

6ermans# as not that the ver) "rinci"le o national sel(determination

enshrined in the Gersailles Treat), cham"ioned b) America!s oodrow

ilson-

$itler said so, at an) rate#

*'t then, on 2arch 15, 199/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, e want no .:echsM



@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#

'st as $itler =having browbeaten the aging mil $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, 6irlsM

6ive me a %issM + shall go down in histor) as the greatest 6erman/+!ve

gotten bac% *ohemia and 2oravia, ater a tho'sand )earsM/Neville

.hamberlain admitted to his .abinet he had been ho"elessl) and horribl)

deceived#

e want no .:echsM, $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 199, the g'ns

and bombs o orld ar ++ e<"lode across Poland/almost a )ear rom that

miserable da) when he had gone bac% to ondon with "eace or o'r time#

.hamberlain dragged on, seeing, in s"ring 1940, the 6erman Arm) smashinto estern '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 199, the F'ehrer had

told his inner circle? @'r enemies are little worms# + %now# + saw them at

2'nich#

Documents

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