Failure Of A Mission - Berlin 1937-1939 (Paperback)

Failure of a Mission Berlin 1937-1939 BY THE RIGHT HONORABLE Sir Nevile Henderson P. C., G. C. M. G. G. P. PUTNAMS SONS, NEW YORK TW 7 World SIR NKVlLK I HENDERSON COPYRIGHT, 1940, BY SIR NEVILE HENDERSON All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, must not tie reproduced in any jorm without permission. Designed by Robert Josephy MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES O3f AMERICA CONTENTS PROLOGUE Vii PART I. THE BACKGROUND OF THE STORY i. Buenos Aires to Berlin 3 n. The Background of My Mission 9 m. Arrival in Berlin 29 iv. The Background of Germany in May, 1937 51 v. Attempts to Improve Anglo-German Relations 62 vi. Goering 76 vii. Further Attempt to Improve Anglo-German Relations 93 PART II THE DRAMA i. Prelude 105 n. Act 1 Austria 119 in. First Entracte 129 iv. Act 11 Czechoslovakia Scene I Prague 136 v. Act 11 Czechoslovakia Scene 11 Munich 148 v Contents vi. Second Entracte Hitlers Reactions after Munich 176 vn. Interlude Return to Berlin After Four Months 1 89 vni. The Parting of the Ways 199 ix. Act III The Occupation of Prague 208 x. Act IV Poland Scene I The Anglo-Polish Agreement 224 XL Third Entracte 235 XIL Act IV Poland Scene II W x 258 xin. Departure from Berlin 302 APPENDIXES 3 1 1 VI PROLOGUE I labour for peace, but when I speak unto them thereof they make them ready to battle. 6TH VERSE OF PSALM CXX OF THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER. IT was the stationmaster at Grantham who finally overcame my scruples about the writing of this book. Mr, Gardner was land enough to invite me into his office, where there was a fire, one cold morning when I was waiting for a train for London, which was late. We spoke of this and that, about the war and its origins and his final remark to mewas that he and people like him knew nothing of the facts of the case. I have attempted in this volume, the main purpose of which is historical, to give the facts of the case and to those who read it I should wish, first of all, to make it quite clear that, whereas all the observations, comments, and opinions ex pressed in this volume are purely personal and therefore fall ible and controversial, the sequence of events and the facts themselves are taken entirely from telegrams, dispatches, and letters written at the time, and are consequently, humanly speaking, strictly exact. In a book of this nature, written so soon after the events recorded therein, there must necessarily be certain reticences. In the first place, I occupied an official position at BerHn, and was then, and still am, in the service of His Majestys Government. vn Prologue In the second place, if circumstances had been normal, nothing would have induced me to writeat least at this early stage about people who had so recently been uni formly courteous and hospitable to me personally. Unfortunately, circumstances are not normal and, what ever my personal inclinations may be, I have felt that, having regard to the fact that it is British public opinion which ul timately determines the character of our foreign policy, it is my duty to give to the people of this country an account of my stewardship of the mission which was entrusted to me by the King in April, 1937, as his Ambassador at Berlin. The first commandment of a diplomatist is faithfully to interpret the views of his own government to the government to which he is accredited and the second is like unto it namely, to explain no less accurately the views andstandpoint of the government of the country in which he is stationed to the government of his own country. The first commandment is much easier to keep than the second and its fulfillment can, or should, be taken for granted. The second is sometimes far more difficult of performance...