The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany (233 page)

BOOK: The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany
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 9
. Schmidt’s version of the argument in
DGFP
, VII, p. 493; Henderson gave his account briefly in his dispatch on the evening of Sept. 1, 1939 (
British Blue Book
, p. 169).

10
. DBrFP, VII, No. 621, p. 459.

11
.
Ciano Diaries
, p. 135.

12
.
DGFP
, VII, p. 483.

13
.
Ibid.
, pp. 485–86.

14
. Bonnet to François-Poncet, 11:45
A.M
., Sept. 1,
French Yellow Book
, Fr. ed., pp. 377–78. Mussolini’s proposal for a conference on September 5 was outlined in a dispatch from François-Poncet to Bonnet Aug. 31,
ibid.
, pp. 360–61.

15
.
DBrFP
, VII, pp. 530–31.

16
. Henderson’s
Final Report
, p. 22.

17
. Text in
DGFP
, VII, pp. 509–10.

18
. From Schmidt’s memo, on which this scene is based,
ibid.
, pp. 512–13.

19
. Schmidt,
op. cit.
, p. 156.

20
.
Ciano Diaries
, pp. 136–37.

21
.
DGFP
, VII, pp. 524–25.

22
.
Ciano Diaries
, p. 137. De Monzie, a defeatist French senator, confirms the story in his book
Ci-Devant
, pp. 146–47.

23
. Corbin’s dispatch,
French Yellow Book
,
Fr.
ed., p. 395.

24
. This section is based on
DBrFP
, VII, covering Sept. 2–3. There is an excellent summary, based on the confidential British Foreign Office papers and on the scant French sources available, in
The Eve of the War, 1939
, ed. by Arnold and Veronica M. Toynbee. Namier,
Diplomatic Prelude
, also is useful. I have purposely omitted the references to scores of documents in
DBrFP
in order to avoid cluttering the pages with numerals.

25
. Halifax wires to Henderson: 11:50
P.M
., Sept. 2,
DBrFP
, VII, No. 746, p. 528; 12:25
A.M
., Sept. 3,
ibid.
, p. 533.

26
. The text is in the
British Blue Book
, p. 175, and in
DGFP
, VII. p. 529.

27
.
DBrFP
, VII, No. 758, p. 535.

28
. Schmidt’s account is in his book,
op. cit., p.
157; see also his testimony on the stand at Nuremberg.
TMWC
, X, p. 200.

29
. Schmidt,
op. cit.
, pp. 157–58; also his testimony at Nuremberg,
TMWC,
X, pp. 200–1.

30
.
Ibid.

31
.
DBrFP
, VII, No. 762, p. 537,
n.
1.

32
.
Ibid.

33
.
TMWC
, IX, p. 473.

34
. Bonnet recounts this himself,
op. cit.
, pp. 365–68.

35
. Weizsaecker’s memo of the meeting,
DGFP
, VII, p. 532.

36
. The text is in
DGFP
, VII, pp. 54849.

37
. The text is given in
DGFP
, VII, pp. 538–39.

38
. This is revealed in the German Foreign Office papers,
ibid.
, p. 480.

39
.
Text of telegram,
ibid.
, pp. 540–41.

40
.
Fuehrer Conferences on Naval Affairs
[hereafter referred to as
FCNA
], 1939, pp. 13–14.

CHAPTER 18

 1
. Text of Russian reply,
DGFP
, VIII, p. 4. A number of these Nazi–Soviet exchanges are printed in
NSR
, but
DGFP
gives a fuller account.

 2
.
Ibid.
, pp. 33–34.

 3
. Molotov’s congratulations,
ibid.
, p. 34. His promise of military action, p. 35.

 4
. Schulenburg dispatch, Sept. 10,
ibid.
, pp. 44–45.

 5
.
Ibid.
, pp. 60–61.

 6
.
Ibid.
, pp. 68–70.

 7
.
Ibid.
, pp. 76–77.

 8
.
Ibid.
, pp. 79–80.

 9
. Schulenburg dispatch,
ibid.
, p. 92.

10
.
Ibid.
, p. 103.

11
.
Ibid.
, p. 105.

12
.
Ibid.
, pp. 123–24.

13
.
Ibid.
, p. 130.

14
. The two telegrams,
ibid.
, pp. 147–48.

15
.
Ibid.
, p. 162.

16
.
Ibid.
, Appendix 1.

17
. Text of the treaty, including the secret protocols, a public declaration, and exchanges of two letters between Molotov and Ribbentrop,
ibid.
, pp. 164–68.

CHAPTER 19

 1
. Maj.-Gen. J. F. C. Fuller,
The Second World War
, p. 55. Quoted from
The First Quarter
, p. 343.

 2
. Text of Directive No. 3,
DGFP
, VIII, p. 41.

 3
. Namier,
op. cit.
, pp. 459–60. He quotes the French text of the convention.

 4
. Testimony of Halder for defendants in the “Ministries Case” trial, on Sept. 8–9, 1948, at Nuremberg,
TWC, XII, p.
1086.

 5
. Testimony of Jodl in his own defense on June 4, 1946, at Nuremberg,
TMWC
, XV, p. 350.

 6
. Testimony of Keitel in his own defense on April 4, 1946, at Nuremberg,
ibid.
, X, p. 519.

 7
. Churchill,
The Gathering Storm
, p. 478.

 8
.
FCNA
, 1939, pp. 16–17.

 9
. Weizsaecker’s memorandum of his talk with Kirk,
DGFP
, VIII, pp. 3–4. His testimony at Nuremberg on his talk with Raeder,
TMWC
, XIV, p. 278.

10
.
Ibid.
, XXXV, pp. 527–29 (N.D. 804–D). The document gives both Raeder’s memorandum of his conversation and the text of the American naval attaché’s cable to Washington.

11
. Sworn statement of Doenitz at Nuremberg,
NCA
, VII, pp. 114–15 (N.D. 638–D).

12
.
Ibid.
, pp. 156–58.

13
. Nuremberg testimony of Raeder,
TMWC
, XIV, p. 78; of Weizsaecker,
ibid.
, pp. 277, 279, 293; of Hans Fritzsche, a high official in the Propaganda Ministry and an acquitted defendant in the trial.
ibid.
, XVII, pp. 191, 234–35. The
Voelkischer Beobachter
article is in
NCA
, V, p. 1008 (N.D. 3260–PS). For Goebbels’ broadcast, see
Berlin Diary
, p. 238.

14
. Schmidt memorandum of the talk,
DGFP
, VIII, pp. 140–45.

15
. Brauchitsch’s testimony at Nuremberg,
TMWC
, XX, p. 573. A note in the OKW War Diary confirms the quotation.

16
.
Ciano Diaries,
pp. 154–55.
Ciano’s Diplomatic Papers
, pp. 309–16.

17
.
DGFP
, VIII, p. 24.

18
.
Ibid.
, pp. 197–98.

19
.
DGFP
, VII, p. 414.

20
. Hitler’s memorandum,
NCA
, VII, pp. 800–14 (N.D. L–52); Directive No. 6,
NCA
, VI, pp. 880–81 (N.D.C–62).

21
. The text is in
TWC
, X, pp. 864–72 (N.D. NOKW–3433).

22
. Both Schlabrendorff,
op. cit.
, p. 25, and Gisevius,
op. cit.
, p. 431, tell of this plot.

23
. Wheeler-Bennett in
Nemesis
, p. 491
n
., gives the German sources. See also Hassell,
op. cit.
, and Thomas, “Gedanken und Ereignisse,”
loc. cit.

24
. Halder’s interrogation at Nuremberg, Feb. 26, 1946,
NCA;
Suppl. B, pp. 1564–75.

25
. Rothfels,
The German Opposition to Hitler.

26
. They are given in
NCA
, VI, pp. 893–905 (N.D.C–72).

27
. Buelow-Schwante testified in the
“Ministries Case” before the Nuremberg Military Tribunal about Goerdeler’s message and his own private audience with King Leopold. See transcript, English edition, pp. 9807–11. It is also mentioned in
DGFP
, VIII, p. 384
n
. His telegram of warning to Berlin is printed in
DGFP
, VIII, p. 386.

28
. For the varied accounts of the Venlo kidnaping, see S. Payne Best,
The Venlo Incident;
Schellenberg,
The Labyrinth;
Wheeler-Bennett,
Nemesis.

An official Dutch account is given in the protest of the Netherlands government to Germany,
DGFP
, VIII, pp. 395–96. Additional material was given at the “Ministries Case” trial at Nuremberg. See
TWC
, XII.

29
.
TWC
, XII, pp. 1206–8, and
DGFP
, VIII, pp. 395–96.

30
. For various accounts of the bomb attempt, see Best,
op. cit.;
Schellenberg,
op. cit.;
Wheeler-Bennett,
Nemesis;
Reitlinger,
The S.S.; Berlin Diary;
Gisevius,
op. cit.
There was also some material at Nuremberg from which I made notes and which I have used here, though I cannot find it in the
NCA
and
TMWC
volumes.

31
. The textual notes are given in
NCA
, III, pp. 572–80, and also in
DGFP
, VIII, pp. 439–46 (N.D. 789–PS).

32
. Halder’s diary for Nov. 23 and his footnote added later. Brauchitsch’s testimony at Nuremberg,
TMWC
, XX, p. 575.

33
. Halder’s interrogation at Nuremberg,
NCA
, Suppl. B, pp. 1569–70. Also see Thomas, “Gedanken und Ereignisse,”
loc. cit.

34
. Hassell,
op. cit.
, pp. 93–94, 172.

35
.
Ibid.
, pp. 79, 94.

36
. From the diary of Admiral Canaris,
NCA
, V, p. 769 (N.D. 3047–PS).

37
.
NCA
, VI, pp. 97–101 (N.D. 3363–PS).

38
.
TMWC
, I, p. 297.

39
.
Ibid.
, pp. 468–69.

40
. Ibid., XXIX, pp. 447–48.

41
.
NCA
, IV, p. 891 (N.D. 2233–C–PS).

42
.
Ibid.
, pp. 891–92.

43
.
Ibid.
, pp. 553–54.

44
.
DGFP
, VIII, p. 683
n
.

45
. The text,
ibid.
, pp. 604–9.

46
.
Ibid.
, p. 394.

47
.
Ibid
., p. 213.

48
.
Ibid
., p. 490.

49
.
NCA
, IV, p. 1082.

50
.
Ibid.
, p. 1082 (N.D. 2353–PS).

51
.
DGFP
, VIII, p. 537.

52
.
Ibid.
, respectively.

53
. Text of trade treaty of Feb. 11, 1940, and figures on deliveries,
ibid.
, pp. 762–64.

54
.
NCA
, IV, pp. 1081–82 (N.D. 2353–PS).

55
.
DGFP
, VIII, pp. 814–17 (Schnurre memorandum, Feb. 26, 1940).

56
.
NCA
, III, p. 620 (N.D. 864–PS).

57
. Langsdorff’s moving letter is given in
FCNA
, 1939, p. 62. Other German material on the battle and its aftermath, pp. 59–62.

58
. I have used some of the original German sources for this account of the forced landing: reports of the German ambassador and the air attaché in Brussels to Berlin,
DGFP
, VIII, and Jodl’s diary. The text of the German plan of attack in the West, as salvaged by the Belgians, is given in
NCA
, VIII, pp. 423–28 (N.D. TC-58–A). Karl Bartz has given an account of the incident in
Als der Himmel brannte.
Churchill’s comments are in
The Gathering Storm,
pp. 556–57. He gives a wrong date for the forced landing.

CHAPTER 20

 1
.
NCA
, IV, p. 104 (N.D. 1546–PS); VI, pp. 891–92 (N.D. C–66).

 2
.
Ibid.
, VI, pp. 928 (N.D. C–122), p. 978 (N.D. C–170).

 3
.
Ibid.
, p. 892 (N.D. C–166);
FCNA
, 1939, p. 27.

 4
. Churchill,
The Gathering Storm
, pp. 531–37.

 5
.
FCNA
, 1939, p. 51.

 6
. Rosenberg’s memorandum,
NCA
, VI, pp. 885–87 (N.D. C–64). It is also given in
FCNA
, 1939, pp. 53–55.

 7
.
FCNA
, 1939, pp. 55–57.

 8
.
Ibid.
, pp. 57–58.

 9
.
DGFP
, VIII, pp. 515, 546–47.

10
. Jodl’s diary, Dec. 12, 13—obviously
misdated. Halder diary for Dec. 14.

11
. Rosenberg memorandum,
NCA
, III, pp. 22–25 (N.D. 004–PS).

12
.
DGFP
, VIII, pp. 663–66.

13
. Text of the directive,
NCA
, VI, p. 883 (N.D.C–63).

14
. Interrogation of Falkenhorst at Nuremberg,
NCA
, Suppl. B, pp. 1534–47.

15
. Text of the directive,
NCA
, VI, pp. 1003–5; also in
DGFP
, VIII, pp. 831–33.

16
. Jodl’s diary, March 10–14, 1940.

17
.
DGFP
, VIII, pp. 910–13.

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