Chapter 115 Chapter 19 The Fox and the Bear (3)

Unbeknownst to Burckhardt, the British had not long ago made a secret proposal to Hitler through one of Chamberlain's senior advisers.Sir Horace Wilson had an interview with Ribbentrop's secret representative, Fritz Hersey, at the former's home in Kensington.In this private conversation, Wilson said that the prime minister was prepared to propose an alliance with the head of state for a period of 25 years.Its content would include economic benefits to the Reich and the installment return of German colonies "in due course" in return for which Hitler would have to pledge no further aggressive action in Europe.

Hesse said that he did not know whether what he heard was correct, and asked Sir Horace to explain it in detail.He explained. "If I were Hitler," said the astonished Hesse, "I would accept your proposal. But whether he would do so is anyone's guess." Shortly after Hesse sent the proposal back to the Foreign Office, He took Wilson's typewritten document - which summarized the main points of the proposal - on a special plane and flew back to Germany.Although impressed, Ribbentrop did not know how to convince Hitler that the matter should be taken seriously.Did Hesse really believe that if the Soviet Union attacked Germany, Britain would join Hitler's side?Will they cut off the dialogue in Moscow before negotiating with Germany?Jesse thinks they will.

An eyewitness told Hesse that Hitler was overjoyed when he first heard about the proposal. "This is the best news I haven't heard in a long time!" he shouted.After shouting, he began to dream like a child.His lifelong dream of allying himself with the mighty British Empire is about to come true!But almost at the same time he was filled with fear, accusing Wilson of setting a trap to save the Poles from the lash they deserved. "What does Hitler want?" Hesse asked his tip-offer, Ribbentrop's contact in the Chancellery, Walter Hewell.The answer was: the Führer was bent on forcing the Poles to submit.

During that week, Ribbentrop asked Hesse if he was "completely convinced" that Britain would fight for Danzig?Hersey replied that all their sources indicated that Chamberlain was nothing else.Any invasion of Polish territory would result in war. "The Führer doesn't believe that at all!" cried Ribbentrop. "Some idiots told him that the British only know how to intimidate, and they will kneel down as long as there is some counter-intimidation." Hesse, who was puzzled by Ribbentrop's superficial and secret ones, quickly asked if he really Some thought the British were intimidating.The foreign minister said he had warned the head of state that Britain appeared to believe that the balance of power in Europe depended on it, or that the British would not be weak and humble when the British Empire was threatened.

Two days later, Ribbentrop told Hesse that he had conveyed their entire arguments to Hitler.But he still believed that if Britain had gone to war for such a trivial matter as Danzig, then war with Britain was absolutely inevitable. Ribbentrop promised to talk to Hitler again.Ribbentrop admired the Führer's "surprising composure" in considering Hesse's opinion.However, Hitler still had doubts and fears, for fear that this was just a trick to fool him.What guarantees that the British will not live up to their word? The "Führer," Ribbentrop reported, "is only willing to consider real guarantees." Such a tough attitude also led to Ribbentrop's meeting with Mussolini's son-in-law in Salzburg on August 11. This diplomatic action is reflected in it.Ciano had come with instructions from Mussolini: Mussolini emphasized that any invasion of Poland must be postponed.This matter must be resolved through talks.

Like the head of state, Ribbentrop was also dissatisfied with the fact that the Italian prime minister did not go out in person, but only sent envoys.It is said that every time Ciano came to Germany, he would drink and have sex with women.For this reason both the Führer and Ribbentrop despised him.During the meeting, Ribbentrop faithfully conveyed his master's thoughts to Ciano.Perhaps, the foreign minister himself has these thoughts.In any case, his actions were the same as Hitler's. Ciano eloquently demanded a peaceful solution, but Ribbentrop would not listen at all.Finally, Ciano asked Ribbentrop what he wanted: corridors or Danzig? "It's not that anymore," he replied, "we want war."

The coldness between Ciano and Ribbentrop also extended to the secretaries.At lunch, they barely exchanged a word.Meanwhile, Ciano turned pale and whispered to an Italian: "We're almost going to fight." Strangely, Ciano, dutifully intimidated by Ribbentrop, dared to confront Hitler at the Berghof the next day.At lunch, Ciano joked about the floral decorations—which Eva Braun, the interpreter Dorman guessed, had arranged.Once the formal discussions began, Ciano tactfully and emphatically rebutted Hitler.He warned that war with Poland could not be confined to Poland.The reason is that this time the West will definitely declare war.Ciano pointed out in the clearest terms that Italy was not yet ready for a general war and that its strategic materials were not sufficient for months of war.Hitler gently suggested that the talks continue tomorrow morning and drive to Kirstein Mountain before dark.Ciano agreed, but with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.Hitler pulled him to a window and introduced him to the natural beauty outside the window in detail.Ciano shivered unnaturally.Then, he drank cup after cup of hot tea--he didn't like this hot tea very much.The trip up the mountain made Ciano feel desolate.That night he called his father-in-law and said, "The situation is serious."

By the next morning, Ciano was devastated.In the second round of talks with Hitler, he said nothing about Italy's inability to enter the war.His brilliant eloquence disappeared all at once.To the astonishment of the interpreter Schmidt, "he folded it like a knife." The calm and decisive politics of yesterday no longer exists.The Führer assured him that England and France would never go to war because of Poland.In this regard, Ciano only listened attentively and remained indifferent. "In the past, you were often right when our views were the opposite of yours," Ciano said. "This time, I think, you may see it more clearly than we do."

A few hours later, Ciano flew home listlessly. "I went back to Rome," he wrote in his diary, "disgusted with the Germans, with their leaders, and the way they did things. Now they have dragged us into a Go on an adventure that involves the government and the country." Soon after Ciano left, Jesse was ordered to meet Ribbentrop in a hotel in Salzburg.The foreign minister stared blankly at the desk for ten minutes before looking up gloomily at Hersey and saying, "I've just come from the Führer," he said, "unfortunately, he's not going to discuss Chamberlain's proposal." This refers to Wilson's proposal. "His intentions were entirely different. Chamberlain's advice would not be thrown away. We'll bring it up then." He instructed Hersey to fly back to London immediately and keep his ears open.

"The head of state intends to play the risky card. Whether he can succeed, I don't know. Anyway, we don't want to go to war with Britain. When the danger is serious, send us a signal in time." Hitler exuded confidence to Ciano, but it was all acting.In fact, he was deeply troubled by Stalin's slow reluctance to reach an agreement.It was reported that a joint Anglo-French delegation had arrived in Moscow not long ago and that successful negotiations with the Soviets were coming to an end.This intensified his misgivings.In fact, the Russians had no intention of negotiating because they suspected that the Allies were playing them.First of all, the Anglo-French delegation could have arrived in Moscow within one day, but it took six days: they took both passenger and cargo ships and trains.Secondly, the documents brought by a senior British official were incomplete; when the negotiations were finally on the right track, the British seemed to have no intentions: to establish a common defense against the Nazis, the Soviet Union offered to provide 136 divisions, while the United Kingdom was only willing to send 11 mechanized divisions and 5 infantry divisions.

Unaware of this, the Fuehrer ordered Ribbentrop to increase the pressure on the Kremlin.Schulenburg had a hasty meeting with Molotov. On the evening of August 15, Foreign Affairs Commissioner Molotov listened attentively to what German Ambassador Schulenburg said, but did not answer the question quickly.First, he said, several issues should be clarified.For example, was Germany willing to influence Japan to behave differently towards the Soviet Union?Is Germany willing to sign a non-aggression pact?If so, on what terms? Hitler was impatient, and without a second thought Ribbentrop immediately came to an understanding with Molotov.In this way, he handed over to his opponent the initiative to set the pace for the development of events.Stalin immediately seized this favorable opportunity.He replied through the mouth of Molotov that an economic agreement must first be signed before a political one.Ribbentrop responded by repeating his appeal to Schulenburg, pointing out that the first phase of the economic agreement was over.His instructions were almost hysterical.The next meeting with Molotov, he said, must be "emphasized ... to work towards the early realization of my own trip to Russia and to properly oppose any new objections that the Russians may raise. In this regard, you must Bearing in mind the decisive fact that Debord's open conflict is likely to take place at an early date, we have the strongest interest in my immediate visit to Molotov." Stalin understood that every hour of delay was painful for Hitler (perhaps Stalin's spies had reached Hitler's deadline of September 1).Therefore, he ordered Molotov to use the usual delaying tactics at the next meeting with Schulenburg (August 19).Thus, despite Schulenburg's repeated pleas for action, Foreign Affairs Commissar Molotov continued to conduct lengthy debates point by point.However, half an hour after Schulenburg left, the Soviets suddenly changed their tactics: Molotov wanted to invite Schulenburg back to the Kremlin.He arrived at the Kremlin late that afternoon, but he knew as soon as he entered that Molotov had good news for him.After apologizing to Schulenburg for the inconvenience, Molotov said he had just been authorized to hand him a draft of a non-aggression pact and would host Ribbentrop in Moscow. Mr. Fu.Of course, he did not explain that military negotiations between Britain, France and the Soviet Union had reached an impasse, and that Stalin had lost all patience with the West.Perhaps, he had always intended to partner with Hitler, and he just used negotiations with Britain and France as a means to obtain more favorable terms from Hitler. Even so, the Russians proceeded cautiously.Molotov told Schulenburg that he could receive Ribbentrop only a week after the signing of their economic agreement; if it is signed today, it will be August 26, if it is signed tomorrow, it will be August 27 .Hitler must have read Schulenburg's report with mixed feelings - delight at the possibility of the treaty and outrage at Stalin's insistence on signing the economic agreement first.This was not much better than fraud, but Hitler had no other choice.The economic agreement was hastily signed at 2 am.According to this agreement, Germany will lend the Soviet Union a commodity loan of 200 million marks at an interest rate of 5 percent for the purchase of machine tools and industrial equipment. Military materiel "in the broad sense", such as optics and armor plating, were also supplied, but in smaller quantities.The Soviet Union will repay this loan with raw materials. Hitler once defeated Austria and the Czech Republic with tactics, but this time it was Stalin who defeated him.Molotov advised him to wait a week, which he could not wait.He drew up a telegram to Stalin and sent it in private at 4:35 p.m. on August 20.In the telegram he welcomed the signing of the German-Soviet agreement as a first step in the rearrangement of German-Soviet relations.He also accepted the draft non-aggression pact proposed by the Soviet Union, although there were several issues that needed to be clarified as soon as possible.Then, he mentioned the crux of the problem.He said that since the tension between Germany and Poland had become intolerable, the speed with which the non-aggression pact could be concluded was of the utmost importance.Crisis can happen "any day". Two hours after Schulenburg delivered the telegram to the Kremlin, Stalin summoned him to the Kremlin to answer him personally: "Thank you for your letter," he said, hoping that this treaty would become their political relationship A sign that a decisive turning point has taken place. "Our two peoples need to establish peaceful relations with each other." He agreed to meet Ribbentrop on August 23. All day on the 20th, Hitler paced silently up and down the halls of the Berghof, anxiously awaiting news from Moscow.The expression on his face was so terrifying that no one dared to disturb him.He hoped that the treaty would be signed soon, and he had sent the small mothership "Graf Spey" to the Atlantic Ocean to stand by; 21 U-boats were also ready to attack along the coast of the British Isles. At dinner (according to Speer) Hitler received a telegram.After reading the telegram, he flushed and looked out the window with empty eyes.Suddenly, he slammed his fists on the table, rattling even the glass. "Got it!" he shouted, his voice full of emotion. "I got it!" After shouting, he sat back on his seat.No one dared to ask, and continued to eat in silence. After drinking the coffee, Hitler told the guests in a harmonious tone that Germany was signing a non-aggression pact with Russia. "Here, take a look," he said, "it's a telegram from Stalin." According to Hoffman's recollection, the Führer was so happy at the time that he slapped his knees—something the photographer Hoffman had never seen before.After the manager Cannonburg brought the champagne, everyone busily formed a group, toasted each other and toasted a great diplomatic victory.After a while, Hitler led everyone into the small cinema in the basement to watch Stalin's large military parade reviewing the Red Army.How lucky, the Führer remarked, that such a powerful army had been neutralized. Hoffmann worried about reverberations among loyal National Socialists who had fought the Reds for decades. "The party, like the whole world, will be astonished," Hitler replied deliberately, "but my party members know me and trust me. They know that I will never depart from my fundamental principles. They will understand that this adventure The ultimate goal of the gamble is to sweep away the dangers in the East and, under my leadership - to unify Europe more quickly." On the face of it, Hitler and Stalin seemed the least likely of allies.How could they have anything in common?In fact, they have many similarities.One admired Peter the Great, and the other saw himself as the successor of Frederick the Great.Both advocated the use of violence and both acted under essentially indistinguishable ideologies.The Communist Party and the Nazis are both hypocrites, dogmatists, and totalitarians.Both believe that any means can be used if the end is right.Both countries, in the name of country and progress, sanctified the injustice. For a long time, Hitler admired Stalin and regarded him as "one of the extraordinary figures in the history of the world".Once, he told a group of cronies that he had a lot in common with the Soviet leader because both men came from lower-class backgrounds.When someone among them disagreed with the Führer's comparison of himself with previous bank robbers, he replied: "If Stalin really robbed the bank, he did not do it for pockets, but for the party and the movement. You can't see that as It's like robbing a bank." The Führer also did not regard Stalin as a real Communist Party. "In reality, he merged with Tsarist Russia and only revived Pan-Slavism (perhaps Hitler was unconsciously talking about himself and Germany). For him, Bolshevism was nothing more than a means, a way to A disguise to deceive the Germanic and Latin peoples." Both Stalin and Hitler felt confident using each other.Both dictators were wrong, but in the hectic summer of 1939 there was not a single major power that was not guided by some misconception.Europe is a cauldron of mutual mistrust, mutual deceit and double tactics.Even when Ribbentrop was preparing to leave for Moscow, Stalin had not completely given up hope of forming a military alliance of Britain, France and the Soviet Union against Hitler.While the British were half-hearted about the treaty, they also secretly invited Goering to England.No matter where, one country secretly conducts transactions with another country behind the back of the other country, either shouting the cliché of sincerity or full of intimidation and threats.