Chapter 119 Chapter 20 "Unprecedented Disaster" (3)

Early the next morning, Henderson called the secretary of the Polish embassy to tell him that he had learned "from an unquestionably accurate source" that "within the next two to three hours, if Poland does not undertake something, the war could happen.” Hitler's phone bugs recorded every word. Fifteen minutes later, Henderson called London. In addition to restating the above information, he also added his own opinion, that is, although this may be a threat, it may not be.The call was also fully recorded.While the Germans were not fully familiar with British codes, Henderson's inadvertent use of the telephone made their task easier (by the way, security at the British embassy in Rome was even more lax. Lord Payne's safe was regularly opened every week by a professional thief hired by the Italian intelligence agency. In addition to stealing away the passwords related to British diplomatic secrets, the thief actually stole Mrs. Payne's tiara one night. Even so , the security measures of the British embassy have not been improved. Fortunately for the UK, Mussolini had not yet begun to hand over foreign secret codes and other materials to his allies).

The last day of August is a crazy day for good people.Darlerus, with Henderson's permission, telephoned London shortly after noon to tell Sir Horace Wilson that Hitler's proposal was "very generous".According to Goering, he said, the Führer's intention in proposing such a clause was to show the British how eager he was to settle the matter amicably with Britain.As Dalerus spoke, Wilson heard the words repeated in German.He knew that the phone had been tapped, so he asked Dalerus to tell Henderson about it.But the amateur diplomat didn't get it.Wilson told him not to "go too fast," and he didn't give up.Finally, Wilson had to say, tell him to stop talking.Still ignoring, Wilson dropped the microphone.

While professional and amateur diplomats alike are scrambling for a peaceful solution, war plans are relentlessly developing.At noon that day, driven by a big lie (according to A. I. Berndt, Hitler's contact with the German Press Agency), Hitler issued a second invasion order.Berndt felt that the number of Germans massacred by the Poles was too small, so he added a zero on his own initiative.At first, Hitler could not believe that the number was so large.Berndt replied that the number might be exaggerated, but if it was that large, something terrible must have happened.After hearing this, Hitler yelled: "They will pay for this! I will teach them a lesson so that they will never forget! No one can stop me! I will never let my Germans be like cattle. They were also slaughtered!" Having said that, the Führer walked to the telephone, and in front of Berndt, ordered Keitel to issue "Instruction No. 1 for Carrying Out the War."

This instruction has already been prepared, and it is only necessary to modify the opening sentences slightly according to the situation: "Because the situation on the eastern border of Germany has become intolerable, and all possibilities of political settlement have been exhausted, I have decided to use the Solve it by force." The day for the attack on Poland was fixed for the next day, Friday, September 1; no action was taken in the West.This instruction was sent to the hands of senior military officers, who then issued special orders to the field commanders in the most confidential way.By 4:00 p.m., the order to begin the invasion had been carried out; troops and equipment had begun moving to the front near the border.At the same time, the head of the SS Security Service issued special orders to a secret German unit on the Polish border.Before that, Reinhard Heydrich had concocted a heinous plan—"Himmler's Battle"—that provided Hitler with an excellent excuse to attack.The advance party of the Security Service, disguised as Polish soldiers and partisans, was to stir up trouble on the border on the eve of the invasion, and exactly four hours later, they attacked a forest station, destroyed a German customs house, and—this was the last Important - brief occupation of Gleiwitz's radio station.After shouting anti-German slogans into the microphone, the "Poles" immediately retreated, leaving behind a lot of dead bodies to prove that fighting took place here.Corpses are out of the question.Heydrich had already selected his victims in concentration camps - they were called "canned food".

In Berlin, after five and a half hours of delay, Ambassador Lipsky was finally ushered into Ribbentrop's office at 6:30 p.m.Tired and nervous, Lidzenski read a brief statement.The statement said that the Polish government "is considering approvingly" the British proposal for direct negotiations between Germany and Poland and "will make a formal reply on this issue within hours."He said bluntly that he had been trying to make this statement since 1 p.m. "Are you an envoy with a negotiating mission?" Ribbentrop asked coldly.Lipsky replied that he had been instructed "for the time being" to convey the statement he had just read to Germany.Ribbentrop retorted that he had thought that Lipsky had come to Berlin as a representative with a carte blanche negotiating mission. "Do you have the right to negotiate with us now on the German proposal?" he asked aggressively.Lipsky said he had no such right. "Well, then, there is no need for us to talk any further."

It was one of the briefest meetings in Schmidt's experience -- and it ended there.Lipsky did not ask to see Hitler's sixteen-point proposal; had Ribbentrop offered it, Lipsky would not have been entitled to receive it.He had his orders to obey: "No specific negotiations." Apparently the Poles were confident (with the support of their allies) of flogging the Germans and had no intention of discussing Hitler's proposal.Britain and France were also unwilling to persuade Poland to negotiate.After Lipski returned to the embassy, ​​he called Warsaw.The line is broken.The Germans have cut off communications.There's nothing more they need to know.

In the Chancellery, Adolf Hitler was talking with the Italian Ambassador Attolico (who arrived at 7 p.m.).Attolico again demands peace.Was Hitler willing to listen to the Italian prime minister as a last-minute mediator? "We first have to wait for the development of the situation," the head of state said.These developments are now proceeding as planned.At 8 o'clock in the evening, Heydrich's fake "Poles" launched an attack on the Gleiwitz radio station.An hour later, all German radio stations canceled their regular programs and broadcast an official statement instead.The statement repeated verbatim the 16-point proposal, which was so reasonable that even unfriendly foreigners were deeply moved.

The Poles never considered taking German advice.Instead of making a counter-proposal to resume negotiations—hasty, but with the potential to derail Hitler's plans altogether—they retaliated by broadcasting an aggressive statement of their own at 11:00 p.m.It attacked that German broadcasts had made Hitler's goals clear. "Words can no longer conceal the aggressive plans of these new Huns. Germany is seeking to dominate Europe and replace the rights of nations with an unprecedented cynicism. This vile proposal shows how necessary the military order (mobilization) issued by the Polish government is. "

Ribbentrop went to the Chancellery to see how the Führer reacted to the Polish broadcast.Nothing can be done, said Hitler, and everything is in motion.He is composed.After weeks of anxiety and doubt, the direction of the future has been set.He was sure that Britain and France would not act - and he went to bed.Perhaps the greatest assurance Hitler received that night (he had not long ago told his generals that the treaty with Stalin was "a treaty with the devil for the purpose of exorcising demons") was that he received a letter from Moscow Brief telegram.After Molotov delivered a "brilliant" speech, the Supreme Soviet finally ratified the treaty with Germany, the telegram said.

For Hitler, the invasion of Poland was not a war, but an operation to acquire what rightfully belonged to Germany, a regional operation, something Britain and France would inevitably accept as a fait accompli after some face-saving gestures action.More than once his adjutants heard him say at the dinner table that "the British will abandon the Poles as much as the Czechs." Although the intercepted telegrams of his own "institute" clearly indicated that the outbreak of the German-Polish war would lead to British and French intervention, Hitler still did not believe this, because it (according to his personal adjutant Chapel) " disturbed the formation of his intuition".What he believed more was his personal belief that Britain and France would not act. "Britain is intimidating," he said to his court photographer not long ago, before flashing a rare mischievous smile: "Me too!"

Goering was on his special train when news of Hitler's final decision to go to war reached him.He was so angry that he called Ribbentrop to answer the phone. "Now your fucking war is over! You did it all!" he shouted, throwing the microphone away.This is ironic.Perhaps no one warned the Führer as often as Ribbentrop that, if cornered, Britain would inevitably fight.