The History of WWII Podcast XX
[0] Welcome to True Spies, the podcast that takes you deep inside the greatest secret missions of all time.
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[9] Hello, and thank you for listening to a History of World War II podcast, episode 12, Appeasement.
[10] So first of all, I'd like to thank everyone who's either sent me an email or who's left a comment on the website.
[11] Your feedback is very important to me, and it helps me to make improvements, so keep that coming.
[12] Also, those of you who've asked questions, I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
[13] In fact, I was thinking if I could get enough questions together, say covering anything between 1933 and the end of 1938, I could put it together and make an episode out of it.
[14] So just send your questions in to my email address, ray40.
[15] to harris at yahoo .com and you can also see that on the website and I'll get that out as soon as I can and I'd also like to thank Richard Hughes of the UK who sent me an email correctly pointing out that when I say England I should be saying Britain Great Britain or UK or United Kingdom England is only a part of that so thank you for that Richard So previously, in November of 1937, Hitler got together a very small select group of men to let them know his next move that he wanted to plan on the international stage.
[16] He was now ready to incorporate Austria and Czechoslovakia into the German Reich.
[17] He told the men that he would be willing to go to war with Britain and France for it, but ultimately he was hoping to incorporate it.
[18] He was hoping to get it through diplomatic means as opposed to armed conflict.
[19] But this made some of the generals very nervous.
[20] And so General von Fritsch, Commander -in -Chief of the Army, General Beck, Chief of General Staff, and Minister Baron von Neurath, the Foreign Minister, decided together that they needed to change Hitler's mind to save Germany.
[21] So their plan consisted of General Fritsch going first.
[22] So on November 9, 1937, just days after Hitler had told them all, what he wanted to do.
[23] Fritz got together with Hitler, and he told him of the military considerations affecting Hitler's plans, and he said it was pretty much impossible.
[24] There was no way Germany could back up with force any of his ambitions, at least not yet.
[25] Neuroth was going to go next to explain to Hitler the political dangers, which was basically isolation, which happened to Germany after World War I. Hitler must have had a sense of what Neuroth wanted to say, because he pretty much avoided him, and he took off to his retreat.
[26] Birchtesgaden, which was near the German -Austrian border.
[27] So he's staying there, so Neuroth can't even see him until the middle of January.
[28] He puts his entire case before Hitler, and the response from Hitler was a resounding no. Hitler had no intentions of changing his plans or listening to anyone who considered himself a professional politician or general.
[29] He had contempt for all of them.
[30] So Neuroth pretty much threatened to resign.
[31] To be honest, that's what Hitler had in mind anyway.
[32] So it was coming up on the fifth anniversary of Hitler coming to power.
[33] He gave a speech on January 30th of every year since he'd come to power.
[34] And he knew it was time to pretty much clean house.
[35] He wanted to get rid of certain military leaders who were either too independent or never accepted Hitler or didn't like his plans that he told them about in November.
[36] And he wanted to clear out the foreign ministry, get rid of some of the diplomats who basically had their own agenda.
[37] and didn't realize Hitler had his own plans, his own agenda.
[38] What no one realized or even thought about was that Hitler had been planning this for over a decade.
[39] He, as a homeless, shiftless bum in Vienna, Austria, from 1909 to 1913, he had fantasies about what he would do when he came to power.
[40] He would spend hours every day, instead of looking for work or working, just dreaming about being in a position where no one could hurt him, no one could cause him harm.
[41] which is why he was so ruthless in dealing with those even within his own political party.
[42] And he would fantasize about what he would do.
[43] Obviously, he didn't know that when he would come to power or how it would come about, and he didn't know there would be a dictator in Italy that he could team up with.
[44] He didn't know there would be a British prime minister who would basically give in to him.
[45] He didn't know France would be tearing itself apart over economic reasons after World War I. Obviously, he didn't know there would be a World War I. But in his fantasies, he would think about, okay, if I was the German leader and Germany was destined for greatness and it's my destiny to lead them, all the different steps he would take.
[46] Broad strokes, he had it all thought out.
[47] He knew that he needed to take Austria to incorporate Austria, which would then leave Czechoslovakia open.
[48] And then, of course, Poland would have to go.
[49] And he always hated communism, so he knew that one day he would launch an assault on the Soviet Union if he ever came to power.
[50] And he just had these fantasies over and over and over again.
[51] And as time went by and as...
[52] events occurred, he would revise his fantasies.
[53] But now that he's in power, they're not so much fantasies, they're part of his plan.
[54] And he's now ready to carry them out.
[55] So there are a lot of probably above average but mentally imbalanced people out there who have fantasies all the time, but he just happened to make it to power, so now he gets to carry his out.
[56] So he's trying to think of a way to start working on the military leaders when an opportunity comes to him before he can even implement any plans.
[57] General Blomberg, who was the ranking officer in the military, he was widowed, he was lonely, and he fell in love with his secretary, Erna Grun, or Fraulein Grun, since she was single.
[58] And at the end of November 1937...
[59] He proposed, and she accepted.
[60] Now, he's a part of the aristocratic officer corps, and there's just no way his brothers in the military are going to let him marry a commoner.
[61] But he's really in love with her, and he wants to have her as a wife.
[62] So he goes to Goering for advice, and Goering says, don't worry, I'll take care of it.
[63] I'll clear it with Hitler.
[64] Everything will be fine.
[65] So he does.
[66] So they're married on January 12, 1938, and Goering and Hitler are actually witnesses at the wedding.
[67] It's a big honor for Blomberg.
[68] They then go to Italy, Capri, for their honeymoon.
[69] But within days after they left, rumors start going around about Blomberg's new wife, even to the point where some prostitutes called up the generals who were their regular customers and thanked them for taking in one of their own.
[70] So the rumors get back to Gehring, and Gehring, everyone knew, wanted Blomberg's job.
[71] So it's even possible that Gehring said he would help Blomberg, using it as a setup to entrap him so he can get his position.
[72] But Hitler knew his Gehring really well.
[73] He knew that Gehring was unstable, undisciplined, unsubtle.
[74] He needed him for a lot of things, but a job like that just had way too much responsibility, and Hitler never would have given it to him.
[75] So all these rumors about Blomberg's wife come to Gehring, and on January 25th, he goes to Hitler with proof of the lady's past.
[76] Hitler exploded.
[77] Obviously, he looked like a fool because he was a witness at the wedding.
[78] So Goering contacts Blomberg and tells him everything.
[79] Hitler's very upset, and Blomberg offers to divorce his wife.
[80] Goering at this point says, I'm sorry, but that's not enough.
[81] And on January 27th, Blomberg is fired.
[82] So again, he is in love with his wife.
[83] He's very happy, so he goes back on his honeymoon in Capri.
[84] Now Hitler has to look for a new chief of staff.
[85] It's not going to be Goering, and it's not going to be Fritsch, because Fritsch has already made it clear that he's not happy with Hitler's November plans.
[86] But to make it even more complicated for Hitler, on the same day, January 25th, that Gehring talked about Blomberg's wife, he also took him documents that showed General von Fritsch was guilty of homosexual acts, and he was being blackmailed by a former lover.
[87] The documents that proved this came from the SS.
[88] They came from Himmler and Heydrich.
[89] Now, the documents were forged, and there's a good chance that Hitler knew that, but he wanted to get rid of Fritsch anyway, so he went along with it.
[90] Hitler's adjutant, Colonel Hossbach, heard all this, the conversation between Gehring and Hitler, and he bravely called Fritsch right away, and he told him everything that had happened.
[91] Fritsch denied everything to him, and the next day, Hossbach goes to Hitler and says, hey, I talked to Fritsch.
[92] He denied it all, and it's all a bunch of lies, which is pretty brave.
[93] He's stepping in the way of Hitler's plans.
[94] He's lucky he didn't get eliminated himself, and he suggested that Fritsch be called in for questioning.
[95] To clear his name.
[96] So Hitler pauses for a moment.
[97] And then looks at him and says.
[98] Yes that's a good idea.
[99] Let's bring him in.
[100] So that very evening.
[101] General Fritsch is questioned.
[102] He denied everything.
[103] But then Goering and Himmler brought in the witness.
[104] Who told the story about the sex.
[105] And about the blackmail.
[106] Now the story is true.
[107] But it happened to someone else.
[108] Who has a last name similar to General von Fritsch.
[109] And Fritsch was so angry.
[110] He couldn't even reply.
[111] Which Hitler decided to take as a sign of guilt.
[112] So he asked for Fritsch's resignation.
[113] And the general said no, he wanted to be tried by a military court of honor.
[114] You know, rank does have its privileges.
[115] So there was a power struggle.
[116] Hitler couldn't let the military caste decide this fate.
[117] He had to show them that he was over them.
[118] And this was his chance to get rid of Fritsch, even if it was all based on lies.
[119] And so he ordered Fritsch to go on indefinite leave.
[120] So there's tension building up between the Nazi hierarchy, Himmler, Hitler, Goering on one side, and several of the generals on the other who are used to their privileges.
[121] And for a while, they consider their own putsched.
[122] So the army starts a preliminary investigation with the Ministry of Justice, and the result comes back pretty quickly.
[123] It's a frame -up.
[124] It's a Gestapo frame -up by the SS.
[125] It's not even a very good frame -up.
[126] So they're sure that Fritz is going to be found innocent and cleared and put back in his position.
[127] position.
[128] In fact, the army is expecting and hoping that Himmler and Heydrich are out and that Fritz will be restored and this might even shake Hitler's power base, especially if he tries to cover this up.
[129] So they're going to watch him very carefully because at this point the military is the only entity that has the means to remove Hitler physically.
[130] So the last week of January 1938, the anniversary is coming up.
[131] Rumors are flying all around Berlin.
[132] Tension's very high.
[133] But the biggest rumor was that the army was going to surround the Reichstag on January 30th when Hitler gave a speech and stop him, arrest him, and arrest all the Nazi hierarchy.
[134] But the Reichstag does not meet, Hitler does not give a speech on January 30th.
[135] He knows that he can't bring everyone together.
[136] It's too much of a risk.
[137] So on February 4th, 1938, Hitler calls a cabinet meeting, and it turns out it's going to be the last one.
[138] Hitler declares with his powers passed from previous laws that he announces that he is personally taking over command of all the armed forces.
[139] Blomberg's office of commander -in -chief of the war ministry is abolished, along with the war ministry, and from now on it's going to be the high command of the armed forces.
[140] Oberkommando der Wechtmacht.
[141] And Hitler's in charge of it.
[142] It is over the Army, it's over the Navy, it's over the Air Force, it's over everything.
[143] To appease Goering, who's upset, Hitler makes him a field marshal.
[144] So now he's the ranking officer in the armed forces.
[145] Hitler told the public that Blomberg and Fritsch retired for health reasons.
[146] So later on, when Fritsch is found innocent by his military brothers, it doesn't change anything.
[147] Hitler's still in power, he's still in charge, and Fritsch is still out.
[148] But Hitler's not finished.
[149] Gets rid of or demotes 16 other generals, like Rundstedt, von Lieb.
[150] von Witzleben, von Kluge, von Kleist, they're all relieved to command or demoted.
[151] Most will return when war starts, but 44 other officers who are seen as less devoted to the Nazi cause are transferred to less important or powerful posts.
[152] So Fritz's successor is General von Brauditsch.
[153] He's respected by the army, but he's pretty compliant to Hitler.
[154] Also on February 4th, Niroth is out, and he's replaced by the shallow and equally compliant.
[155] Ribbentrop.
[156] Also, Pappen has been fired.
[157] Now it can be argued that February 4th, 1938 was the real end of the Nazi revolution.
[158] All the people appointed by Hindenburg are gone.
[159] The Prussian officer cast turns out to be no match for Hitler.
[160] And the armies had five years to get rid of him.
[161] Why didn't they?
[162] A lot of them believed that he was Germany's destiny, good or bad.
[163] So Hitler can now focus on Austria.
[164] Throughout 1937, Berlin financed Austrian Nazis, and there were daily bombings and a lot of violent Nazi demonstrations.
[165] On January 25, 1938, the Austrian police found evidence for a plan that was set up by Berlin.
[166] The Austrian Nazis were going to stage a revolt, and when Schuschnigg, the chancellor, tried to stop it, the German army was going to come and invade to restore order and proclaim that they were stopping the spilling of German blood.
[167] And also, part of the plan was Papen was to be murdered.
[168] So again, Papen was fired on February the 4th.
[169] And for Papen, this is pretty much a slap across the face, but he took it obediently.
[170] He certainly was ambitious and he believed in himself.
[171] So the first thing he's going to do is go to Hitler.
[172] Even though he was almost murdered years ago, he's fired now and he knows that there's a plan out there for him to be killed.
[173] He goes right to Hitler.
[174] Very brave man. But Schuschnigg knew that something was up when Papen was fired, and he knew it was time to appease Hitler even further.
[175] So Papen goes to Hitler, and he wants his job back, but he also tells Hitler he has an idea.
[176] He says, why don't we bring Schuschnigg here to your retreat, and you can talk to him about Austria.
[177] So Hitler, even though he fired him the day before, Hitler said, yes, that's what I want to do, so set it up, take care of everything.
[178] So Papen goes to Schusenig, and Schusenig says, yes, I'll meet with Hitler, but there have to be certain conditions.
[179] Hitler has to adhere to the peace speech points that he made years ago about Austria's independence and about not interfering.
[180] Hitler said, yes, of course, I will respect them.
[181] And the meeting was set up for February 12th.
[182] So Papin meets Shoesnake at the door, February 11th.
[183] And the way these things normally happen was you would get there the day before, have dinner, talk, break the ice a little bit.
[184] Maybe a little work will be done, but it's pretty much left for the next day, but just to relax.
[185] So Schuschnigg finally meets Hitler, and Hitler says pretty much straight away, oh, I hope you don't mind if some other people are here.
[186] They just happen to be in the neighborhood.
[187] One of them was Keitel, the new chief of staff of the new armed forces, Reichenau, who was in charge of the forces around the German -Austrian border, and Spirol, who was in charge of the air force of the area.
[188] So they just happened to be in the neighborhood, and Hitler asked them to join the conversation.
[189] Schuschnigg was an experienced, tough diplomat.
[190] And he was used to the rough and tumble of politics, so he said yes, he'd be happy if they joined him.
[191] And then he looked at Hitler and said, especially since I don't have any choice.
[192] So after a while, Schuschnigg is alone with Hitler, and he notices that Hitler is wearing the uniform of a stormtrooper, the brown tunic and the black pants.
[193] Schuschnigg has old -world manners, comments on the view from the villa.
[194] He can see the snow -capped Alps and beyond that, Austria.
[195] But Hitler cuts him off pretty quick, and he says, we're not here to discuss the view.
[196] But we're here to discuss Austria not having a friendly policy towards Germany.
[197] Germany is a great power now in Europe, and no one would stop me if I decided to settle a border dispute with you.
[198] Of course, taking over countries is not exactly a border dispute, but that's the way Hitler sees it.
[199] Schuschnick doesn't lose his cool.
[200] He doesn't panic.
[201] He politely disagrees.
[202] Hitler becomes frustrated that he can't shake the diplomat, starts yelling at him again that Austria has been sabotaging Germany in their attempt to bring their country back up from the ruins of World War I. And he says it's the work of the Habsburgs who want to take the throne back over in Austria and the Catholic Church.
[203] And so they argue for about an hour.
[204] Now, Schusenig loses the argument just by participating in it.
[205] There's no tension.
[206] There's no trouble.
[207] No one's having trouble.
[208] Hitler's creating it.
[209] But Schusenig trying to...
[210] participate in the conversation loses just by the very participation.
[211] Hitler's fevered, fluid mind jumps from one subject to the other, confusing Schusenig, and at one point they even start arguing about Beethoven.
[212] But soon Hitler gets back to his prepared speech.
[213] He talks about how great he is, all of his accomplishments, his difficult path to save Germany and the German people.
[214] And Schusenig says, yes, I believe you.
[215] I understand that your struggle is titanic.
[216] And Hitler says, so you say, but I'm here going to solve the Austrian problem.
[217] And again, there is no problem.
[218] Hitler's the only one having a problem.
[219] So Hitler accuses Schusenig of fortifying his borders.
[220] Again, Schusenig unwisely took the bait.
[221] He denied it.
[222] And Hitler pounces on him and says, I could take it all right now, but that would mean spilling German blood, something I'm trying very hard not to do.
[223] But if I let the SA and the SS go and the Austrian Nazi, go in your country, it'd be crazy.
[224] It'd be a madhouse.
[225] There'll be mass slaughter.
[226] And no one can help you.
[227] France can help you.
[228] Britain can't help you.
[229] Italy can't help you.
[230] The League of Nations can't help you.
[231] So tell you what, I'll give you one more chance.
[232] You will come to terms now.
[233] Well, finally, Schusenig has something to focus on, something specific.
[234] It's not rhetoric.
[235] It's not platitudes.
[236] So he asks, okay, what are your terms?
[237] And Hitler, who's momentarily stymied, says, we can talk about that this afternoon.
[238] So then they all have lunch.
[239] Hitler was pleasant.
[240] He talked about horses and houses, and he bragged that Germany would one day build the biggest skyscrapers in the world, bigger than the U .S. And for Schusnick, this was all just too surreal.
[241] He needed to smoke really badly.
[242] He wasn't allowed to smoke in Hitler's presence.
[243] So after lunch, he went aside with an aide, went outside and had a cigarette, and he told the aide everything.
[244] And they were left alone for about two hours while Hitler and his cronies were writing of the demands that Hitler didn't have prepared earlier.
[245] So later on, Schusenig is brought into a room with Ribbentrop and Papen, and there's two typed pages in front of him, and they say, no discussion, just sign.
[246] Well, at least now, again, Schusenig has something to focus on, so he grabs a piece of paper and starts reading it.
[247] They try to stop him from reading it, but he's able to get through it, and he's pretty much shocked by what he reads.
[248] If he had just signed it as is, it pretty much would have been handed the Austrian government over to Berlin in one week.
[249] Some of the things on the list were, The ban on Austrian Nazis were to be lifted.
[250] All the Nazis were to be released from jail.
[251] And a pro -Nazi lawyer, Dr. Sess Inkwart, was to be made Minister of Interior of Austria, which would control the police.
[252] And another pro -Nazi Austrian, Gleis Hortensnau, was to be made Minister of War, so he would be in charge of the armed forces.
[253] And they were to make preparations for the assimilation of Austria into the German economic system, so another pro -Nazi would have to be made Minister of Finance.
[254] Schuschnigg barely finished reading the letter when Ruben Trapp told him to sign.
[255] Schuschnigg, the experienced diplomat that he was, tried to keep calm, and he was stalling for time.
[256] And he mentioned the previous agreement that he had with Pappen, and he said that these demands were unreasonable.
[257] He was harassed, he was pushed around, he was yelled at, and he began to weaken.
[258] They pretty much ganged up on him, and this went on for a while.
[259] And again, he tried to stall.
[260] He asked, would Germany honor its word to keep out of Austria if he did sign?
[261] And of course, he was told yes.
[262] Also, that if there was to sign, there would be no more difficulties from Germany.
[263] And of course, they said yes, lying right to him.
[264] And he was starting to waver.
[265] He was then alone with Hitler.
[266] And Hitler had the document in his hand.
[267] And Hitler pretty much bellowed at him, I will not change anything.
[268] You will sign it right now.
[269] Or I will march into Austria.
[270] Finally, Schuschnigg, after all the...
[271] emotional and verbal battle just gave in and said he would sign, but he did not have the authority to make it legal.
[272] Only the president did.
[273] And Hitler said, you have to guarantee it.
[274] And pathetically, Schusnick said, I cannot.
[275] So Hitler runs to the door, jerks the door open, and yells for General Keitel like he's going to order the army to advance into Austria right now.
[276] But it was pretty much a bluff.
[277] Germany was nowhere ready to invade.
[278] They were still mobilizing and practicing.
[279] So 30 minutes go by, and Hitler is again alone with Schusenig, and Hitler calms down and says, Look, I've changed my mind.
[280] I never do this.
[281] I never do this for anybody, but here's what I'll do for you.
[282] I'll give you three days to carry out the details of the agreement.
[283] So then Schusenig asks for some very minor changes, and they're changed, and then he signs.
[284] He's overwhelmed, he's exhausted, and he's asked to stay for dinner, but he wisely leaves, and he and his aide jump in the car and they take off.
[285] So why did Shushnik sign besides the verbal and emotional abuse?
[286] Who was he going to turn to?
[287] Was he going to turn to the League?
[288] Was he going to turn to Britain or France?
[289] They hadn't been able to help Ethiopia.
[290] They hadn't been able to make a difference in the Spanish Civil War.
[291] And France and Britain didn't do anything when Germany went into the Rhineland, remilitarized it.
[292] So he was hoping for the best, but there's no way he could have known the degree of changes that was about to take place in Austria.
[293] Welcome to True Spies.
[294] The podcast that takes you deep inside the greatest secret missions of all time.
[295] Suddenly out of the dark it's appeared in love.
[296] You'll meet the people who live life undercover.
[297] What do they know?
[298] What are their skills?
[299] And what would you do in their position?
[300] Vengeance felt good.
[301] Seeing these people pay for what they'd done felt righteous.
[302] True Spies from Spyscape Studios.
[303] Wherever you get your podcasts.
[304] So Hitler had given Schuschnigg until February the 15th to receive a binding reply to the agreement and February 18th to fulfill the terms in the agreement.
[305] So Schuschnigg goes to the president, President Wilhelm Miklas.
[306] But Miklas is a plodding, mediocre man, but he is from peasant stock.
[307] He's pretty solid.
[308] He's not easily intimidated.
[309] And he's willing to make some concessions, but he says no to Cess Inquart becoming Minister of Interior.
[310] But then Hitler fakes a lot of preliminary actions for an invasion.
[311] He starts a lot of rumors.
[312] And panicking, the president finally gives in, and he signs...
[313] the agreement on the last possible day, on February the 15th, and the rest of it is carried out by the 18th.
[314] So on the 17th, Sessingquart is on his way to Berlin to receive his orders from Hitler.
[315] Now, Sessingquart never joined the Nazi party, so he was the legitimate face for Hitler.
[316] He did believe in Austria joining Germany.
[317] That was something he really wanted to see happen, but he never joined the Nazis, so Hitler used him.
[318] So all this is taken care of, and on February 20th, Hitler makes this speech in a Reichstag that he normally would make on January 30th.
[319] The military hierarchy crisis is resolved, and he speaks well of Schuschnigg, saying that Schuschnigg was understanding about the two countries coming together.
[320] And this speech, which is obviously a lot of lies, impresses Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister.
[321] But as usual in his speech, Hitler slips in a thread about what's coming, so later on he can say that he had voiced his concerns.
[322] He said that all German people everywhere are now the concern of the Third Reich, and they were going to make sure that they were treated decently, and that Czechoslovakia and Austria had many Germans.
[323] So he was going to keep an eye out for how they were treated by their governments.
[324] So Czechoslovakia had about 3 million Germans in it on the western side, touching Germany.
[325] They were in the Sudetenland.
[326] And after his speech, there was a lot of very large pro -Nazi Austrian demonstrations throughout the country.
[327] And at the capital, the Austrian flag was torn down and replaced with a swastika.
[328] And the police pretty much stood by and did nothing because half of them belonged to the Nazi party in Austria.
[329] And at this point, foreign investments started leaving the country.
[330] But now Schuschnigg got his equilibrium back.
[331] He was back on his feet, and he was ready to fight back.
[332] So on February 24th, he made his own speech.
[333] It was conciliatory in tone, but he said, we're going to go this far and no further.
[334] We're never going to give up our independence.
[335] And he ended with a slogan that said, red, white, red, until we're dead.
[336] And that was the colors of their flag.
[337] But the next day, Pappen, who was still in Austria, told Berlin not to take it too seriously.
[338] Schuschnigg was trying to save face.
[339] And Cess Inquart was already carrying on with the plans that Hitler had given him previously.
[340] Schuschnigg saw that this wasn't working, and he became desperate.
[341] So he turned to the workers and to the Social Democrats within his own country.
[342] Now, he'd been repressing them for four years, but he released a lot of those prisoners when he released the Nazi prisoners.
[343] And the Social Democrats marched on the Capitol supporting Schuschnigg on March 4th.
[344] Of course, they didn't want to help for free.
[345] They wanted their political party back, which Schuschnigg was only too happy to grant.
[346] So Schuschnick had one card left to play, and he borrowed an idea from Hitler.
[347] He was going to have a plebiscite, and the plebiscite was pretty much, do we want independence or do we want to join Germany?
[348] Ja oder nein?
[349] Yes or no?
[350] And finally, Schuschnick thought he had one surprise for Hitler.
[351] On February 11th, he called Mussolini, and Mussolini pretended to still be the friend of Austria.
[352] So Schuschnick sent a military attaché to Rome on March 7th.
[353] Schuschnick told Mussolini of his plebiscite idea, which Mussolini told him it was a mistake.
[354] He was trying to stall to help Hitler, but pretending at the same time to be Schuschnick's friend.
[355] But Schuschnick thinks it's a good plan, so he's going to go ahead with it anyway.
[356] So on March 9th, he announces that there's going to be a plebiscite on March 13th.
[357] Hitler, when he hears, goes into a fit of rage, and we'll go into that a little later.
[358] So on the night of March 9th, Hitler calls Goering and some other generals in.
[359] And he tells them that he wants a military occupation of Austria carried out before the plebiscite can occur.
[360] So he has to invade by Saturday.
[361] But there's no plan ready.
[362] You can't just march in.
[363] You have to have specific plans, timetables, which units you're going to use, that kind of thing.
[364] But then General Keitel remembers that there's a plan drawn up called Otto.
[365] That was drawn up in case the Habsburgs tried to take the Austrian throne back.
[366] So Hitler said, well, that's the only plan we have in place, and we have to hurry and do this before the plebiscite, so let's go.
[367] So again, the generals are okay with invasion.
[368] They're just worried about the details.
[369] They like to have everything planned out because that's just a prudent move for military success.
[370] So General Beck, Chief of Staff, grabs General von Manstein, who becomes prominent when Germany invades France, and they work really hard for about five hours, and they finally get everything done, and by 6 .30, the mobilization orders go out for three Army Corps and the Air Force.
[371] So 2 a .m. March 11th, Hitler issues a directive number one called Operation Otto.
[372] The whole operation is to be run by Hitler, and he wants abusing Austrian brothers to be kept at a minimum, except for self -defense, then you're to act ruthlessly.
[373] The Czech troops are to be considered hostile and to attack, and now that there are Italian troops everywhere, and they're to be treated as friendlies.
[374] So Hitler's still worried about Mussolini.
[375] He hasn't heard from them.
[376] He thinks he's on his side, but he's just not sure.
[377] He's asking himself, would Mussolini's pride come back?
[378] Would he want to do something to grab the attention of the world stage again that he clearly lost to Hitler?
[379] So Hitler sends Prince Philip of Hesse to see El Duce.
[380] Now, in a couple of years, Prince Philip is going to end up in a concentration camp with Shushnik, but for right now, Hitler's using him.
[381] And the prince delivers a letter to Mussolini.
[382] It talks about all the anarchy that's going on in Austria, which is obviously a bunch of lies, that Austria and Czechoslovakia are plotting to restore the Habsburg monarchy, and that's a lie too.
[383] It talks about Hitler's modest demands of Austria, which is a lie.
[384] And he asked, would you do anything different if you were me?
[385] And then finally, at the end of the letter, he says, I'll set the border of southern Germany at the Brenner Pass, which gives Mussolini the Tyrol area, which had been in dispute between the two countries since the end of World War I. So at 5 .30 a .m. on March 11th, Schusenig is awakened by the chief of police.
[386] And he says that the Germans have closed down Salzburg.
[387] They traffic between Germany and Austria.
[388] Schusnig calls his cabinet together, and the only one not there is Cess Inquart, his new minister of interior, which obviously is not good news.
[389] Cess is staying away from the situation.
[390] But finally, Cess Inquart shows up.
[391] He's got his orders from Goering.
[392] And so March 11th is going to be the day this all goes down.
[393] At 10 a .m., Cess Inquart tells Schusnig that he better call off the plebiscite or Germany is going to invade.
[394] Schusnig tells the president, that he believes the threat of invasion and that he wants to call off the plebiscite because he doesn't want to be the one responsible for spilling German blood.
[395] Anyway, he tells the president, half the police are with the Nazis anyway, wouldn't do us any good.
[396] But the president knew that the army militia would still fight.
[397] But again, Schusenig doesn't want that kind of responsibility.
[398] So by 2 p .m. that day, Schusenig tells Seth Sincourt that he's going to call off the plebiscite.
[399] Seth Sincourt calls and tells Gehring the good news, but then they get into a pattern and the Nazis...
[400] And then the plan is for Cess Incorp to send a telegram to Berlin asking for...
[401] German troops to help put down the anarchy that's in Austria.
[402] But obviously that's all fake.
[403] It's all a bunch of lies.
[404] Schuschnick decides to resign.
[405] But he puts in one last call to Mussolini.
[406] He's put on hold.
[407] There's no answer.
[408] And he finally hangs up.
[409] So President Miklas accepts Schusnick's resignation, but he refuses to put Cess Inquark in as his replacement.
[410] Cess Inquark tells Gehring this at 5 .30 p .m. And Gehring tells Cess to go ahead and tell the president that if he doesn't accept him, that the troops will be invaded by 7 .30 p .m. that night.
[411] Again, the president says no. But at this point, the Nazis pretty much have control of the streets and of the chancellery.
[412] They ask the president again.
[413] He says no. And Schusnig asks the president if he can make a broadcast about his resignation.
[414] So President Miklas says yes to that.
[415] Again, this is all on March 11th.
[416] The microphone is set up about 10 feet away from where Adolphus was shot years ago.
[417] And Schusnig tells everyone on the radio that Germany has handed the president an ultimatum to name a chancellor of their choosing or they're going to invade.
[418] That the German reports of disorders in Austria are a bunch of lies.
[419] And that Austria is not ready to shed German blood.
[420] So they're not going to offer any resistance.
[421] So Schusnig says, I take my leave.
[422] God protect Austria.
[423] So Sessingquart goes back to the president, asks him, is he going to give in?
[424] The president says no. Goering says, pretty much, go ahead, Sessingquart, take over, do whatever you want, because at this point he's just an old man sitting behind a desk.
[425] But again, Hitler's still upset by the president refusing to give in, and he's actually mad at Sessingquart for refusing to send the telegram.
[426] That was part of the ploy.
[427] Again, Sessingquart is not a Nazi.
[428] He just wants the two countries to come together.
[429] So Hitler is totally stressed by 8 .45.
[430] 5 p .m. that night, he gives the orders to invade Austria.
[431] And Gehring's going to get around the idea of the telegram by saying it was sent and just having a faked one ready to go.
[432] That they actually don't have to go through the motions of sending one from Austria to Germany.
[433] And Sess Inquart says yes to this because he didn't want the troops to invade, but of course they invade anyway.
[434] So the newspapers in Germany and Austria report that pretty much Germany saved Austria from chaos, from red disorder, from communists, from shootings, pillaging.
[435] And another newspaper in Germany prints a copy of the telegram, which honestly was never sent.
[436] Now, Hitler is still anxious over the president, Miklas.
[437] He can't have him shot.
[438] He can't ignore him.
[439] And he still hasn't heard anything from Mussolini.
[440] But finally, that night at 1025 p .m., Prince Philip calls Hitler, and he says he's talked to Mussolini.
[441] And I'm just going to read a passage from the book because Goering had the phone conversation recorded.
[442] And basically, Mussolini says he's with Hitler all the way.
[443] He's taking the plunge, and Hitler's just overjoyed and flooded with relief.
[444] So this is Hitler and the prince talking on the phone.
[445] Then please tell Mussolini I will never forget him for this.
[446] Yes, sir.
[447] Never, never, never.
[448] No matter what happens, I am only too ready to make a quite different agreement with him.
[449] Yes, sir.
[450] I told him that too.
[451] As soon as the Austrian affair has been settled, I shall be ready to go through thick and thin with him, through anything.
[452] Yes, my Fuhrer.
[453] Listen, I shall make any agreement.
[454] I am no longer fear of the terrible position which would have existed militarily in case we had gotten into a conflict.
[455] You may tell him that I do thank him from the bottom of my heart.
[456] Never, never shall I forget it.
[457] Yes, my Fuhrer.
[458] I shall never forget it.
[459] And at the end of the war, Mussolini does need Hitler, and Hitler does come to his rescue and save him from his own people.
[460] So what did France do?
[461] Nothing.
[462] In fact, there was no government in Paris at the time.
[463] On March 10th, Premier...
[464] Chatham and his cabinet resigned.
[465] So on March 11th, there was no government for anyone to contact in Paris.
[466] And it wasn't until March 13th that there was a new government under Leon Blum.
[467] But of course, everything had happened and it was too late by then.
[468] And in the United Kingdom...
[469] The Foreign Secretary, Anthony Eden, had had enough of the appeasement and he resigned on February the 20th.
[470] He was replaced by Lord Halifax.
[471] So on March 11th, Chamberlain said that if the rumors that they had been hearing were true about the takeover, that they wanted to protest in the strongest possible way.
[472] Of course, not using any force, but they just wanted to protest in the strongest possible way.
[473] The German response was on March 12th.
[474] Niroth told England, UK, and the world that Austro -German relations were only the concern of the German people.
[475] And on noon on March 12th, Dr. Goebbels ran Hitler's message over the German and Austrian radios that justified the troops being called in and that they would have a real plebiscite for everyone to decide.
[476] So on March 12th, Hitler enters his homeland of Austria to an incredible welcome.
[477] There's cheering crowds, and he lays a wreath at his parents' grave in Leonding.
[478] And they set up a plebiscite for the people to vote for April 10th, so it's about four weeks away.
[479] But the first thing that Himmler of the SS does when he comes in is arrest about 79 ,000 unreliables.
[480] So Hitler stays in Austria for about four weeks.
[481] He travels all over the country.
[482] He's creating a frenzy for the vote that's coming up.
[483] And he campaigns all the way up until the eve on April the 9th.
[484] So this former bum who used to go around Vienna and he was there for years and he was homeless and had no prospects or anything, he's now the most powerful man in Europe.
[485] So the Social Democrats and Christian parties that were supporting Shoesnake knew better than to campaign.
[486] And of course the election was rigged.
[487] 30 minutes after the polls closed, officially they claimed that 99 % of the people voted for Ja to join Germany.
[488] Supposedly 99 .08 % in Germany voted yes and 99 .75 % in Austria voted yes.
[489] And Austria as a country ceased to exist.
[490] It was just districts with names from now on.
[491] The first few weeks in Vienna and Austria in general, there was an orgy of sadism by the Nazis.
[492] Jews were made to clean up signs and clean latrines, and then they were thrown into jail.
[493] Baron Louis de Rothschild had to give up his steel mill to Goering just to be allowed to leave the country.
[494] 180 ,000 Jews were allowed to buy their freedom.
[495] They pretty much had to give up everything except for the clothes on their back.
[496] The SS handled the transactions of money and possession for freedom.
[497] Himmler and Heydrich were in charge of this.
[498] At first it was concentration camps set up, but then they were turned into elimination camps.
[499] More than 4 million people were killed in Austria.
[500] And Germans, after everything settled down, Germans traveled from Germany to Austria to get food and items that they hadn't been able to get in their homeland for some time.
[501] Schuschnigg was put under house arrest from March 12th to May 28th.
[502] He was harassed, beaten.
[503] He got very little sleep.
[504] He was kept in a small room in a hotel by the SS.
[505] And he was made to clean their quarters, their wash bins, and their latrines.
[506] He was then sent to Dachau and then to Sachsenhausen.
[507] Miraculously, he survived.
[508] He was constantly moved around, and he was kept away from anyone trying to rescue him.
[509] Near the end of the war, right before he was killed, he was rescued by some U .S. forces.
[510] So Hitler was able to gain Austria without firing a shot in battle.
[511] On March 14th, Chamberlain told the House of Commons that there was nothing that could have been done, you know, without using force.
[512] And by March 17th, the Russians had had enough.
[513] They wanted to meet with Britain and France, with or without the League of Nations, to be ready for the next time.
[514] Chamberlain said no on March 24th in another speech.
[515] He said any kind of meeting or talking about a meeting might ruin the peace that now existed, that any kind of club or organization to exclude Germany would cause them to wage war.
[516] He must have forgotten about the axis that existed between Germany and Italy, and also about the anti -Comtern pact that existed between Germany, Italy, and Japan.
[517] And in the same speech...
[518] Chamberlain also mentioned that there's no way Britain would protect Czechoslovakia if it was attacked by Germany, and there's no way that Britain would help France if France chose to help Czechoslovakia.
[519] These weren't even issues yet, and he was already making it clear that the UK wasn't going to do anything to help them.
[520] So this only made Hitler more confident.
[521] France was Europe's first line of defense as far as having a large army on the continent, but they took their cue from the United Kingdom.
[522] So back at home, now that Hitler's outmaneuvered the generals, it was time to proceed with the trial against Fritsch.
[523] It was concluded on March 18th.
[524] He was found not guilty, and the witness was killed.
[525] So Hitler's ready for the next part of his plan that, again, he's already got thought out.
[526] He's got the democracies right where he wants them.
[527] So it's time to go after Czechoslovakia, and he knows that speed is needed.
[528] So on April 21st, Hitler calls General Keitel, the chief of high command of the armed forces in, for case green, which is the name of the surprise attack on Czechoslovakia.
[529] Now, the only plan they had for Czechoslovakia was made by Blomberg back in June of 1937, and they had to update it.
[530] They had to take into consideration that they had part of Czechoslovakia surrounded on three sides.
[531] Hitler wants the new plan, when it's updated, to be a complete.
[532] He wants the invasion to be over with so quickly that foreigners don't have time to intervene and help Czechoslovakia.
[533] Now, the thing to know about that country was that it was created after World War I, and the country was comprised of about a million Hungarians, about a half million Russians, and three and a quarter million Sudeten Germans who wanted to be with Austria, not with Germany.
[534] Now, the Germans there had full citizenship and they had full voting rights, so they weren't suffering or being repressed in any way.
[535] But in 1933, when Hitler came to power, the Sudeten Germans were excited by Hitler coming to power, and they created the...
[536] Sudeten German Party or the SDP.
[537] It was ran by Heinlein in Czechoslovakia and he took his orders from Hitler.
[538] He was told to make outrageous demands of the Czech government.
[539] He was trying to create tension, again, to have an excuse to invade, to be able to save the local Germans from repression and ill treatment by the Czech government.
[540] So by May of 1938, there's a lot of tension between the Czech government, the Sudeten Germans, and Berlin.
[541] And Britain and France, again, they're trying to head off any kind of conflict, so they pressure the Czech government to give in to the Sudeten Germans' demands.
[542] And of course, this is exactly the opposite of what Hitler wanted.
[543] and Germans to demand more and more rights because the Czech government kept granting them and he needed the tension.
[544] So on May 16th, Hitler asked his generals how many troops they had ready for Case Green, and they had about 12 divisions, which wasn't enough.
[545] He wanted the conflict to be over with very quickly, but the Czech defenses were considerable.
[546] They had their own version of the Maginot Line.
[547] There was a mountain range there on the border where they had their defenses.
[548] They had underground tunnels.
[549] They had very large guns, placements set up.
[550] It would not be easy for the Germans to take, so they would need more men to take it out quickly and move on to the rest of the country.
[551] Plans were updated, but somehow on May 20th, the German plans got out, and London and Prague panicked.
[552] Czech President Benets began to mobilize.
[553] And then France, Britain, and Russia showed a unified front to Germany that hadn't been seen before.
[554] So taking this into consideration, Hitler wanted the fighting to be over within four days, and he was going to leave a minimal force in the West to stand up to France.
[555] Again, he was hoping that France wouldn't do anything.
[556] So all through May, Dr. Goebbels used the propaganda to talk about the Czech terrorist acts against the local Germans, and they had films of the German victims talking about all the atrocities.
[557] And of course, all that was fake and staged.
[558] On May 21st, the Czech chief of staff of the military told the German military attaché in Prague that they had proof about Germany.
[559] concentrating divisions on their border.
[560] They got the place and the number of troops wrong, but they knew that something was up.
[561] Hitler had a fit of rage because his plan was basically found out.
[562] And there was dispatches coming to Berlin from France and Britain saying that any kind of German aggression would mean a European war.
[563] And the next couple of days saw a lot of diplomatic pressure put on Berlin by Britain and France.
[564] Neville Henderson, who represented Chamberlain, saw Ribbentrop twice in one day.
[565] But through all this pressure and all this grandstanding, Hitler noticed that Britain never said it would come to the aid of Czechoslovakia.
[566] The most that could happen is it might be drawn into a conflict.
[567] Hitler was enraged because basically he was caught in his own trap and he had to deal with it accordingly.
[568] So on May 23rd, Hitler told the foreign office to tell the diplomats and politicians in Czechoslovakia everything they wanted to hear.
[569] There was no German aggression plan.
[570] There was no troop concentration on their borders.
[571] But then turned around on May 23rd.
[572] 28th and told his ranking officers to be ready for military action against Czechoslovakia by October 2nd.
[573] And he definitely wanted the construction speeded up of the Western defenses that would try to keep the French troops out while they destroyed Czechoslovakia.
[574] So again, case screen was altered, and now the plan was to wipe out the Czech military as fast as they could, as opposed to just incorporating it into the Reich.
[575] So he would try to bluff his way again to getting what he'd want, but he was pretty sure there'd be war this time, but again, he was willing to.
[576] So there was more tension between some of the generals and Hitler.
[577] And for the tension, for the people who didn't want to get into a battle, a war yet, they were led by the Army Chief of Staff Beck.
[578] Beck predicted that Germany would end up fighting France, Britain, and Russia with supplies from the US, which is pretty much what happens later on.
[579] And the generals were definitely trying to stop Hitler from ruining Germany.
[580] So Hitler stayed away from Berlin all summer long.
[581] He stayed at his retreat.
[582] and knew that some of the generals were giving him trouble.
[583] So what he tried to do was he called up the men right under the generals, brought them to his retreat, and gave them a three -hour speech talking about all his plans.
[584] But again, for them, everything was the same.
[585] The numbers just didn't add up.
[586] Germany didn't have enough troops to hold off France and maybe Britain while taking on Czechoslovakia.
[587] He was unable to show them the way he saw the situation.
[588] He thought he could keep France confused and off balance while he took Czechoslovakia.
[589] He never thought that France would help or come to the aid militarily.
[590] So by August 15th, Hitler's had enough.
[591] He tells the generals he wants no more discussions, no more questions, just to do what he says.
[592] And August 18th, Beck resigned, hoping that a lot of other generals would join him, but no one did.
[593] So Hitler just let Beck go.
[594] But Hitler wisely didn't let word get out about Beck quitting.
[595] He didn't let France and Britain find out until the end of October when they announced that the successor would be Franz Halder.
[596] Now, for the generals, the scales were finally falling from their eyes.
[597] They were tired of Hitler and they needed to take him out.
[598] Now, the common people had no way to fight Hitler because of the SS.
[599] Only the army did.
[600] And at first, there were only leaders of opposition.
[601] to Hitler.
[602] There was no troops.
[603] There was no one to back him up.
[604] It was just a couple of individual groups.
[605] They were tired of the anti -Semitism.
[606] They were tired of him trying to take them to war, which would ruin them.
[607] So there were only leaders among the generals.
[608] They had really no one to help them.
[609] So a subtle resistance movement to Hitler grows, but it's small, isolated circles for right now.
[610] And it starts with people who are priests, union bosses, some policemen, and these civilian and military plotters are kept separate for now.
[611] But back on May 14th, something happened that only emboldened Hitler further.
[612] U .S. papers claimed that Chamberlain said that Britain and France and Russia would not come to the aid of Czechoslovakia.
[613] And maybe it was a good idea just to give the Sudetenland with all the Germans to Hitler.
[614] When Chamberlain was asked about it later, he did not deny it.
[615] But Chamberlain knows he has to do something to reduce the tension that's going on in Europe.
[616] So on August 3rd, Chamberlain sends Lord Runciman to Germany and to Czechoslovakia to supposedly show support for Czechoslovakia.
[617] But in reality, he had orders to negotiate with the Czech government about giving the Sudetenland to Germany.
[618] Now, Hitler knows that his aggression cannot be too obvious or too apparent.
[619] So he needs to muddy the water some.
[620] So on August 23rd, Hitler tells Hungary...
[621] Hungarian elites in the government that if they want a part of Czechoslovakia, they have to help fight.
[622] Germany still didn't trust Mussolini, so he doesn't tell them any of the dates or the details.
[623] So again, tensions mounting, but then Hitler gets a piece of luck.
[624] He finds out that Poland will not allow Russian troops to cross their territory to help Czechoslovakia.
[625] In fact, Poland wanted a piece of Czechoslovakia.
[626] So he's got that going for him.
[627] On August 26th, Hitler tours the Western Wall with the general who's in charge, Wilhelm Adam.
[628] And on August 29th, Adam pulls Hitler's sides and he says, look, the Western Wall is not going to hold the French out.
[629] And Hitler just exploded.
[630] He just started yelling and cussing at the man. The generals were only focused on the defense in the West.
[631] And Hitler was focused on the offense in the East.
[632] He really didn't think France was going to get involved.
[633] Now, for the plotters who want to take Hitler down, General Halder becomes their key man. And he's the one who took General Beck's place.
[634] So his idea is to find out with as much notice as he can when the attack is going to be ordered.
[635] Because once he knows that, that's when they'll use that date to take Hitler down.
[636] Because then General Holder and the generals can say, see, Hitler set a specific date for a war that will ruin us and try to get as many as the troops over on their side to stop Hitler.
[637] So now the generals decide to do some of their own political maneuvering.
[638] They send von Kleist on August 18th to London, and he meets with some politicians in London, and they basically tell the London diplomats everything.
[639] They tell them that Hitler wants to invade, that he set a date, and they want the English diplomats to stand up to Hitler because if they can stand up to him and the generals can tell Hitler that they're not behind the plan, maybe this will stop Hitler and stop the war that will ruin Germany.
[640] So the diplomats go and they tell Chamberlain, and quite frankly, Chamberlain doesn't believe them.
[641] He thinks they're totally way off base with guessing Hitler's intention.
[642] But Chamberlain's had enough, so he tells Henderson, who's in Berlin, to set up a meeting between himself and Hitler.
[643] And again, the generals warn the British about an invasion again on August 21st and again on September 2nd, but they're not believed by Britain.
[644] Now, Czechoslovakia doesn't want to go the way of Austria.
[645] So on September 5th, President Benes in Prague tells the Sudeten Germans to write down all the demands and he will approve them.
[646] And again, this destroys Hitler's plans because he needs the tension and he's going to use the tension as a reason to invade.
[647] So he tells the leaders of the Sudeten Germans to break off contact with Benes and that's what they do.
[648] So back in Germany, the Nazis are holding their Nuremberg party rally.
[649] It goes from September 6th to the 12th.
[650] And each of the different speakers at the rally are saying what they're going to do in Czechoslovakia.
[651] And so by September 10th, the airports and train stations in Czechoslovakia are full of Jews leaving the country.
[652] And there are rumors all over the place that France and Britain are going to go to extraordinary lengths to give Hitler everything he wants in Czechoslovakia.
[653] So on the final day of the rally on September 12th, Hitler gives his speech, and he says that he's here to make sure that Prague gives justice to the Germans in the Sudetenland, which sets off riots by the Germans in the area.
[654] Of course, it's organized by the SS.
[655] The Czech government sends troops in to put it down, which is exactly what Hitler wanted.
[656] So tension is rising.
[657] War seems imminent.
[658] And on September 13th, the French cabinet cannot decide on a course of action.
[659] Prime Minister Deladia asked Chamberlain to make a settlement.
[660] He doesn't want any fighting.
[661] So on September 13th at 11 p .m., Chamberlain sends a message to Hitler that says, let's get together very quickly.
[662] And Hitler is amazed by the letter.
[663] He thought for sure the letter would be an ultimatum to him.
[664] rattling the German saber or that Germany would be in trouble, that they would be threatened by the democracies.
[665] But now Hitler knew better.
[666] So Chamberlain landed in Munich at noon on September the 15th.
[667] It was the first time in his life that he ever flew.
[668] And on his way from the airport to Hitler's retreat, he noticed that all the trains of troops going towards the Czech border.
[669] So he finally gets to Hitler's place at 4 p .m. They have some tea, and Hitler gives Chamberlain a long speech about all the things he's done for Germany, about how important peace is to the Nazis in Europe, and maybe the possibility of an Anglo -German reproachment.
[670] So Hitler says there are three million Germans in the Sudetenland, and they must return to the Reich.
[671] Of course, they were never part of Germany, but he ignores that fact.
[672] In fact, Hitler's ready to go to war to help these people.
[673] which gets Chamberlain's attention pretty quick, and then Chamberlain shoots back, well, if you're ready to go to war, why am I here?
[674] Why are we even having negotiations?
[675] So Hitler calms down, and he says, okay, let's talk.
[676] So Hitler puts a question to Chamberlain.
[677] Will Britain agree to allow the Sudeten Germans to come to the Reich or not?
[678] Will he give them the right of self -determination?
[679] And Chamberlain said that, of course, he couldn't decide this on his own.
[680] He had to talk to his cabinet.
[681] He had to talk to the French.
[682] But personally, he was fine with it.
[683] And, of course, what Hitler doesn't say is that he doesn't just care about the German people.
[684] He needs the area.
[685] He needs the part in the mountain passes where the Czechs have their own little Maginot line.
[686] That's what he needs to take.
[687] away from Czechoslovakia, so when he wants to invade the rest of it, he'll have the defenses on his side, and he'll be able to take the rest of Czechoslovakia very quickly.
[688] So Chamberlain gets Hitler to promise that he won't attack before they can talk again.
[689] Hitler agrees, but he's already got troops mobilizing.
[690] After Chamberlain leaves, Hitler gives the Hungarians a dressing down.
[691] He basically says, are you on board with this or not?
[692] He's moving ahead with it.
[693] On September 21st, Poland wants a plebiscite in the area that...
[694] that they're interested in, the Teschen district.
[695] There was a lot of polls in that area, and so they want to have a plebiscite and take it over as well.
[696] On September 22nd, the Hungarians are finally on board, and they claim that there's a part of Czechoslovakia that they want.
[697] And late on September 22nd, Hitler, breaking his word, has the Sudeten Free Corps, supported by the SS, occupy the border towns in Czechoslovakia.
[698] So on September 22nd...
[699] Chamberlain goes back to Germany for a second time.
[700] And since he had gone back home, he'd been really busy.
[701] He talked to his cabinet.
[702] He talked to the French, the prime minister.
[703] And they all basically agreed very quickly to give in to Hitler and give him anything he wanted to avoid war.
[704] And, of course, they never talked to the Czech government or included them in the talks.
[705] Also on September 19th, Britain and France sent the Czechoslovakian government a note that said all the territories that had 50 % or more Germans in it had to go to the Reich.
[706] And in return, Britain and France would guarantee the new...
[707] boundaries of the Czech state.
[708] And of course, on September 20th, the Czech government rejected this note.
[709] And Britain and France said, accept this note or we'll just pretty much walk away and you'll be on your own.
[710] So on September 20th, 8 p .m., President Benet calls up the French government and he says, are you going to honor the treaty or not?
[711] And on September 21st at 2 .15 a .m., they wake him up and they tell him no. So all this time, Russia is declaring that it's ready to stand up and help Czechoslovakia.
[712] But its treaty says that it will only help Czechoslovakia if France helps them first.
[713] So the situation is pretty much hopeless for Czechoslovakia.
[714] And they figured this out on late afternoon, September 21st.
[715] And the Czech government pretty much caves into the pressure of Britain and France.
[716] And they see that their situation is hopeless.
[717] So on September 22nd, the cabinet and the president resign.
[718] And a general...
[719] Serovi, who's the Inspector General of the Army, is put in charge of a new government.
[720] So it's September 22nd, and Chamberlain's going back to Germany for the second time.
[721] But this time things are different.
[722] On his way to the airport, he's booed by his people.
[723] They really don't like the idea of giving in to Hitler and his bullying ways.
[724] But also between September 18th and 22nd, Hitler himself was in a nervous state, and he was witnessed several times.
[725] to be so frustrated and so nervous about what was going to happen that he dropped to the floor and started chewing the edge of the carpet.
[726] So it's talked about by the different generals and the diplomats who witness it, but of course they whisper it because that would be the fastest way to end up in a concentration camp.
[727] So Chamberlain and Hitler meet again, but this time Chamberlain starts off the conversation and he dominates it at first.
[728] He's pretty positive.
[729] He's pretty excited because he has basically a big yes for Hitler.
[730] So he starts off talking about how he got his cabinet and how he got the French government to go along with it and also the Czechoslovakian government to go along with it.
[731] And, of course, he doesn't mention that little tiny fact that this destroyed the Czech government.
[732] And they're ready to give the Sudetenland to Germany without a plebiscite.
[733] And they're going to set up a commission to decide the other areas that are in dispute.
[734] So Chamberlain's plan is so simple, so logical.
[735] But Hitler says, I'm sorry, that's no longer good enough anymore.
[736] Chamberlain is very upset.
[737] But he's not upset at Hitler.
[738] He doesn't think Hitler was trying to trick him.
[739] He's just so upset that his plan has now been ruined.
[740] Hitler's new demand is that the Sudetenland must be occupied by the German army to save honor by August 1st at the latest.
[741] So Hitler whips out a map and he shows Chamberlain what he wants.
[742] It's pretty much like a shopping list.
[743] So Chamberlain's got a lot to think about, so he recrosses the Rhine River, goes back to his lodgings to think about it.
[744] He calls up his cabinet, calls up the French government, and they have to be honest with themselves, and they agree that they can no longer expect the Czech government not to mobilize.
[745] So the Czech government, what's left of it, is going to mobilize on September 23rd at 10 .30 p .m. Hitler had everything that he wanted, but he wanted more.
[746] He wanted permission.
[747] from Britain and France to take Czechoslovakia.
[748] He wanted to make them look weak, and he wanted to get his revenge on President Benaz and the Czech government for giving him such a hard time.
[749] So on the morning of the 23rd, Chamberlain wrote Hitler a letter and had it sent to him that he promised he would tell the Czech government about the new requirements.
[750] and maybe he could get the Czech people to leave the Sudetenland before the Germans march in, so that way there's no chance of a conflict.
[751] So he sends the letter to Hitler, and Hitler says it's not enough, and he keeps Chamberlain waiting all of the next day.
[752] By evening, the pressure's starting to wear on Chamberlain, so he basically tells Hitler to draw up a map, draw up a list, and he promises to give it to the Czech government.
[753] So late on the 23rd, Chamberlain sees that he's getting nowhere, so he's decided to leave.
[754] He goes to Hitler one more time at 10 .30 at night, and he's saying his goodbyes.
[755] And Hitler has his list and his map ready.
[756] And then he adds Czechoslovakia people must evacuate by 8 a .m. on September 26th and be totally out by September 28th.
[757] Chamberlain screams that this is an ultimatum.
[758] This is not a negotiation.
[759] Hitler replies, no, it's not.
[760] It's a memorandum.
[761] See, it says memorandum on top of it.
[762] Like the word on the top of the document is going to change anything.
[763] And this is known as the Gottesberg memorandum.
[764] This is Hitler's final word on what he wants.
[765] But then an adjutant comes into the room and he gives Hitler a note.
[766] Hitler reads it and tosses it to Chamberlain.
[767] And it says that the Czechoslovakian government is now mobilizing.
[768] Hitler says, well, now it's settled.
[769] Czechoslovakia will never surrender any of the territory.
[770] Only war can decide this.
[771] And they argue for a while.
[772] And Hitler says that Czechoslovakia mobilized first.
[773] At least Chamberlain had the guts to say, no, you did, because I saw the troops on the train when I first came in.
[774] And Hitler denied it, so they kept on talking and kept on arguing past midnight, and they were getting nowhere.
[775] So Chamberlain finally asked Hitler if the memorandum was his last word, and Hitler said yes.
[776] So Chamberlain starts to leave, and Hitler stops him, and he says, I'll tell you what, I'll make a concession.
[777] I rarely do this, I don't do this for anybody, but I'll change the date for when they have to leave until October the 1st.
[778] If this will help you get the Czech government to agree to leave the territory so I can occupy it.
[779] And the memorandum pretty much called for the non -German people just to walk away and leave everything.
[780] as it was even the family cow.
[781] Just pick up the clothes on your back and walk out and leave it all to the Germans.
[782] Chamberlain said that he was thankful for the concession and that he would try.
[783] Their leaving was cordial or even warm.
[784] And so again, Chamberlain says, I'll try.
[785] I hope we can keep a relationship going.
[786] And Hitler says, thank you.
[787] I really appreciate it.
[788] Really, honestly, this is the last territorial demand I'll make.
[789] After this, everything will be fine.
[790] And Chamberlain is impressed by this.
[791] So back in London on September 24th, Chamberlain tries to get his cabinet to go along with this.
[792] And they say no. And then he asks the French government.
[793] And they say no as well.
[794] And they start a partial mobilization.
[795] Premier Deladier and others come to London on September 25th, and they are told of the Czech rejection of the Gottesberg Memorandum.
[796] So it looks like there's going to be a conflict, so France has to decide if they're going to honor their treaty or not.
[797] But of course, the first thing they ask is, what is Britain going to do?
[798] So there's one last chance for peace for Chamberlain.
[799] So he writes a letter to Hitler, and the letter says, Britain, France, and Czechoslovakia say no to your memorandum, but we say yes to the Sudetenland, so let's all get together and talk.
[800] And Hitler totally lost, and he tells them, on October 1st, I'm going to have Czech right where I want her, and if you attack, I don't care.
[801] But he calms down, and he writes a letter to Chamberlain that's moderate in tone, and he says, yes, send your representatives, and we can discuss this, but I'll only do this if the Czech government will...
[802] accept in advance the Gottesberg Memorandum, which of course is the reason why they're meeting, because they won't accept it.
[803] And they have to agree to the German occupation by October 1st.
[804] And Hitler says, I have to hear back from you in 42 hours, by 2 p .m. on the 28th, or I invade.
[805] So now that Hitler has given his deadline to the world, he gives a speech on September 26th in the evening, and he's shrieking at the Czech government, he's shrieking at President Benes.
[806] Then he calms down and he thanks Chamberlain for his effort.
[807] And he promises the world that this is his last territorial demand.
[808] And at the end of the speech, Hitler sits down and he's exhausted.
[809] He just poured everything he had into the speech.
[810] And after he sits down, Dr. Goebbels sits up and says, And the microphone 1918 will not be repeated, which Hitler hears that.
[811] He shoots right up and he goes up to the microphone.
[812] And that's what he was basically trying to say all night long.
[813] And he just screams ya into the microphone and the crowd goes wild.
[814] So on September 27th, another British diplomat comes to Hitler trying to get an appeasement.
[815] But Hitler basically says no. He doesn't want the Sudetenland peaceably.
[816] He wants to be able to occupy it with his military to preserve German pride.
[817] But then Hitler gets a series of negative news that makes him think twice.
[818] Britain promises to support France if they support Czechoslovakia.
[819] On September 27th, Hitler orders the invasion forces to leave their training areas and get ready for a jump -off point.
[820] He decides to add more divisions to the West to help stop the French in case they fight.
[821] They're not the best divisions, but at least it'll be something.
[822] But what he has them do is he has them march, give a military parade in Berlin.
[823] It's in the afternoon, and the people are getting off work, and they take one look at the military parade.
[824] They're not excited.
[825] They turn their heads, and they just walk straight home.
[826] They don't want any reminders of...
[827] war.
[828] Any reminders of the past failures during World War I and the pain and the suffering.
[829] And Hitler is waiting for the people to start cheering and shouting at their troops and they don't.
[830] They just go straight home.
[831] He leaves his balcony in disgust.
[832] And then Yugoslavia and Romania threaten to move against Hungary if they attack Czechoslovakia.
[833] And also, the military attaché in Paris says that the French partial mobilization certainly looks like a full mobilization to him.
[834] And they have 65 divisions that could be on the German border within six days.
[835] And Hitler's only got 12 divisions in the west facing France, and they're not even his best.
[836] And all this time, Mussolini is doing absolutely nothing to tie down any French forces on his border with France.
[837] And then President Roosevelt of the U .S. says if there's any kind of war, it's all Germany's fault, which means if they lose, they have to pay reparations to everyone.
[838] So he just gets these waves after waves of bad news.
[839] So on the evening of September 27th, Hitler writes a letter to Chamberlain.
[840] And while he's writing, he's thinking about Prague is defiance.
[841] defiant, Paris is mobilizing, London is more resolved, the German people are apathetic, the generals are against him, and the Gottesberg memorandum expires at 2 p .m. on the next day.
[842] He's not sure what to do.
[843] So he writes a letter to Chamberlain.
[844] Again, it's moderate in tone.
[845] And he says, I'll march my troops in, but we'll stop at the agreed line, and I guarantee you the rest of Czechoslovakia peace.
[846] And his letter reaches Chamberlain that night at 10 .30 p .m. Now, in England, there's been a partial mobilization.
[847] They've started mobilizing the fleet, the Auxiliary Air Force.
[848] They're digging trenches in the park.
[849] They're evacuating schoolchildren.
[850] And Chamberlain feels compelled to send President Binet a letter saying that Germany is going to attack you soon.
[851] Even if we help, we won't be there in time.
[852] So it's up to you.
[853] So he's placing the blame of anything happening on President Binet.
[854] And again, not on Hitler.
[855] So he sends that telegram to Benaz, but even before Benaz can answer, he sends him a second telegram.
[856] And he says, look, why don't you just accept the limited occupation on October 1st, but outside of your line of defenses, and that way you can still defend yourself.
[857] But between the lines, the message was basically saying, look, you're going to lose the Sudeten land anyway, so why fight over it?
[858] So at 8 .30 p .m., two hours before Chamberlain gets Hitler's moderate letter, he gets on the radio and he says, Why are we digging trenches in our parks for people we don't even know?
[859] Hitler is getting what he wants.
[860] I would go to Germany again in a second if I thought it would help.
[861] So then he gets the letter, and Chamberlain replies, Yes, let's meet again.
[862] But this time, why don't we have France and Britain and Italy come too if you want.
[863] We can all get together and we can work this out.
[864] We'll promise you that we'll get you what you want.
[865] We'll get it for you in a few more days.
[866] There's no need for war.
[867] Isn't that worth waiting a few more days?
[868] And Chamberlain, desperate to get Hitler to agree to a meeting, says, I promise the Czechs won't be there, and I promise that the Russians won't be there, even though the Russians are still promising to help Czechoslovakia.
[869] Of course, what he wasn't thinking was, if there was a war, having Russia on your side would be very important.
[870] So the next day is Black Wednesday, the day of the deadline, September 28th.
[871] War seemed inevitable.
[872] In Paris, people were leaving, getting away, and in Western Germany, people were doing the same thing.
[873] General Halder knew it was time to remove Hitler.
[874] General von Witzleben commanded the military district in Berlin, and his troops would be used to take Hitler out.
[875] And again, they would have to take out Hitler and the Nazi elite, and they would have to be able to show people that Hitler was leading Germany into a war against Britain, France, and Russia that would ruin Germany.
[876] So the planners knew that the Putsch would have to take place in Berlin, and Hitler had been in Berlin from September 24th to the 28th, and there was no telling how longer he would stay there.
[877] So they finally set the date for the coup d 'etat on September 29th.
[878] But on the morning of September 28th at 8 a .m., Hitler is with the French ambassador, and they're discussing what to do about the situation.
[879] And the French are trying to give Hitler even more land than what Chamberlain was going to.
[880] Now, the British ambassador Henderson was outside of Hitler's office trying to meet with him because he was trying to set up for the four powers to meet.
[881] But he couldn't get a meeting with Hitler.
[882] He couldn't get in.
[883] So he's panicking.
[884] But at 11 .40 a .m., The meeting between Hitler and the French ambassador is interrupted by the Italian ambassador, who has a message from Mussolini.
[885] So Hitler excuses himself to see the Italian diplomat.
[886] And Mussolini's message says, I'm behind you, but I suggest you take the compromise.
[887] Hitler pauses.
[888] and then tells the diplomat that he will accept his proposal.
[889] So Hitler announces that he will wait 24 hours before he decides to mobilize, but of course he's been mobilizing for weeks before this.
[890] He has to talk to his colleague Mussolini first, so he's given Mussolini credit for stopping the aggression.
[891] So a few minutes before the 2 o 'clock deadline, Hitler sends invitations to the three other countries to meet in Munich on the next day.
[892] So when Chamberlain tells the House of Commons that he's going to go see Hitler to discuss this, they erupt in applause.
[893] It just goes on and on.
[894] So it seems to everyone that, again, Hitler's going to get what he wants without any war, without any German blood being spilt.
[895] So General Halder has to call off the coup d 'etat.
[896] No one will side with him if Hitler is successful with no war.
[897] Next time, the four powers will meet in Munich, and Czechoslovakia will be carved up with them having no say.
[898] Anything to appease Hitler.
[899] And for Hitler, this is another staggering victory with no war, no bloodshed, and even more popular than ever in Germany.
[900] The plotters are left impotent and the democracies are demoralized.
[901] The republics have been sacrificing pieces left and right with nothing to show for it.
[902] Hitler controls the board and the game.
[903] Welcome to True Spies.
[904] The podcast that takes you deep inside the greatest secret missions of all time.
[905] Suddenly out of the dark it's appeared in Laban.
[906] You'll meet the people who live life undercover.
[907] What do they know?
[908] What are their skills?
[909] And what would you do in their position?
[910] Vengeance felt good.
[911] Seeing these people pay for what they'd done felt righteous.
[912] True Spies from Spyscape Studios.
[913] Wherever you get your podcasts.