Episode 14-The last days of peace.

[0] Welcome to True Spies, the podcast that takes you deep inside the greatest secret missions of all time.

[1] Suddenly out of the dark, it's a bit in love.

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[9] Hello, and thank you for listening to a History of World War II podcast, episode 14, Putting the Pieces into Place.

[10] So greetings from Central Virginia.

[11] I'm snowed in today.

[12] So this podcast is coming out a couple days early, which is always a good thing.

[13] And this is a spoiler alert.

[14] This is not the episode where Germany invades Poland and the war in Europe begins.

[15] I was hoping I could get it done this time, but there was just way too much diplomatic.

[16] action going on the summer of 1939 to get to it.

[17] And I don't want to skip anything because if I skip all the important stuff, then there's no point in doing the podcast.

[18] But next time, I promise, will be the beginning of the war because this podcast will take us up to August 26, 1939.

[19] And again, I wanted to apologize for the technical difficulties that I had for those couple of weeks when the podcast and the website disappeared.

[20] That's all taken care of.

[21] Everything's back except for the art cover on iTunes, which I'm still trying to work on.

[22] So if any of you know iTunes, iWeb, MobileMe pretty well, just give me an email, ray42harris at yahoo .com.

[23] Maybe you can help me out.

[24] But again, the website is worldwar2podcast .net.

[25] That will never change.

[26] So I'm going to be adding some things to the website.

[27] I'm going to be adding a timeline and some other things as well, so keep an eye on that.

[28] And also when I had the technical difficulties, I lost all the reviews, and I'm really sorry about that.

[29] I had a lot of them, and I really enjoyed them, and they motivated me to keep moving, keep going forward.

[30] So if any of you wanted to go back and repost those, I would really appreciate it.

[31] Obviously, you don't have to.

[32] I'm going to keep this going.

[33] But it really does help me at times when I want to sit and watch a Christmas rerun or something like that.

[34] So if you wanted to repost a review, I would really appreciate it.

[35] And it's not an ego thing.

[36] I mean, it really does help me. Some of you had really good suggestions pointing out things that I was doing wrong that I didn't see.

[37] So if you want to, great.

[38] If not, don't worry about it.

[39] We will certainly continue on with the podcast.

[40] On October 24, 1938, less than a month after the Munich Agreement was signed, Foreign Minister Ribbentrop hosted Josef Lipski, the Polish ambassador to Germany, in Berchtesgaden.

[41] It's on the southern border of Germany, touching Austria.

[42] That's where Hitler had his mountain retreat, Eagle's Nest.

[43] And then there'll be a map on the website.

[44] Now, recently, Poland, along with Germany, had just stripped some land from the Czech territory.

[45] And Germany and Poland had a 10 -year non -aggression pact.

[46] So, of course, when Lipsky goes to meet Ribbentrop, he's going to assume that everything is okay.

[47] But, of course, that's what Hitler wanted him to think.

[48] The talk was friendly, but by most accounts, talking to Ribbentrop for three hours, because their luncheon lasted three hours, was painful.

[49] Ribbentrop was known to be arrogant and stupid all at the same time, so that must have been very trying for Lipsky.

[50] But Ribbentrop got right down to business, and he said it was time for there to be a settlement between Germany and Poland over Danzig.

[51] And there'll be maps on their website and on their podcast.

[52] But for now, just picture Germany's northeastern border, The next to it, the Polish corridor that they got after World War I, right next to that Danzig, it's a free city, an open city.

[53] And to the east of that is East Prussia, which belongs to Germany.

[54] So Danzig is kind of in between all that.

[55] And they want it back now.

[56] But just keep in mind that Hitler wants it back only as an excuse to start a war with Poland.

[57] He's going to make outrageous demands.

[58] They're going to say no. He's going to have his cause, and he'll go on from there.

[59] And you'll notice throughout this podcast that Hitler doesn't take a piece of territory, digest it, move on to the next one, because he knows he'll very quickly get a reputation for being land grabber.

[60] So that's why he's moving on all these different fronts at the same time, and they'll kind of fall into place pretty quickly because he had been preparing them.

[61] kind of all at the same time, or very close to each other.

[62] So he knows what he's doing when he goes for a lot of territories within a short space of time.

[63] So Germany lost Danzig after World War I, and it was made a free city and open city, and it was guaranteed by the League of Nations.

[64] It was Woodrow Wilson's 13 -point out of his 14 -point plan.

[65] And Poland was to get access to the sea to trade, because that's how countries survive.

[66] Danzig had been bouncing back and forth between being a free city and a Prussian occupation since 1793, so the Germans have some claim on their side.

[67] Poland used the port at Danzig, but Danzig did have its own constitution.

[68] It was an open city.

[69] Now, there was a slight majority of Germans there, so the area was never going to become a part of Poland like the Polish had wished for because the Germans weren't going to allow that.

[70] So Ribbentrop told the ambassador Germany wanted it back, and they wanted a super motor highway and a double track railroad connecting Danzig to Germany proper.

[71] Of course, the land that would have the road on it and the railroad on it would have to have extraterritorial rights for Germany.

[72] Also, Germany wanted Poland to join the Anti -Comintern Pact, which they thought was actually possible because Poland hates Russia.

[73] Russia hates Poland.

[74] They have a lot of history and a lot of wars.

[75] In fact, the last war was in 1920 when Poland was able to strip away about 120 miles.

[76] They were able to move their border.

[77] within Russia 120 miles in the last war.

[78] So Russia is still upset about that.

[79] And Rubentrop said, if you go along with this, we'll extend, we'll double the non -aggression pact from 10 years to 20 years.

[80] So Rubentrop wanted Lipsky to tell his boss, the foreign minister Beck of Poland, he said, tell him this orally, don't write anything down because we don't want anybody to find out about this unless we can agree to it.

[81] Lipsky was pretty honest with him.

[82] He said, look, I doubt very much they'll go along with this, but I'll tell him because it's my job.

[83] So I'll relay your message, but before he left, he said, well, if I remember correctly, Hitler twice said on November 1937 and January 1938 that Germany would not seek to change the status of Danzig.

[84] And now here's Rubentrop trying to do that very thing.

[85] So Rubentrop says, well, yeah, I know, but just take this request to your boss and please think it over.

[86] So Lipsky gets back to Beck within days, and he has his answer, which of course is no. But Ribbentrop purposefully made himself hard to reach once Lipsky came back because he really wanted them to think about it.

[87] Again, Hitler was willing to fight for it, but he was hoping to get it bloodlessly, just like he'd gotten all the other territory before.

[88] So finally, Lipsky is able to meet Ribbentrop on November 19, 1938, and the answer was no. Lipsky told him that any change...

[89] with Danzig would lead to a conflict between Germany and Poland, and he didn't want to see that.

[90] So the answer was no. But Poland had to offer Nazi Germany something.

[91] You didn't just say no to Nazi Germany and walk away.

[92] So in the interest of trying to keep the conversation going, Lipsky says, how about a Polish...

[93] and German guarantee to protect Danzig that will replace the promise by the League of Nations.

[94] Rubentrop sees this is one more step in making the League of Nations weak, so he says he'll take it to his leader.

[95] But when the meeting was over, Ribbentrop says to him he's very sad at the response and Polish should review their request again.

[96] So he's really trying to put the pressure on him.

[97] Of course, Hitler had a different response.

[98] On November 24th, he told his high command that on October 21st, 1938, I told you to be ready to take the rest of Czechoslovakia.

[99] I told you to get ready to invade the Miemel district.

[100] And I also want you to be able to defend Germany's borders.

[101] But I also want to add one more thing.

[102] and I want you to prepare for us to occupy Danzig.

[103] Not a war with Poland, but just to rush in there real quick.

[104] Maybe we can do all this at once, and when everybody wakes up, it's a done deal, and they won't be able to stop us.

[105] The Navy will support you, and when you take Danzig, they'll support you by sea, and he wanted to report ready by January 10, 1939.

[106] Hitler believed that he could still get Danzig without a war.

[107] The local Germans who were in charge there were under his control.

[108] They were Nazis.

[109] And he was sure he could get them to create chaos, which would allow him to intervene to protect German lives like we've seen so many times before.

[110] But then Hitler got preoccupied with Slovakia because...

[111] He thought he would be occupying it or invading it, and he had to go through the hassle of Munich.

[112] And then he had a committee who had to deal with the disputed areas, and then he wanted to divide Czechoslovakia to make it easier to conquer the two.

[113] So when Hitler receives the Polish foreign minister Beck on January 5th of 1939, he wasn't ready to deal with him like he had dealt with Shushnik when he pushed him around and threatened him and intimidated him.

[114] Because in January, he still hadn't met with Hacha and Monsignor Tiso yet.

[115] So he was still focused on Czechoslovakia.

[116] So when Beck comes in in January, Hitler's nice.

[117] He's even conciliatory.

[118] He's asking him, is there anything that Germany can do for you?

[119] And he goes, because I want to talk about Danzig.

[120] And Beck says, yeah, I want to talk about it too.

[121] And Hitler replies, well, you know, it is German and has been a part of Germany and it has a slight majority of Germans in it.

[122] And it will come back to us someday.

[123] It's just a matter of when and how.

[124] I promise I won't cause any trouble.

[125] I won't just try to go in there and occupy it, but we should get together.

[126] And if we can think along new lines, if we can think outside the box, I'm sure we could come up with some solution.

[127] And then Hitler pointed out to Beck the great advantage of having Nazi Germany as a neighbor.

[128] He said, Germany is very strong.

[129] We can protect you.

[130] No one will mess with you.

[131] if we can come to an understanding, and I'll be there for you if you ever need anything.

[132] So the meeting ends, and the next day Beck is talking to Ribbentrop, and he says, I really don't see what Poland's getting out of this, but I'll think it over some more.

[133] So again, the next day after that, Beck goes back to Ribbentrop, and he goes, you know what, I've thought about it, but the answer is still no. It's just way too much.

[134] Now, Beck is as pro -German as any Polish officer is going to get.

[135] He hated Russia, like most of the Polish.

[136] He hated France, so he was open to Germany.

[137] But still, it would be just giving away too much.

[138] He'd been in charge of foreign policy for a couple of years now, and he'd spent his time coming closer to Germany, moving away from France and Britain.

[139] But any change in Danzig was a deal -breaker for the Polish.

[140] Now, after World War I, Poland had a really hard time.

[141] They had wars with their neighbors, they had no modern experience of ruling themselves, and they had economic and farming problems.

[142] In 1926, Marshal Pilsudski had marched on Warsaw and had gradually set up a dictatorship.

[143] He died in 1935, but right before he died in January 1934, he had signed the non -aggression pact with Hitler.

[144] Poland was, after he died, Poland was ruled by a small group of his colonels.

[145] And the head guy was Marshal Smigley Rides.

[146] I'm sure I'm saying that wrong.

[147] So here was Poland with two larger neighbors.

[148] Poland had upset both.

[149] So Poland saying no to Hitler over Danzig.

[150] And they had a war with Russia in 1920, again, where they were able to push the border 150 miles further into Russia.

[151] So both countries hate Poland.

[152] They want to see it destroyed.

[153] So for the last couple of years, Hitler had been trying to get good relations with Poland.

[154] And again, most Germans were mad at him for this, but he was the dictator.

[155] He could do what he wanted.

[156] But his returns more than justified upsetting his people.

[157] It allowed him to separate Poland from the League of Nations.

[158] He was able to secure his eastern border so he could reoccupy the Rhineland.

[159] And Poland was neutral when he took Austria.

[160] And then Poland actually helped him with Czechoslovakia.

[161] So it's fair to say that Poland wasn't looking at the big picture here.

[162] On January 30th, 1939, Hitler gave his anniversary speech in the Reichstag, like he always did, and he talked about his friendship with Poland, and he was saying it was one of the reassuring factors in political life in Europe.

[163] But again, that was all a lie, because four days earlier, Ribbentrop was in Warsaw, and again, he brought up the Danzig question.

[164] So Beck is starting to squirm here a little bit, but again, he told Ribbentrop no, no to Danzig, no to the corridor, no roads or railroads.

[165] No, we're not going to sign the anti -contern pact.

[166] And then Beck, after Ribbentrop leaves, Beck sits back in his chair and he realizes that maybe cutting ties with the League of Nations.

[167] Pulling away from France and Britain wasn't such a good idea.

[168] So Beck got himself invited to London to talk to some people.

[169] And then after that, maybe he could just come up with an excuse to swing by Paris and talk to them as well.

[170] So it's a little too late, but he's going to try.

[171] So remember, we've gone back in time a little bit.

[172] And so Foreign Minister Beck and the Polish colonels who were in charge are becoming even more nervous because on March 15th...

[173] the Czech state fell to the Germans, and then on March 16th, Slovakia fell.

[174] So they see what's coming.

[175] Germany now touched Poland on three sides, which is an untenable military situation.

[176] You can't defend against something like that.

[177] And on their fourth side, they touched their hated enemy, Russia.

[178] But then a reprieve seems to come to Poland on March 21, 1939.

[179] It was a very busy day for foreign relations all over Europe.

[180] The president of France with his foreign minister, Bonnet, they visit Chamberlain right after Chamberlain gives his March 17 speech about saying, yeah, Hitler lied to me about his demands.

[181] He lied to me about everything.

[182] So Chamberlain proposes to the French that Britain, France, Poland, and Russia should meet right away to discuss ways to stop further German aggression.

[183] Which is ironic because three days before, the foreign minister of Russia, Lindvinov, had said, like he said a year ago when Austria fell, that we should get together.

[184] Plus we can invite Romania or Turkey to get together if they feel threatened as well.

[185] But for Chamberlain, this idea was just a bit too much.

[186] For now, he thought the four powers would be enough.

[187] But even then, he had no confidence in Russia's ability to keep their word or to fight offensively.

[188] So he submitted his ideas to the...

[189] Pole government on the same day, March 21st, by the British ambassador in Poland.

[190] But Poland right away said they were not happy about Russia being on that list.

[191] So this list of countries to help fight against Germany is being whittled down quickly.

[192] First Romania and Turkey, and now Poland doesn't want Russia part of this.

[193] In Germany, on the 21st as well, Ribbentrop had invited Lipski to come and see him again.

[194] Lipski noted later that this time Ribbentrop wasn't even pretending to be nice or to be cordial or understanding.

[195] He was an aggressive bully.

[196] Ribbentrop had told him that the Fuhrer was amazed at Poland's attitude.

[197] Germany wanted a satisfactory answer to her demands of Danzig.

[198] They wanted the railway, they wanted the road, and they wanted the extraterritorial rights.

[199] And this had to happen if they wanted to keep a relationship with Germany.

[200] Poland can't stand between Germany and Russia.

[201] You can't upset both neighbors and expect to survive.

[202] You have to give us something and we'll help you.

[203] And that Hitler still wanted Poland to stand the anti -common term pact, which Hitler's going to regret later when he's trying to deal with Russia.

[204] So Rubin Trump ends this by saying that Hitler wants to see you in Berlin soon.

[205] So obviously Lipsky is sweating bullets, and so he tries to change the subject.

[206] He asked Ribbentrop what was the situation between Germany and Lithuania about the Meemail district.

[207] Ribbentrop said that he had just told the foreign minister of Lithuania that Germany wanted a solution to that as well.

[208] In fact, Ribbentrop had met the Lithuanian foreign minister, Erbez, the day before, and he told him that Germany wanted Meemail district back, or Hitler would act with lightning speed and don't think that anyone can or will.

[209] help you.

[210] Ribbentrop then told all the employees of the foreign offices all over the world that if France or Britain says anything, just to say, aren't you tired of meddling in Germany's affairs?

[211] Just don't worry about it.

[212] Just stay out of it.

[213] Since December of 1938, the SS had been organizing the Germans in the Memel district like they had in Austria and the Sudetenland, demanding to have more autonomy and to make a lot of trouble.

[214] And on the previous episode, we saw that Hitler had ordered the army to be ready to take the Mimel district when he took the rest of the Rumpchek state.

[215] But it hadn't worked out that way, so he had never launched that order.

[216] So he decided now that Mimel district was to be taken by sea.

[217] He had drawn up plans called the Transport Exercise Stetten.

[218] So Hitler and Admiral Rader left the German coast on March 22nd on the pocket battleship Deutschland.

[219] And remember, this was one week after Hitler had entered Prague.

[220] when the Czech state was occupied.

[221] And on the day before that, March 21st, 1939, Weisacker, Ribbentrop's number two man, had told the Lithuanian government time was running out and Hitler's patience was running out too, and to have someone in Berlin tomorrow to sign the document giving the Meemail district back to Germany.

[222] The Lithuanians did what they were told.

[223] They stalled a little bit to save some pride, but they pretty much gave in.

[224] And it wasn't until 1 .30 a .m. on March 23rd that the document was signed.

[225] But, of course, Hitler needed to know this because he was on the ship heading towards the district, and he needed to know should he go in shooting or not.

[226] But, of course, the Lithuanian government signs the document, and once again, on 2 .30 in the afternoon on March 23rd, Hitler enters a newly occupied city, being cheered by the liberated Germans.

[227] It was another bloodless conquest.

[228] So, so far, it's the Rhineland is reoccupied, Austria, the Sudetenland, the Czech state, Slovakia, and now the Mimel district.

[229] And, of course, the last three came within days of each other.

[230] He didn't know this, but this would be his last conquest without war.

[231] So the next day, March 24th, Poland knows they're next, just like everybody else.

[232] So they start calling up their reservists.

[233] So Admiral Canaris, who's chief of the German military intelligence, lets Hitler know that Poland is starting to mobilize, and they call up some of their ships, and they start calling up troops around the Danzig area.

[234] So the next day, Hitler's in Berlin.

[235] He's not sure what to do with Poland.

[236] They've already had a head start in calling up their men.

[237] He can't intimidate them like he's done the countries that have fallen before.

[238] So Hitler's feverish mind is working.

[239] He's trying to come up with a way to put a new spin on the ways that worked so far to get countries, but he's really not sure what to do yet, and it bothers him.

[240] Lipski is due back in Berlin on March 26 to see Hitler, but Hitler's not ready to see him.

[241] So Hitler leaves town, and he tells Rubentrop to handle it.

[242] But Hitler lets Ribbentrop know that he's not ready to use force against Poland yet.

[243] That would only push Poland closer to Britain, and he doesn't need that.

[244] So now Hitler is toying with the idea that since Poland would never give Danzig to Germany, what if Germany was to just take it?

[245] Wouldn't that in some weird way just make it easier for Poland if he'd just take it?

[246] There would be no reason to call up Britain.

[247] It would all be done and it would all be over before anybody could do anything.

[248] But again, his thinking is all over the place.

[249] So his ability to read his enemies wasn't quite working with the Polish generals.

[250] I mean colonels.

[251] So for now he's just decided to keep the pressure on the Poles about Danzig.

[252] Maybe a quick knockout.

[253] blow, but for right now, he just needed to think about it some more.

[254] So Rubentrop met Lipsky on March 26, and Lipsky had an answer for the German demands.

[255] He had it in a written form from his government.

[256] It was conciliatory, but the answer was still no. No to Danzig, no to the extraterritorial rights.

[257] They would replace the League of Nations guarantee with a German -Polish guarantee.

[258] But Ribbentrop raged about the Polish mobilization of their armed forces, and he ended the meeting with a comment about Poland's risky steps, referring to the Czech army standing up to Germany until the very end when they collapsed.

[259] So the next day, Lipsky calls back again on Rubentrop on March 27th.

[260] And for Rubentrop, it's time to use methods that were used in Austria and Czechoslovakia.

[261] Rubentrop raged about the alleged persecutions of the German people in Poland and the Danzig area.

[262] And Germany could no longer understand the Polish government and that relations between the two countries were rapidly deteriorating.

[263] But Warsaw was not so easily pushed around like the previous victims of Germany.

[264] In response to this, Beck had called on the German ambassador in Warsaw and told him on March 28th that Germany said any Polish coup against Danzig would be a cause for war.

[265] But Poland has to say any German move to change the status of the free city of Danzig would be a cause for war for Poland.

[266] So they're not backing down.

[267] They're pushing back.

[268] But, of course, Beck could be tougher in his response than, say, Austria or Czechoslovakia because they did have the support of Britain.

[269] And at first, Beck had shot down Chamberlain's idea about a four -power talk about Britain, France, Poland, and Russia coming together.

[270] Again, because Russia hated Poland and Poland hated Russia.

[271] But on March 22nd, Beck wanted to talk about a secret treaty between Britain and Poland if attacked by a third party.

[272] But lucky for him, Britain wanted to go even further than mere consultations.

[273] So on March 30th, the British ambassador in Poland, Sir Howard Kennard, gave back an Anglo -French proposal for mutual assistance if Poland is attacked by Germany.

[274] And it was decided to leave Russia out of the talks completely.

[275] Again, Chamberlain didn't trust Russia.

[276] Poland and Russia hated each other.

[277] And if it was to get out, it might stir up some of the other members of the anti -Cumberland.

[278] or other nations that were weary of communism saying, hey, what about us?

[279] And of course, to leave Russia out would have disastrous consequences, but you can't really fault anybody for not knowing that right away.

[280] Welcome to True Spies.

[281] The podcast that takes you deep inside the greatest secret missions of all time.

[282] Suddenly out of the dark it's appeared in love.

[283] You'll meet the people who live life undercover.

[284] What do they know?

[285] What are their skills?

[286] And what would you do in their position?

[287] Vengeance felt good.

[288] Seeing these people pay for what they'd done felt righteous.

[289] True Spies from Spyscape Studios.

[290] Wherever you get your podcasts.

[291] Poland did not sign the document right away, but Chamberlain asked and received Beck's permission to say that an interim unilateral British guarantee of Poland's independence was agreed on.

[292] So on March 31st, as we read in the last episode, Chamberlain made a speech in the House of Commons about Britain and France supporting Poland if they were attacked by a third power.

[293] Borrowing a page from the book of Mussolini's view that life was complex, Chamberlain had set himself up and France for a difficult course.

[294] Before now, Germany was feared, but the Western powers took solace in that Germany was surrounded by potential enemies on both sides.

[295] The Czech military did not have a problem.

[296] They had 35 well -trained divisions, and they were behind a formidable defensive wall.

[297] It was their government that was weak.

[298] There was no way Germany could have stood up to France, Britain, and faced...

[299] and invade Czechoslovakia with their army and their defensive wall.

[300] But now all that's behind them.

[301] Poland's military is out of date, and it's facing the modernized and ramped -up military of Germany.

[302] And add to that that Germany's western wall has seen frenzied work and reconstruction for more than a year.

[303] Russia was being left out of the talks because of Poland's fear and prejudice against Russia, and Russia had been turned out twice.

[304] by Chamberlain as far as meaning about Hitler.

[305] But the British military attaché in Warsaw wrote home and he said, Poland's army was pathetic and Russia's help would be invaluable if anything ever happened.

[306] But at the very least, if we could get a neutral Russia to stand on the side, if there was something that happened, that would be paramount.

[307] Sadly for Poland, this advice was not taken by Chamberlain.

[308] When Hitler heard about Chamberlain's guarantee of Poland, he flew into one of his characteristic rages.

[309] His face contorted, it became purple, he was pounding on a marble table, and he screamed, I'll cook them a stew they'll choke on.

[310] Because he realized that a coalition was forming around Germany, and if he didn't do something soon, it would be just like World War I all over again.

[311] So on April 1st, 1939, he had a radio address when he was launching the battleship...

[312] And he spoke of peace and with only mild, vague threats to anyone who would stand in Germany's way.

[313] And he knew himself well enough not to have the speech broadcasted live, so he had it recorded, edited, and then he had it sent out.

[314] But his real response was on April 3rd, when he had his staff start working on Case White, which would be the...

[315] plans to attack Poland.

[316] The object would be to remove any threat from the Polish direction forever.

[317] So he wanted to destroy the Polish military.

[318] Just like Napoleon said, you go after someone's military first and then you worry about everything else later because then they're unable to stop you.

[319] He wanted to set up a new defensive border after Poland was destroyed, obviously thinking about Russia, and he wanted to bring Danzig into the Reich.

[320] His idea was to isolate Poland politically, even though that was falling apart, and with a quick surprise and quick advances, make the war over before anybody could do anything about it.

[321] And he wanted to be ready to carry these orders out by September 1, 1939, and the plans had to be submitted to the OKW, the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, or High Command, by May 1, 1939.

[322] Now, Hitler was still going to try to wear the poles down into giving him Danzig again.

[323] And if he could get it without war because he was still trying to build up, that was fine with him.

[324] But if not, he still felt pretty good about his chances.

[325] He had Poland surrounded on three sides.

[326] Russia would not be allowed to go into Polish soil to help them, even if the Nazis were in Warsaw.

[327] There's no way Poland would let them in.

[328] So now they've developed a series of chess moves.

[329] Everybody was getting their pieces into place.

[330] On April 6th, Colonel Beck, the foreign minister, has signed an agreement with Britain of mutual assistance.

[331] And the idea was to make the treaty permanent very soon.

[332] on April 7th, Mussolini occupied Albania with German approval and Mussolini had told Hitler in advance.

[333] Mussolini was trying to show Hitler how partners behave.

[334] And now Greece and Yugoslavia was open to the Axis powers.

[335] And on April 13th, France and Britain counted with a guarantee to help Greece and Romania if they were attacked by anybody.

[336] So the sides are lining up and everybody's getting into place.

[337] But for a moment, it's time to move off the European chessboard.

[338] The U .S. President Roosevelt sent a letter to Hitler and to Mussolini, and the letter said, Are you willing to give assurances that your armed forces will not attack or invade the territory of the following independent nations?

[339] And he listed 31 countries, including Poland, France, and Britain.

[340] And word got out that Hitler would answer this letter indirectly in a speech on April 28th.

[341] It was one of his longest speeches.

[342] It was over two hours long.

[343] In a lot of ways, it was his greatest speech because it was just laced with irony, sarcasm, hypocrisy.

[344] And at the same time, it was one of his most eloquent speeches.

[345] And he started the speech off by tacking Versailles and the Versailles Treaty, what it meant to Germany, that Germany admired Britain.

[346] but then attacked it for its policy of encirclement and that the 1935 Anglo -German naval treaty was gone.

[347] There would be no more limits on German naval constructions, which, of course, he wasn't going to abide by anyway, and told the world for the first time that Germany wanted Danzig back and told him about what he needed from the corridor and the Polish rejection of this.

[348] Again, Germany only wanted peace.

[349] He was just trying to take care of his German people because that was his job.

[350] So during this speech, Hitler's objectives are numerous.

[351] He's trying to say something to make sure that his people support him.

[352] He's trying to say something to either placate or intimidate his potential enemy.

[353] So he's trying to cover a lot of bases here.

[354] And now he's going to say something that works up his people to make sure that they're behind him, which is going to be pretty easy to do because the vast majority of Germans hate Poland anyway.

[355] So he starts by saying that Poland is calling up men, that Germany is not, and that Poland, listening to the lies of the international press, has signed an agreement with Britain against Germany.

[356] Again, he's putting all the blame on someone else.

[357] And so therefore, the German -Polish non -aggression pact, which was supposed to last for 10 years, is broken and it's dead.

[358] So again, he's getting what he wants, but he's blaming everybody else for it.

[359] He would be happy to negotiate new treaties, but again, at this point, no one's buying this because they've heard it all before.

[360] And now he focuses on Roosevelt's questions.

[361] And of course, to the Germanier listening over the radios all over Germany, his sarcasm and irony were a joy for them to listen to.

[362] He said that the American president, Woodrow Wilson, had set in motion the idea of the League of Nations and then didn't join it.

[363] Hitler said that he realized America was right, and that's why he took Germany.

[364] out of the League of Nations, not because he wanted to, but because he was following the great example of the American people.

[365] The U .S. was created and preserved by war, so don't tell him that history is against Germany or history doesn't mean anything.

[366] Germany was being treated like the Sioux Indians after World War I when they were beaten and forced to sign a treaty.

[367] And then Hitler had pulled out the list of countries on Roosevelt's letter, and he got a response from most of those countries.

[368] He had his foreign office sent letters saying, hey, do you feel threatened by us?

[369] And, of course, most of them are going to say no, whether they mean it or not.

[370] So he reads the list one by one, and he says no, that they don't feel threatened.

[371] But what no one noticed was, with all the laughing and the irony and the sarcasm, was that he didn't.

[372] include Poland on that list.

[373] And when he got to Ireland and he asked, did Ireland feel threatened by Germany?

[374] Ireland actually responded back by saying the only thing they felt was suppression by Britain.

[375] So Hitler's going down the list and then he gets to the United States.

[376] And I'm just going to read again from William L. Shire's book, his response when it comes to talking about does America feel threatened?

[377] So Hitler says, I should not like to let this opportunity pass without giving above all to the President of the United States an insurance regarding those territories which would, after all, give him most cause for apprehension, namely the United States itself and the other states on the American continent.

[378] I hereby solemnly declare that all the assertions which have been circulated in any way concerning an intended German attack or invasion On or in American territory are rank frauds and growths untruths, quite apart from the fact that such assertions, as far as the military possibilities are concerned, could have their origin only in a stupid imagination.

[379] So is Colin Roosevelt stupid for even thinking about the idea of Germany attacking so far away from Europe?

[380] So the Reichstag is shaking with laughter, but the entire time Hitler keeps a straight face, he goes through the entire list of countries, but then he stops.

[381] After he gets done, he brags about all he'd done to save Germany, but through it all, he never answered the question about Poland.

[382] So that was April 28th, and on May 5th, Foreign Minister Beck of Poland responded to Hitler's speech.

[383] with his own speech that was much shorter and sincere.

[384] And his speech was, It is clear that negotiations in which one state formulates demands and that the other is obliged to accept those demands unaltered are not negotiations.

[385] So again, Poland is not backing down at all.

[386] Now Hitler left Russia completely out of his speech, and he did that for a reason.

[387] Hitler had an extreme fear and hatred of communism, and so of course the Nazi government did as well.

[388] But again, he was still keeping his options open, so that's why he didn't mock or attack the Soviet Union or Stalin.

[389] So the dispassionate chess player in Hitler is not gone completely.

[390] So since the end of October of 1938, Hitler had told his ambassador in Moscow, Count von der Schulenburg to warm up dialogue with Russia.

[391] And he, so Schulenburg makes his intentions known that he would like to talk to people and see if they can get negotiations going again, maybe get some trade, you know, try to thaw out the relations between the two.

[392] So the first move that Schulenburg needs to make is to try to improve trade between the two countries.

[393] Because if you've got trade, you've got discussions, you've got dialogue, things normally get better, and that would be a good first step.

[394] So in late December, there was high -level economic discussions between the two countries, and the plan worked.

[395] In the early part of 1939, the Soviet ambassador, Alexei Marekulov in Berlin, told Hitler that he wanted – that Russia wanted to begin new – German -Soviet economic relations.

[396] But by February, the talks were breaking down.

[397] Germany simply didn't have the materials Russia needed for trade for the raw materials that Russia had that Germany needed.

[398] But there was some payoff.

[399] Stalin gave a speech in March of 1939 saying that the democratic countries were weaker and that they had given up on the idea of collective security.

[400] So Russia had to think along different lines to defend itself.

[401] But the main point of the speech was that to Stalin, it looked like Britain and France was...

[402] pushing Germany eastward towards Russia, hoping the two countries would fight and weaken each other.

[403] Berlin, of course, noticed this and they were open.

[404] Stalin was beginning to be open to an idea, but he preferred the time -tested method of encirclement of your enemy.

[405] So, as stated earlier, when the Czech state fell on March 15th, Stalin wanted a six -power conference with the idea of stopping Hitler.

[406] And, of course, Chamberlain turned him down.

[407] He said it was premature.

[408] And then two days later, Berlin learned that...

[409] Poland or Romania had not asked Russia for help because they didn't think they were in danger.

[410] And of course, a few days later on March 31st, when Chamberlain gave Poland a unilateral guarantee to protect it from Germany, this proved to Stalin that there was no way Britain was going to sign anything with Russia.

[411] On April 16, 1939, Goering was in Italy talking to Mussolini, and he brought out the idea of Germany having a reproachment with Russia.

[412] It would be good for Germany in dealing with Poland, and it would be good for Italy because they clearly weren't ready for war.

[413] They agreed that Goering should talk to Hitler instead of Mussolini because Goering had more influence over Hitler when it came to foreign policy matters, which again shows Mussolini what his place is.

[414] Now again, on the same day, April 16, The British ambassador in Moscow had heard from the foreign minister.

[415] Litvinov, who proposed a triple pact of mutual assistance between Britain, France, and the Soviet Union.

[416] Poland could join if they wanted to.

[417] This was Russia's idea of a compromise, allowing Poland in or out, whatever it felt comfortable with.

[418] Also, any other nations could join if they wanted to as well, the more the merrier.

[419] But again, these Soviet proposals caused irritation in London and Paris.

[420] They just didn't want anything to do with Stalin.

[421] They didn't trust him.

[422] They didn't think much of the Soviet military.

[423] But Stalin is cagey.

[424] He doesn't wait for a response.

[425] On the next day, April 17th, the Soviet ambassador, Berekolov, is in Berlin, and he calls on Ribbentrop's number two man, Weisacker.

[426] So they had a short but a very important meeting.

[427] So Mareklov says, look, Russia and Italy are very different politically, but we have trade.

[428] So couldn't the Soviet Union and Germany do the same?

[429] Mareklov and, of course, Weizsäcker says, yes, that would be wonderful.

[430] So Mareklov said he would go to Moscow soon and he would talk to Stalin.

[431] He'd let him know.

[432] And, of course, he did.

[433] And change came very quickly after that.

[434] The foreign minister, Litvinnov, was let go and replaced by Molotov.

[435] you'll hear a lot about in the rest of this narrative.

[436] Levitonov, he wanted treaties with the Western powers, he believed in collective security, and he believed in the League of Nations, and he was a Jew.

[437] Molotov was an intimate friend of Stalin's, he was a realist, and he was not a Jew.

[438] So obviously the Russians are making changes so they can negotiate better with the Germans.

[439] So a week after this very decisive move by Stalin, the British government finally gets back to Russia's proposals, which they gave to them on April 16th, and they finally got back to them on May 8th, and they were rejected.

[440] So the Soviet Union knows that there's going to be no treaty with them to save Poland.

[441] So Stalin's like, okay, well, Poland's about to be lost, but I have to think about Russia now.

[442] So the Russo -German dialogue increases and warms over the next couple of months.

[443] By mid -April 1939, Italy is getting very nervous about the idea of Germany attacking Poland.

[444] Italy knows it's nowhere ready for war.

[445] So Italy needs to tell Germany this.

[446] So Mussolini sends Ciano, his foreign minister and son -in -law, to see Ribbentrop on May 6th.

[447] So Ciano comes right out and says Italy won't be ready to wage war for three years.

[448] But much to his surprise, Rubentrop agrees.

[449] Rubentrop is friendly.

[450] He's relaxed.

[451] He says, don't worry about it.

[452] We'll figure something out.

[453] They both agreed to improve Axis -Soviet Union relations.

[454] And so then after this, Chiana gets on the phone and tells Mussolini how the meeting went.

[455] And because Mussolini thinks he's safe for three years, he wants to announce the Pact of Steel signed between the two, the military alliance.

[456] So Rubentrop asks Hitler, and Hitler says yes.

[457] An announcement was made.

[458] Like Hitler, Mussolini was losing his ability to see his own national interests with clarity.

[459] So the Pact of Steel was signed on May 22, 1939, and the pact said if one of them became involved in a war, the other would intervene with all possible power, and there would be no separate peace.

[460] So Hitler has a meeting with his top brass like he did on November of 1937 when he said it was time for war.

[461] I've gone as far as I can politically.

[462] And that's when one of the generals resigned and they were starting to plot against him.

[463] This meeting was on May 23, 1939.

[464] He said that further success could not come without bloodshed and war.

[465] And at the meeting was Gehring, Grand Admiral Raider, General...

[466] Brautisch, General Halder, and General Keitel, and the Air Force and Naval personnel.

[467] No record was made of this meeting, but the Fuhrer's adjutant Lieutenant Colonel Schmitt took notes, and his notes survived the war.

[468] Hitler said, Poland is the next country to fall to the Reich, and it's not over Danzig, that's only an excuse.

[469] We just want them because we need the space, and they're our enemy, and it's time to take them out.

[470] We also need sources of labor, so already they're starting to think about slave labor.

[471] So they have to come up with a plan to attack Poland and when they can attack.

[472] They're going to try and separate it from Britain and from France.

[473] He'll work on that and the military is to work on the plans.

[474] And if it's possible, we're going to try to get the Soviet Union to be made disinterested in Poland.

[475] That's something they're going to work on as well.

[476] And of course, there's no way Great Britain is going to go along with this.

[477] So they are now the enemy and they must be destroyed.

[478] To fight Britain, they need the land from the Dutch and the Belgians for their air bases so they can attack Britain.

[479] So let's make the border in their countries and not in ours.

[480] So when we have to fight them in France, their country is destroyed and not ours.

[481] So once war starts, there's no right, there's no wrong, there's no rules, there's no mercy.

[482] It's just survival.

[483] And that is how Hitler is going to fight this war.

[484] So the meeting is going on, and it's clear to everybody that Hitler is obsessed with Britain.

[485] He's insecure and he's jealous of everything they've been able to achieve.

[486] So he acknowledges that the British soldier is tough.

[487] They're a gifted organizer.

[488] They have courage.

[489] The country is rich.

[490] They have a strong sea power and a tough air force.

[491] And they can't defeat Britain directly, but they don't have to.

[492] They have to come up with conditions for it to capitulate.

[493] If they take the ports in Europe, if they take out France, if they use the Air Force, and they build up their navy, they can blockade Britain, and they can starve her out, and she'll give up.

[494] She'll have to come to some kind of understanding.

[495] So for Hitler, it's important that Italy and Japan not know their objectives, not know their plans.

[496] Because, again, Mussolini thinks he's got two or three years, and Hitler's not going to give him that long.

[497] But unlike the November 1937 meeting where they were talking about war, no general protest or no one resigned.

[498] And Case White was to be worked out by May 7, 1939 by von Rundstedt and von Manstein.

[499] And the Navy was to be ready with their plans to support the Army by May 16.

[500] So war preparations are well underway, and the Third Reich had jumped from seven divisions to 51 divisions just in four years.

[501] So we're talking roughly 800 ,000 men.

[502] It depends on the division, whether it's mechanized, that kind of thing.

[503] But still, that's a pretty impressive increase.

[504] And it had four light divisions, which was like a modern battle cavalry, which no one else had, and they would use that to good effect.

[505] And they had about five.

[506] heavy armor divisions.

[507] The Navy went from practically nothing to some very impressive numbers and variety.

[508] Of course, not along the lines of the British Navy, but still very impressive.

[509] And the Luftwaffe, which went from literally nothing to a force of about 21 squadrons, totaling about 260 ,000 men.

[510] So the war production was already larger than what Germany had in World War I. But again, as impressive as all this is, the numbers are still limited.

[511] So it's best to keep your number of enemies.

[512] you're fighting at one time as low as possible and that's what Hitler's going to work on.

[513] Now on May 19th there was a debate in the House of Commons and Chamberlain was wearily trying to explain to everyone that there was a wall in his head as far as negotiating with the Soviet Union.

[514] He just could not trust them, he didn't like them, and he didn't want to get close to them.

[515] But he was trying to say this very nicely.

[516] And of course, Churchill replied that you can't win a war against Germany without two fronts, and you can't have an effective Eastern Front without Russia.

[517] It just didn't happen.

[518] So Chamberlain finally gave in to criticism and told the British ambassador in Moscow to begin discussing a treaty of mutual assistance.

[519] He was going to finally give in.

[520] He wasn't into it, but he was going to try it.

[521] And of course, there was no real sense of urgency or enthusiasm, but at least go through the motions.

[522] But now, of course, it's May 1938, so it's probably too late.

[523] And on the last day of May, Molotov gave his first speech and his new position as foreign minister.

[524] And he criticized the Western powers for their unwillingness to make a treaty with Russia and that the Soviet Union would not stop trying to make an economic deal or have economic relations with Germany.

[525] So Hitler's all over the place.

[526] On one minute, he's convinced that Britain and Russia are about to sign a treaty any moment if he didn't intervene.

[527] And the next minute, he decided...

[528] to let things go along the natural course because things were getting better between the two countries diplomatically and to let things evolve naturally.

[529] But because he had set the deadline to attack Poland on September 1st to get in before the autumn rains came, he couldn't wait for the natural progress that diplomatic talks go.

[530] But Germany had several problems to get through in dealing with the Soviet Union.

[531] Italy and Japan were not happy with Germany about their approach with the USSR.

[532] Mussolini had been pushing Hitler to make some kind of non -aggression.

[533] packed with USSR only because he needed more time to get ready.

[534] But by late June, the Soviets were still keeping Germany at arm's length because they thought that Germany was using the economic treaties as bait to get what they really wanted, which was political and military treaties, which of course was the truth.

[535] And Hitler could not read Molotov or Stalin.

[536] Stalin is going to turn out as going to be one of the great negotiators of this entire story.

[537] And he's just looking 10 moves ahead and he really gets what he wants.

[538] He gets it from Churchill.

[539] from Roosevelt, and he's going to get it from Hitler as well, and he knows how to play the game.

[540] But Britain is having their own troubles.

[541] The Anglo -Franco -Soviet relations were at an impasse because they couldn't agree on anything, and they couldn't agree on inviting Poland or Romania and the Baltic states into the agreement.

[542] Molotov suggested that if Great Britain sent its foreign minister, to Russia in early June, they could work through this because he would have the authority to work through all the clutter.

[543] But Lord Halifax literally declined to go.

[544] He said he was just too busy, whatever that means.

[545] And honestly, Chamberlain did not push him to go.

[546] So they sent a subordinate instead.

[547] He was qualified, but he was little known, and his name was William Strang.

[548] And this choice convinced Stalin that Chamberlain wasn't ready to make any kind of alliance to stop Hitler, at least not with the Soviet Union.

[549] So Strang arrived in Moscow on June 14th, and he had 11 meetings with Molotov, but he got nowhere because they weren't going to take him seriously.

[550] And on June 29th, Stalin had a member of the Politburo and the president of foreign affairs write an article, and it was entitled, British and French governments do not want a treaty on the basis of equality with the Soviet Union.

[551] And a part of this article said that Britain and France were just going through the motions for public consumption, that again, they had no idea to make a...

[552] Now, Hitler was too distracted in June, reviewing the detailed plans of the upcoming invasion.

[553] to focus on the ebb and flow of diplomatic comings and goings.

[554] His plans were being made, studied, revised, and made again.

[555] And if anybody asked about calling up the reservists, the answer was to say, oh, there's going to be intensive maneuvers, but that's pretty much all it is.

[556] The action would call up 7 million men.

[557] Of course, not all of them would be on active military duty, but they would need someone to take care of the prisoners, to occupy land and cities once it was taken, and someone to be in charge of the jails and more concentration camps that would be.

[558] needed once they invaded Poland.

[559] There were massive meetings with people who would be responsible for all the different aspects of the German military and civilian that would be involved in and after the war with Poland.

[560] There was transportations as far as people in charge of railroads, roads, bridges, the tracks, economics, foreign affairs, and at this time they started smuggling arms into Danzig getting ready.

[561] And the SS was training the local defense force, so they'd be ready to help as well.

[562] And, of course, the Polish government increased custom officials.

[563] They had the right to walk around Danzig since it was an open city and check things.

[564] So there was a war between the custom officials versus the Germans trying to get arms into the free city.

[565] And on August 4th, the Polish government raised the ante.

[566] They told the Danzig Germans that they would carry out their inspections while they were armed.

[567] And, again, they were not going to be pushed around.

[568] They were not going to be intimidated.

[569] And the diplomatic cables between Poland and Germany got really nasty, and they all but threatened each other.

[570] war.

[571] On July 18th, a Soviet trade representative met in Berlin with officials from the German foreign office.

[572] Russia wanted to extend and intensify the German -Soviet economic relations.

[573] Diplomacies, like anything else, timing was critical.

[574] Both sides now wanted to explore mutual options.

[575] Germany wanted to see what they could get with Poland in mind, and Russia wanted to make a deal with the devil because they didn't want to be another victim of Germany.

[576] And if Germany attacked all these other countries except for Russia because of a deal that Russia made with them, they'd be happy with that.

[577] But Germany was having a hard time negotiating with Russia.

[578] because the British were also negotiating with him as well.

[579] So Germany was dropping hints, hey, as long as you're talking to them, you're not taking us very seriously, so we'd like it if you would stop talking to them.

[580] But, of course, that wasn't going to happen.

[581] Stalin was too shrewd, and he was keeping all his options open.

[582] But by July 26, in a restaurant, Germany made a real approach to Moscow, and it was received well by the Soviet representative.

[583] But then things seemed to fall apart.

[584] Britain had finally agreed to talk.

[585] to have military talks with the Soviet Union about Germany.

[586] But the Soviet Union wanted details, and England was trying to stall.

[587] Again, England did not think very much of Soviet military prowess.

[588] The British government was asking for too much, and Molotov rejected the complete package.

[589] The Soviet Union wanted a political and military agreement all in one lump sum.

[590] They wanted to hammer everything out and have it all straight.

[591] There would be no uncertainty, and they knew exactly where they stood with Britain, with France, and of course then with Germany.

[592] But Britain, of course, used to being in charge, wanted everything on their terms.

[593] And in the end, Britain thought as long as they were negotiating with the Soviet Union, that would be enough to keep Russia from making any kind of agreement with Germany.

[594] But again, Stalin wanted hard facts.

[595] He wanted to know who he could rely on.

[596] So the British decided to send military personnel to discuss the details, like the Soviet Union had been asking for for weeks.

[597] having the authority to speak as far as their air, land, and sea forces.

[598] And they sent their men on a boat.

[599] A plane could have been there in one day.

[600] So they sent them on a passenger cargo vessel, and they sailed out on August 5th, and they did not arrive until August 11th.

[601] Again, another clear signal to Stalin that the British are not taking this very seriously.

[602] Now, the German Foreign Office is running out of time because of Hitler's deadline of September 1st to start the conflict.

[603] So the German Foreign Office stepped up intensity of its negotiations.

[604] It told Molotov that they could not see a problem between the two countries as far as agreeing to Russia's sphere of influence in the Balkans, which is basically starting south and moving north.

[605] Lithuania.

[606] Latvia, Estonia, and above that, Finland.

[607] Germany is basically saying, hey, all that can be yours.

[608] Just start talking to us and let's agree to something.

[609] But on August 3rd, almost everything fell apart for Germany because Molotov was talking to Schulenburg, who represents Nazi Germany.

[610] And he was unormally pleasant and open, but then he asked, how can the Soviet Union believe anything that you're saying?

[611] You have your anti -Commontern pact, you're supporting Japan, which is Russia's enemy, and you excluded the Soviet Union with the Munich Accords.

[612] Of course, Schulenburg did not have an answer, and he didn't know what to say.

[613] And then there's Mussolini trying to stall Hitler, trying to get him to wait a couple of years, trying to get him to talk to the Soviet Union and saying, if you attack, I'll be with you in whatever capacity I can.

[614] But if you wait a couple of years, Italy will be stronger.

[615] So Mussolini said, let's get our two foreign ministers together and maybe they can work something out.

[616] because Mussolini knew there was no way to have a localized war with Poland.

[617] Other countries would be getting in.

[618] So Ciano went to Berlin on August 11th, but there was very little talking, because right away Ribbentrop told Ciano that the decision to go to war with Poland had been made, and there was no way they were going to change their mind.

[619] So Ciano brought up the fact that if Britain and France come in, Italy can't really help.

[620] We're not ready to attack, much less defend ourselves.

[621] But Ribbentrop disagreed.

[622] He said he didn't think that Britain and France would risk their own lives for the sake of Poland.

[623] On the next day, Chiano was talking to Hitler, and it was pretty much the same thing.

[624] Hitler didn't really believe that France or Britain would attack if they attacked Poland.

[625] And he said, besides, if they do, we've strengthened our Western Wall, and our plan is to knock Poland out really fast, and then we'll rush all our troops over to the Western border, and we'll be able to help you.

[626] Chiano again pointed out Italy's weakness and said there wasn't much we'd be able to do for you because we're busy in Albania and North Africa and things like that.

[627] But again, Mussolini wanted to meet with Hitler so they could talk about it.

[628] But at the very least, Chiano was able to get a rough general date of when the conflict would begin.

[629] So at least that was something.

[630] So all this is going on.

[631] Mussolini's driving Hitler crazy.

[632] Hitler's got his deadline.

[633] He can't stop the autumn rains.

[634] He's got to get it going.

[635] But he doesn't know about Britain and France.

[636] He doesn't know what Russia's going to do.

[637] And then out of the blue, Berlin sees a telegram from Moscow saying that they wanted a German political negotiator to come to Moscow.

[638] Now, normally this would have been great news for Hitler, but he didn't have time for the normal ebb and flow.

[639] politics and diplomatic talk so ribbentrop ribbentrop told schulenberg to tell Molotov, but if possible, even better to tell Stalin himself that Ribbentrop himself would be available to come by for a short visit to get the proceedings off to a good start.

[640] Berlin believed that Moscow was reading between the lines and knew that what he was really saying was, let me come by and we'll talk about dividing up Poland.

[641] It's your enemy.

[642] It's our enemy.

[643] You'll have a free hand in the Baltic states and we can give you what you want if you give us what we want.

[644] So suddenly things are looking a lot better for the Nazi high command.

[645] So Hitler calls his generals together again on August 14th, and he doesn't tell them everything, but he tells them enough to whet their appetite.

[646] He is convinced that the current leaders of Britain and France will not fight.

[647] And given all that's happened, can you really blame him for saying that?

[648] So war is now imminent between Germany and Poland.

[649] And the question is, will it be a local war or will it be a wider war?

[650] That's still the great fear.

[651] And why didn't General Halder and his comrades stop Hitler as they were going to do before Munich?

[652] After the war, General Halder was testified that he did not believe that they would go to war, that Britain and France would not go to war.

[653] And again, can you blame him?

[654] And he thought that Hitler would once again figure out a way to get what he wanted without a fight.

[655] was called the Rally of Peace, was to be held on September 1st.

[656] And of course it was canceled because that was the plan to start the invasion of Poland.

[657] And 250 ,000 men were called up for action in the east.

[658] And the pocket battleship Graf Spee and the Deutschland and 21 submarines were set, were ready to sail for the Atlantic to be in position around Britain and between Britain and the continent so they can control the sea lanes.

[659] And on August 17th, a plan that was called Operation Himmler was to be readied.

[660] And for the Nazi leaders, this would justify their conquering and invading Poland.

[661] 150 Polish army uniforms were gathered with small arms, and they took some concentration camp prisoners, and they were going to put them in the uniforms and place them near a German radio station in Gliwitz, something like that, near the Polish border.

[662] What they would do is they would put the prisoners in the Polish uniforms, they would inject them with poison, kill them, and then shoot their bodies to show that a Polish attack had been made on a German radio station.

[663] And then one of the Germans who spoke Polish would get on the radio and make an announcement that the time to attack Germany had come.

[664] So they were going to blame it all on Poland.

[665] So when Molotov found out that Ribbentrop himself was willing to come to Moscow on August 15th, he replied...

[666] coolly, that this would be of some interest to the Soviet Union, and that Ribbentrop would like to talk about a non -aggression pact, and maybe getting Germany to help the Soviet Union with Japanese relations, and also the future of the Baltic states, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.

[667] So they had fallen for the debate.

[668] So Rubentrop asked Hitler, and Hitler said yes to all this, and he didn't even try to hide from the Russians that he was in a hurry.

[669] Stalin knew what Hitler wanted, and so he toyed with him.

[670] Again, he complained about the previous German aggression and the anti -Komtern pact that Germany had.

[671] But Hitler didn't have time for games.

[672] He let the Russians know that the German -Polish tension was at such a state that a war could break out at any day, and he wanted to have an understanding between Russia so there would be no misunderstandings and the war could go away.

[673] grow wider.

[674] And the standard Russian tactic, which was a good one, was to find out what your adversary wanted, deny them that, drive them crazy, and then ask for a high price when you gave in to them.

[675] And that's exactly what Stalin did.

[676] But Stalin had to know that war was imminent and that the German forces, once they invaded Poland, would be that much closer.

[677] So he had to negotiate.

[678] It was just when and what he could get out of it.

[679] And finally, Hitler got a break.

[680] On August 19th, Schulenburg notified Hitler that Ribbentrop could come on or around August 26th if Germany and Russia can make an announcement about having an economic agreement that day or the next day.

[681] So there's finally some good news.

[682] But then again, the Russians start.

[683] toying with the Germans again.

[684] Molotov tells Schulenburg they have a meeting.

[685] But nothing comes of it.

[686] But then the same day, Molotov calls Schulenburg back to his office about 4 .30, and he hands him a copy of a non -aggression pact.

[687] And he said that Ribbentrop could come on August 26th or 27th.

[688] And, of course, the difference between the first meeting and the second meeting was Stalin.

[689] He knew he had to come up with something.

[690] And the reason was given to Churchill years later in August 1942.

[691] Stalin said that if war had broken out, he knew that France could put about 100 divisions into the field.

[692] And Britain could probably put about two or four divisions at first.

[693] Russia knew they would have to put about 120 divisions in the field at the beginning of the war right away.

[694] So for Stalin, it was all about survival.

[695] It was all about the numbers.

[696] Russia might not have had the most modern army, and they might not have been well equipped, but he had a lot of men.

[697] But still, for Hitler, things were looking good.

[698] But again, he had the deadline, he had the autumn rains, he had to move this forward.

[699] And so they have a non -aggression pact, but can they get it signed by both parties in time for him to launch his attack?

[700] So Hitler has to intervene himself.

[701] He has to swallow his pride and his fear, and he sends Stalin a telegram on August 20th, begging Stalin to see his foreign minister as early as possible.

[702] And here's Hitler's letter to Stalin.

[703] Mr. Stalin in Moscow.

[704] I sincerely welcome the signing of the new German -Soviet commercial agreement as the first step in the reshaping of German -Soviet relations.

[705] The conclusion of a non -aggression pact with the Soviet Union means to me the establishment of German policy for a long time.

[706] Germany thereby resumes a political course that has been beneficial to both states during bygone centuries.

[707] I accept the draft of the non -aggression pact that your foreign minister Molotov handed over, but consider it urgent.

[708] urgently necessary to clarify the questions connected with it as soon as possible.

[709] The substance of the supplementary protocol desired by the Soviet Union can, as I am convinced, be clarified in the shortest possible time if a reasonable German statesman can come to Moscow himself to negotiate.

[710] Otherwise, the government of the Reich are not clear.

[711] as to how the supplementary protocol can be cleared up and settled in a short time.

[712] The tension between Germany and Poland has become intolerable.

[713] A crisis may arise any day.

[714] Germany is determined from now on to look after the interests of the Reich with all means at her disposal.

[715] In my opinion, it is desirable in the view of the intentions of the two states to enter into a new relationship to each other, not to lose any time.

[716] I therefore again propose that you receive my foreign minister on Tuesday, August 22nd, but at the latest on Wednesday, August 23rd.

[717] The Reich foreign minister has the fullest powers to draw up and sign the non -aggression pact as well as the protocol.

[718] A longer stay by the foreign minister in Moscow than one or two days at the most is impossible in view of the international situation.

[719] I should be glad to receive your early answer.

[720] Adolf Hitler.

[721] So for the next 24 hours, Hitler is beside himself with nervousness.

[722] He can't eat.

[723] He can't sleep.

[724] But an answer finally comes August 21st, 9 .35 p .m. And it reads, To the Chancellor of the German Reich, A. Hitler, I thank you for your letter.

[725] I hope that the German -Soviet non -aggression pact will bring about a decided turn for the better in the political relations between our countries.

[726] The peoples of our countries need peaceful relations with each other.

[727] The assent of the German government to the conclusion of a non -aggression pact provides the foundation for eliminating the political tension and for the establishment of peace and collaboration between our countries.

[728] The Soviet government has instructed me to inform you that they agree to Herr von Ribbentrop's arriving in Moscow on August 23rd, J. Stalin.

[729] So again, he says yes, but he doesn't say yes on the 22nd.

[730] He says yes on the 23rd, driving Hitler crazy, but he's doing it on purpose.

[731] So for Hitler, the non -aggression pact is going to be done, and now he can focus on Poland again.

[732] He has another military conference on August 22nd, and he says to his generals, there should be no mercy for Poland.

[733] This has to be a quick victory.

[734] Our job is to destroy the Polish military forces.

[735] And then he goes on to say that himself and Mussolini are vital to history now.

[736] No one else is even close to them when it comes to their greatness.

[737] And again, he doesn't think the West is going to fight.

[738] But it's now time to test Germany's military machine.

[739] They've gone as far as they can politically.

[740] France won't be able to get through the Western Wall, and they have a plan to starve Britain to death.

[741] And Russia is now eliminated as an enemy for the short term.

[742] If all goes well in Moscow, the date will be set to launch their attack on Poland on August 26th.

[743] At this time, the Soviet Union's talk with the West, words at a standstill.

[744] Under no circumstances would Poland allow any Russian troops onto their soil.

[745] And there's no way the Russians can help it.

[746] They're not allowed to go into Poland to fight the Germans while the French and the British are attacking the Western Wall on their side.

[747] So they're getting nowhere.

[748] So Ribbentrop and a very large staff arrive in Moscow at noon on August 23rd.

[749] The first meeting between Ribbentrop, Stalin, and Molotov lasts for three hours, and it goes very well.

[750] They quickly agree to split Poland, but then they have to decide where the line is to be drawn.

[751] In the second meeting later that day, they sign the non -aggression pact and the secret protocol attacking and splitting up Poland between the two.

[752] Stalin also wanted help from Germany with Japan, and Ribbentrop...

[753] quickly agreed to that even though he had no interest in that and he certainly wasn't going to keep his word.

[754] And both countries agreed that Britain was arrogant and they deserved to be left out.

[755] And then they drank toast to each other and to the two leaders.

[756] So the agreement calls for a non -aggression pact and no helping a third party if a third party attacks the other country.

[757] The Baltic states are to be mostly in Russia's sphere of influence and Germany is to stop at the northern frontier of Lithuania.

[758] Poland is to be divided along the rivers of Nauru, Vistula, and San.

[759] And Russia has some interest in a part of Romania, and Germany declares its non -interest, so go ahead and take that whenever you want.

[760] That's fine with Germany.

[761] When the British government heard that Ribbentrop was going to Moscow, they put out a statement that said, this does not change anything.

[762] Britain still supports and will give Poland all possible aid.

[763] On the 24th, Chamberlain wrote Hitler a letter saying the same thing, and he gave it to Henderson to fly to Berlin to give to Hitler on the 25th.

[764] Hitler read the letter, and he lost it in front of Henderson, and he just started screaming and yelling.

[765] And Henderson got to see it firsthand.

[766] And that was probably the moment that Henderson realized all along that he had been supporting the wrong country and the wrong guy.

[767] Hitler blamed Britain for Poland standing up to him and causing a possible war.

[768] Just like when there was President Benaz.

[769] Benaz was standing up to him, to Hitler, because he thought he had Britain on his back.

[770] And again, it was trying to, it was like going to cause a war, but it wasn't going to be Hitler's fault.

[771] But then Hitler calms down.

[772] And he writes a response to Chamberlain.

[773] And the letter says, Germany did not want a war with Great Britain, but it had to address this issue with Poland.

[774] But between the lines of the letter, the attitude is, I don't care what you're going to do.

[775] And so Hitler sets the date to invade Poland, August 26th.

[776] But then he has to pull back from that date by two events.

[777] One is the letter from Chamberlain.

[778] And Hitler thinks he's dealt with that.

[779] His letter says, I have to deal with Poland.

[780] And as soon as this is done, I will be happy to sign a non -aggression pact with you.

[781] So Hitler was trying to give Chamberlain another out, hoping Chamberlain would take it.

[782] And then late in the same day, then the French ambassador comes and he says, but they only talk for a minute.

[783] ambassador says, on my honor as a soldier, if Poland is attacked, France will support her.

[784] So one event is the letter from Chamberlain, and Hitler thinks he's dealt with that.

[785] And on August 25th, Hitler had written that letter to Mussolini.

[786] And the second reason is going to be Mussolini's response to that letter.

[787] So on the evening of the 25th, communications were cut in Berlin.

[788] The German people in Poland, France, and Britain were told to leave, and the foreign press in Germany is running for the closest border to get out of there.

[789] Hitler has gotten the letter from Chamberlain.

[790] He has spoken to the French ambassador, and now he finds out that the Anglo -Polish treaty has transformed into a pact of mutual assistance.

[791] Hitler could not buy off Britain like he had the Soviet Union.

[792] And before he could breathe too much, he received another bad piece of news.

[793] During the month of August, sometimes hourly, Mussolini had gone back and forth whether to join Germany in war.

[794] Hitler never asked him about it directly because it was implicit in their agreement.

[795] But Ciano took every opportunity he could to talk Mussolini out of it.

[796] Germany had lied and held back very important information from their partners, so for Chano that was enough of an excuse to break the pact.

[797] But Mussolini still had to fear that Hitler would turn his troops onto Germany, and that he was choosing the wrong side and he would lose everything.

[798] But by August 21st, Mussolini had decided to break with Hitler.

[799] He had told Ciano to tell Ribbentrop this.

[800] Ribbentrop said, you have to come to me. I'm about to go to Moscow to sign a political pact.

[801] Even this was news to the Italians.

[802] So Ciano sets out on August 22nd.

[803] But honestly, the Germans already know.

[804] The Italian charged the affairs in Berlin told Weisaker Mussolini's thinking.

[805] that Germany had lied, and they were controlling Italy's foreign policy, and Italy was seeking an out.

[806] So Hitler's letter to Mussolini came to him on the 25th, and Mussolini read the letter twice, and Mussolini thought to himself, there's no way Italy can handle the British Navy in the Mediterranean, and there's no way Italy can simultaneously handle the French army on land.

[807] But Mussolini told the German representative who had delivered Hitler's letter that he would be on his side.

[808] But then Mussolini wrote a letter to Hitler on the 25th.

[809] And Mussolini's letter to Hitler ends like this.

[810] As for the practical...

[811] attitude of Italy in case of military action, my point of view is as follows.

[812] If Germany attacks Poland and the conflict remains localized, Italy will afford Germany every form of political and economic assistance which is requested of her.

[813] If Germany attacks Poland and the latter's allies open a counterattack against Germany, I inform you in advance that it will be...

[814] opportune for me not to take the initiative in military operations in view of the present state of Italian war preparations, of which we have repeatedly and in good time informed you, Fuhrer and Herr Ribbentrop.

[815] Our intervention can, nonetheless, take place at once if Germany delivers to us immediately the military supplies and the raw materials to resist an attack, which the French and English will predominantly direct against us.

[816] At our meetings, the war was envisioned for 1942, and by that time I would have been ready on land, at sea, and in the air, according to the plans which have been concerted.

[817] I am furthermore of the opinion that the purely military measures which have already been taken, and other measures to be taken later, will immobilize in Europe and Africa considerable French and British forces.

[818] I consider it my bounden duty as a loyal friend to tell you the whole truth and inform you beforehand about the real situation.

[819] Not to do so might have unpleasant consequences for us all.

[820] This is my view, and since within a short time I must summon the highest governmental bodies, I beg you to let me know yours.

[821] So between Chamberlain's letter and Mussolini's letter, Hitler is shaken.

[822] And so around 7 p .m. on the 25th, Hitler delays the invasion.

[823] The ground troops are to stop where they are, and the Navy is to be on standby, not to take up their positions around Britain and the sea lanes.

[824] But for Hitler, the invasion is only delayed.

[825] He told Goering that he needed time for diplomatic maneuvering.

[826] He still thought he could eliminate Britain from intervening.

[827] And he could take Poland and keep it a localized war.

[828] Epilogue.

[829] I would like to read a very short passage from another book by C. Brian Kelly called The Best Little Stories from World War II.

[830] And this is about the real first battle in Europe as far as World War II.

[831] It wasn't September 1st.

[832] The war in Europe began with the German invasion of Poland on September 1st, 1939.

[833] True.

[834] Not entirely.

[835] The first battle of World War II was fought, in Poland to be sure, six days earlier.

[836] Borover, the ultimate commander of the German combat team, had fought the little -known Battle of Mosty in Polish Silencia on August 26, 1939, was a displaced admiral of the German Navy, one Wilhelm Franz Canaris.

[837] As any history war buff knows, Canaris was the chief of Nazi Germany's Abwehr.

[838] or military secret police.

[839] With the attack on Poland originally scheduled at 4 .15 a .m. August 26, a Saturday, the Admiral's Adver was supposed to send 16 Kampfrugen combat teams into Poland 12 hours ahead of the German armies for a series of raids on Polish communications and transportation facilities, such as telephone lines or bridges.

[840] In other cases, the special K -teams were to seize and hold certain facilities intact for their own Wehrmacht use.

[841] Late on August 25th, the teams were assembled and ready at their jump -off points.

[842] Canaris and his staff had done their homework and had followed their orders explicitly.

[843] But late on the 25th, an agitated aide from the chief of staff's office called to report that Hitler had postponed the invasion because of political developments.

[844] You must do everything humanly possible to halt your combat team, said the aide.

[845] Fifteen of the K -teams were halted in time, but one, headed by Lieutenant Herzner, already irrevocably was on the way.

[846] Herzner, striking out from a German base in Zilnia in Slovakia, had been ordered to seize the railroad station at Mosty and secure the Jablukov Pass in the Beskits.

[847] The rail line here ran from Slovakia past Mosty and on deeper into Polish Silencia.

[848] Following his original orders, positioned his team and gave the signal to attack.

[849] Opening fire at 1 a .m. on August 26th, his K -team overwhelmed the Poles guarding Mosty, capturing the rail station and securing the pass as planned.

[850] The Germans then settled down to await the arrival of the entire invading division.

[851] When no division appeared after a time, the young German commander approached the Polish colonel.

[852] He and his K -team had taken prisoner.

[853] What's going on?

[854] Herzner asked.

[855] Weren't the two countries at war?

[856] I told you they weren't, the Polish officer replied.

[857] He suggested that Herzner call his home base on the telephone in the station house and find out the facts.

[858] Herzner did and was told to return to Zylnia immediately.

[859] The war had not started after all.

[860] It was a ludicrous situation, but no joke.

[861] In the war that did start six days later, Herzner was among the millions of casualties.

[862] So was Poland, which collapsed in just 27 days of assault by the new German Blitzkrieg.

[863] Welcome to True Spies.

[864] The podcast that takes you deep inside the greatest secret missions of all time.

[865] Suddenly out of the dark it's appeared in love.

[866] You'll meet the people who live life undercover.

[867] What do they know?

[868] What are their skills?

[869] And what would you do in their position?

[870] Vengeance felt good.

[871] Seeing these people pay for what they'd done felt righteous.

[872] True Spies from Spyscape Studios.

[873] Wherever you get your podcasts.