Chamberlain's Secret Bid to Reach a Deal With Hitler, Revealed in Newly Released Documents

Daily Mail ^ | 4th September 2011 | ABUL TAHER

[nickcarraway]

British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain held secret talks with Hitler's henchmen to work out ways of making the Nazis look more sympathetic to ordinary Britons, classified documents released last week reveal.

The cloak-and-dagger meetings in London came shortly after Chamberlain signed his disastrous appeasement deal with Hitler in Munich in September 1938, declaring 'peace for our time' on his return to Britain.

The meetings were held without the knowledge of the Cabinet and Foreign Office. Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax only learned of them later because of an MI5 mole in the German embassy.

Two newly-declassified documents show Chamberlain was ready to make more deals with Hitler after Munich, which would have the ‘happiest and most far-reaching effects for the relationship between the two countries’.

The papers reveal Chamberlain told Hitler that it would have ‘the greatest effect on public opinion in England’ if, in the event of war, they had a pact in place not to use poison gas, not to bomb each other’s civilians and to spare cities with cultural treasures.

[SoConPubbie]

Our current GOP leadership seems to come to mind when reading this story.

[Mike Darancette]

Our current GOP leadership seems to come to mind when reading this story.

People on this list seem to miss few opportunities to express GOP self hatred.

[GOPJ]

Our current Dems - lying to make radical Muslims look safe come to mind ...

[GOPJ]

Explain, please - Just curious.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks, well said.

[Defiant]

Thank God we fought Hitler when we were still a nation of men. Can you imagine Hitler vs. Obama? Heil no.

[naturalman1975]

In 1938, Britain did not have the capability to successfully wage war against Germany. In that situation, it's hardly surprising that Chamberlain tried everything he could to avoid war.

Over the next year, a lot of things changed.

Standard British Bomber of 1938.

Standard British Bomber of 1939.

Standard British Fighter of 1938.

Standard British Fighter of 1939.

That one year made a lot of difference. Two more battleships were commissioned in 1939 (HMS King George V, and HMS Prince of Wales) with three more nearing completion. Britain's first 'modern' Aircraft Carrier by the standards of the day, was only commissioned near the end of 1938, and the next four were still building through 1939. That one year that Chamberlain gained made a huge difference.

Yes, he hoped to avoid war. But he also helped put in place a vastly improved mechanism to fight it.

[max americana]

>Can you imagine Hitler vs. Obama?<

Is there a difference?

[Defiant]

No, but socialists can, which is why Hitler and Stalin had their fight. It’s like 2 species of snake that to us are just snakes, but who only like their own kind.

[RitchieAprile]

Shutleworth’s have the only flyable Gladiator (I think).

Nice video with period music track at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0f5Qxp_3tI&feature=related

[El Sordo]

I have read speculation that Chamberlain was trying to, at the least, stall as much as he could.

I've never read concrete development of that thesis though.

Know of any good info on it?

[catbertz]

Very interesting comments. I always thought poorly of his actions, but appreciate your logic that he played the cards he was dealt while his nation prepared.

[naturalman1975]

Shuttleworth’s was the only airworthy Gladiator, but Duxford’s was restored to flyable status a couple of years ago and is the one that appears in the photograph I posted.

[naturalman1975]

I like A.J.P. Taylor's The Origins of the Second World War for its discussion of Chamberlain, but Dutton's more recent Neville Chamberlain is fairly sympathetic as well.

Chamberlain was naive, I think, when it came to Hitler. He wasn't just stalling - he genuinely hoped Hitler would prove to be willing to turn away from aggression. But he wasn't so naive as to put all his hopes into that. He hoped to avoid war, but knew he might not be able to - and so he supported preparations to deal with that eventuality. To me, the most compelling evidence in his favour is that when he was forced to retire on the grounds of ill health in mid 1940 (he had cancer and he wouldn't survive the year), Winston Churchill tried to persuade him to accept Britain's highest order of Chivalry - as a Knight of the Garter. Churchill felt that Chamberlain was worthy of that. In his writings, Churchill condemned many of the choices Chamberlain made, and with justification at times - but he still saw a man who had given his best and his all for his country. And had done well enough.

[abb]

Ping for possible discussion in your WW2 threads.

[taildragger]

As kind of a self taught arm chair aero guy I have seen a lot of craft, but this one is hidious, oh my so many sins....

[PA Engineer]

People on this list seem to miss few opportunities to express GOP self hatred.

Ditto. Foggy bottom was the first thing that came to mind.

[NTHockey]

Child Molesting Party (CMP) and Mohammedans both hate America and want to destroy her.

[trebb]

Our current GOP leadership seems to come to mind when reading this story.

How do they measure up compared to our current Democrats?