It still amazes me that Chamberlain’s ineptitude was allowed to go on for another eight months.
I don’t know that I’ve ever seen it discussed anywhere (though Shirer or Speer certainly may have), but I wonder if Hitler may have “held back” from engaging the French and British in hopes that he could take over the rest of Europe and then sign new treaties with them later. It cannot be a coincidence that the western campaign started on the same day any hint of appeasement ended.
I just watched Part 2 of Wouk's "Winds of War" miniseries. In that portrayal Hitler was determined to launch Case Yellow (the invasion of France) early in November 1939. It was only the military and meteorological realities that caused it to be postponed 19 times until the spring.
That's half correct. He had every intentions following through with an invasion of France. In fact he was so intent on immediately attacking France that he issued Directive No.6 for the conduct of war on October 9th as things finished up in Poland:
(a) An offensive will be planned on the northern flank of the Western Front, through Luxembourg, Belgium, and Holland. This offensive must be launched at the earliest possiple moment and in greatest possible strength.
(b) The purpose of this offensive will be to defeat as much as possible of the French Army and of the forces of the allies fighting on their side, and at the same time to win as much territory as possible in Holland, Belgium, and Northern France to serve as a base for the successful prosecution of the air and sea war against England and as a wide protective area for the economically vital Ruhr.
He didn't have a plan for invading England though. He felt that if France fell that he wouldn't have to since an isolated England would be open to peace talks. Winston Churchill of course would have none of that so reluctantly, Hitler finally ordered the planning for Operation Sea Lion. So he did have some designs on a peace treaty, but only with Britain.