Page 17 - The Kellner Affair Sample Pages

THE KELLNER AFFAIR: MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH
Hitler sped to Poland on the Sonderzug to incite his troops. Happiness is a warm gun, as John Lennon would have said. (Peter Larsen)
I shall only remove it after victory has been achieved – or – I shall not experience the end of this extremity.” Hitler then appointed Göring to be his successor in the event of his death. At 6: 55 p. m. , the rst air raid sirens of World War II were heard in Berlin. They were triggered by two Polish aircraft.
France and England mobilized. Both countries were obligated to defend Poland, and sent diplomats to German Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop demanding that Hitler withdraw from Polish territory or they would declare war. The Germans did not, and a tense stalemate ensued with frantic and fruitless diplomatic meetings being conducted behind closed doors. At 9:00 in the morning of September 3, 1939, Sir Neville Henderson, Britain’s Ambassador to Germany, delivered an ultimatum stating that if hostilities did not stop by 11 a.m., a state of war would exist between Great Britain and Germany. Germany did not respond, and at 11:15 a.m. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced on the radio to the
British people that they were now at war with Germany. Hitler is quoted as turning restlessly to von Ribbentrop, saying: “Now what?” At 12:30 p.m. the French government delivered a nal ultimatum that expired at 3:00 p.m.
At 2:30 p.m., Hitler issued four proclamations for the German people concerning the state of the war – the message combined was as simple as it was false: “We have nothing to lose, and everything to win.” Two hours after its ultimatum expired, France declared war on Germany at 5: 0 0 p. m. This was followed by declarations of war from Australia, India, New Zealand, Burma, Jordan, Cambodia, Pakistan, Laos, and Vietnam. Ever prudent, Hitler telephoned the Berghof and ordered twelve of its most valuable paintings placed in a cliff corridor under the great hall. He then met with Soviet Ambassador Alexander Schkarzew, and General Purkayev, the Soviet military commander. They had things to discuss, plans to hash out, an onslaught to schedule.
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