Page 92 - Was Hitler a Riddle?

The British Diplomats 79

the Jews,” which is true. Henderson found this reason unacceptable, but
another reason might “have been comprehensible . . . within limits. the
German authorities were undoubtedly seriously alarmed lest another Jew,
emboldened by the success of Grynszpan [the diplomat’s assassin], should
follow his example and murder either Hitler or one of themselves.” 158
three days after sending the long dispatch to london, Henderson com-
posed another one in which his assessment of Hitler ran counter to some
of his own earlier ones. He raised the question whether Hitler was likely
to behave rationally in the new Czech crisis, which was coming to a head.
He answered his own question by declaring that although the Führer was
a demagogue, he was not mad “or even verging on madness; therefore i
am of the opinion that he is not thinking in terms of war.” On the other
hand, if Western democracies interfered “excessively” in “Germany’s special
sphere of interest,” Hitler might follow the advice of the minority in the
Nazi movement that believed that “force and force alone can ensure to Ger-
many her legitimate rights and her due place under the sun.” to avoid war,
Henderson urged his own government to help Germany as much as pos-
sible to fulfill its legitimate demands. such help, he assured london, would
be cheaper than rearmament. to win support for his position, he again
stressed the decent proclivities of Hitler, who, he claimed, would appreci-
ate Britain’s help. “i have little faith in the gratitude of nations, though i
believe that Hitler is personally not lacking in that rare quality.” He also as-
sured london that if an agreement was reached on Czechoslovakia, Hitler
could be trusted to honor it. “Personally, i would not go further than to say
that, as an individual, he would be as likely to keep it as any other foreign
statesman—under certain conditions probably more so. strange though it
may sound, he prides himself on keeping his word. One might quote nu-
merous instances of his having broken it, the concordat, [for example]. . . .
He himself would argue that in those instances it was the action of others
which drove him to do so.” 159
after Hitler marched into Czechoslovakia on March 15, Henderson ex-
pressed outrage and declared that “Nazism has definitely crossed the ru-
bicon of purity of race,” which had not been done when Hitler annexed
austria and the sudetenland, both inhabited by German speakers. the
seizure of lands controlled by Czech speakers “cannot be justified on any
grounds.” 160 six weeks later, Henderson reversed course again and claimed
that Hitler still wanted “good relations” with Britain, but only if london
recognized German interests and abandoned the “policy of encirclement”
of Germany. danzig would have to be returned to Germany, which would