Page 94 - Was Hitler a Riddle?

The British Diplomats 81

occasional emissaries to hitler

in addition to the diplomats in Germany, some British emissaries as well
as Prime Minister King of Canada reported on Nazism to the government
in london. they were all prominent and influential citizens, they were all
given interviews by Hitler, and they all supported a conciliatory policy to-
ward Germany. Only one of them actually occupied an official position
when he met Hitler, but they all deserve a hearing, not because their analy-
ses of Nazism were perspicacious but, rather, because their views carried
weight in government circles and among many people eager to avoid an-
other military conflict. Prime Minister Chamberlain distrusted the Foreign
Office, which he believed was totally hostile to his policies, and was there-
fore especially interested in the reports of these emissaries. Within the
164
government, Chamberlain—as already noted—relied heavily on the advice
of sir Horace Wilson. Hardly a day passed without a discussion of current
developments by the two. 165 the emissaries often sent their assessments of
Hitler and Nazi Germany to Wilson, who saw to it that their views reached
the highest authorities in Britain.
lord President of the Council Halifax was the most prominent eng-
lishman outside the diplomatic corps to visit ranking Nazis in Germany.
a leading proponent of appeasement, Halifax would become foreign
secretary in February 1938, replacing eden, who had grown increasingly
critical of Chamberlain’s policies toward Mussolini and Hitler. the promo-

it could be argued that lord londonderry should be included in this discussion of emis-
saries to Hitler who favored appeasement. after giving the matter some thought, i decided
against it. it is true, as ian Kershaw showed in his interesting book Making Friends with Hit­
ler, that after 1935 londonderry became a prominent advocate of friendly relations with Nazi
Germany and advocated a policy of appeasement, but his career and his politics took such
strange turns that his influence in government circles was minimal. From 1931 to 1935, he was
the secretary of state for air, and at first he supported the government’s policy of disarmament,
but after Hitler’s ascent to power he argued strongly for an increase in funds for the royal air
Force. He was so passionate on the subject that opponents dubbed him a warmonger. after
he was relieved from his position in the government in 1935, he thought he would be able to
restore his reputation by engaging in diplomacy aimed at promoting good relations between
Britain and Nazi Germany. He traveled to Germany, where he met Hitler, Göring, and Himm-
ler as well as other Nazi leaders. On his return to Britain he became a passionate advocate
of appeasement even though he did not share Hitler’s views on many issues, most notably
his anti-semitism. But his standing among political leaders had declined sharply; Winston
Churchill, his cousin, had a low opinion of his abilities, and he was not the only one with that
opinion. in 1940, when londonderry sought to return to government service, he had “long
been a spent political force” and no one in a position of authority took him seriously. see
Kershaw, Making Friends, p. 324.