Post by Diarist on Sept 17, 2016 9:04:39 GMT 1
Anthony Eden was already at Downing Street when Winston and I arrived. We were in the same room as my first visit when the PM appointed me as a minister. Five minutes later Stanley Baldwin walked into the room. "Good morning." He shook hands with all three of us then sat down.
"Bob, I talked with Prime Minister Daladier yesterday and I am pleased to inform you that you have a meeting with him on Thursday afternoon. I know that is a day earlier than you planned being there. Is that a problem?"
"No, Sir. No problem at all."
"I understand that you are preparing a contingency plan in the event of a German re-militarization of the Rhineland. Is that correct?"
"Yes, Sir but nothing has been finalized yet. I hope to use my tour in Europe to hear what options other leaders are considering."
"Anthony is worried you might put a spanner in the works and make his job more difficult."
"If anyone puts a spanner in the works it will be Adolf Hitler, not me. Have you also arranged for me to meet him in Berlin, Sir?"
"No, I haven't" he replied smiling.
"I've been ordered not to involve the French while preparing the contingency plan but that was before the French elections and I hope that this meeting will clarify my instructions. It is a complicated situation but I believe the French PM needs to know if Britain would support him and a French response if Hitler were to make a move into the Rhineland."
"That's one reason why I am concerned, " Eden said.
"You have every reason to be concerned because if Hitler moves into the Rhineland then a diplomatic policy to keep France and Germany apart has failed. It then becomes a defence problem and we can't afford to fail."
"...and that entails going to war!"
"The Foreign Secretary has no knowledge of our plans and is jumping to conclusions which are completely false. We have no plans to initiate a war. Only Hitler can do that. His forces have to fire the first shot."
"Enlighten us please."
"I'm sorry but I am not authorized to tell anybody. Winston can tell you but Anthony and I need to step out of the room." Winston nodded.
"Leave Winston and I alone for a moment," Stanley Baldwin said.
Eden was not very amused. "Welcome to the wonderful world of OPSEC, Anthony. Do you want some coffee?"
"No thank you."
I came back a few minutes later with some coffee. We sat outside in silence until we were called back in ten minutes later.
"Bob, what kind of clarification are you looking for?"
"Ideally, I'd like you to know and approve of our contingency plan and you know that it is has been coordinated with the French. So that if Hitler makes his move at midnight on the 1st of September, at 01:00 you can call the French PM and say that he has Britain's full support if you respond as agreed. I would like to confide a part of our plan with PM Daladier and hear his opinion and what the French have planned in order achieve that degree of coordination that I mentioned. We are a guarantor of the Locarno Treaties, France isn't. France needs our support so that they can act without breaching the treaties."
"You have my permission to do that. Enough clarification?"
"Is the approval for this meeting alone or does it include coordinating a joint contingency plan?"
"Winston can decide the latter."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Prime Minister." He then bade farewell and left the room. "Anybody fancy a brunch? I only had a small breakfast this morning and I know a good place from my student days. I'm going to de Havilland afterwards."
"I'm hungry too. Come along, Anthony. Bob's buying."
That convinced him.
"Bob, I talked with Prime Minister Daladier yesterday and I am pleased to inform you that you have a meeting with him on Thursday afternoon. I know that is a day earlier than you planned being there. Is that a problem?"
"No, Sir. No problem at all."
"I understand that you are preparing a contingency plan in the event of a German re-militarization of the Rhineland. Is that correct?"
"Yes, Sir but nothing has been finalized yet. I hope to use my tour in Europe to hear what options other leaders are considering."
"Anthony is worried you might put a spanner in the works and make his job more difficult."
"If anyone puts a spanner in the works it will be Adolf Hitler, not me. Have you also arranged for me to meet him in Berlin, Sir?"
"No, I haven't" he replied smiling.
"I've been ordered not to involve the French while preparing the contingency plan but that was before the French elections and I hope that this meeting will clarify my instructions. It is a complicated situation but I believe the French PM needs to know if Britain would support him and a French response if Hitler were to make a move into the Rhineland."
"That's one reason why I am concerned, " Eden said.
"You have every reason to be concerned because if Hitler moves into the Rhineland then a diplomatic policy to keep France and Germany apart has failed. It then becomes a defence problem and we can't afford to fail."
"...and that entails going to war!"
"The Foreign Secretary has no knowledge of our plans and is jumping to conclusions which are completely false. We have no plans to initiate a war. Only Hitler can do that. His forces have to fire the first shot."
"Enlighten us please."
"I'm sorry but I am not authorized to tell anybody. Winston can tell you but Anthony and I need to step out of the room." Winston nodded.
"Leave Winston and I alone for a moment," Stanley Baldwin said.
Eden was not very amused. "Welcome to the wonderful world of OPSEC, Anthony. Do you want some coffee?"
"No thank you."
I came back a few minutes later with some coffee. We sat outside in silence until we were called back in ten minutes later.
"Bob, what kind of clarification are you looking for?"
"Ideally, I'd like you to know and approve of our contingency plan and you know that it is has been coordinated with the French. So that if Hitler makes his move at midnight on the 1st of September, at 01:00 you can call the French PM and say that he has Britain's full support if you respond as agreed. I would like to confide a part of our plan with PM Daladier and hear his opinion and what the French have planned in order achieve that degree of coordination that I mentioned. We are a guarantor of the Locarno Treaties, France isn't. France needs our support so that they can act without breaching the treaties."
"You have my permission to do that. Enough clarification?"
"Is the approval for this meeting alone or does it include coordinating a joint contingency plan?"
"Winston can decide the latter."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Prime Minister." He then bade farewell and left the room. "Anybody fancy a brunch? I only had a small breakfast this morning and I know a good place from my student days. I'm going to de Havilland afterwards."
"I'm hungry too. Come along, Anthony. Bob's buying."
That convinced him.