Der Fuehrer - Hitler's Rise to Power (1944) - Heiden

694 DER FUEHRERto the League of Nations; but war? —that would be madness! 'It wouldmean the end of our races which are both elites; Asia would establishitself on our continent and Bolshevism would triumph.' France, hewarned, should cease 'building her security on Germany's inability todefend herself. . . . The days when this was possible are over.' In otherwords: We are already so strong that the French system of alliance isdead; you can no longer pass over us to stretch out your hand to thePoles or the Czechs. But: 'If France wants to find her security in anagreement, I am ready to listen to everything, to understandeverything...' And for the first time Hitler told de Brinon quite clearly:'Alsace-Lorraine is not a controversial issue.'Agreement... understanding ... ? This was the question which nowwas put in full earnest before the military men of France: GeneralMaxime Weygand, the chief of staff; Gustave Gamelin, his designatedsuccessor; Gamelin's associate, General Georges — and above all,Marshal Philippe Petain, the most revered military figure of the country,who had always been an admirer of German military achievement.These men, dependent on the good will of a not too benevolentparliament, must have been filled with envy at the ease with whichHitler could command the strength of his country.Friedrich Sieburg, a German journalist, described the curiouslytortuous policy of the French military in their struggle for their army asfollows:Daladier looks at the German military policy with the same technicaleyes as the French General Staff, which also holds the view that themoment is opportune for participating in the limitation of a Germanarmaments program before it is too late, and for preventing the completedemobilization of the French army by this means. It is known that plansare being prepared in the War Ministry and the General Staff which aresupposed to take the realization of the German armaments program andthe consequent strengthening of Germany's military position intoaccount. For some time the military even nursed the hope of being ableto increase the service-period to two years. . . .Two countries, two general staffs; one country the terror of the other,one general staff the pretext for the other! It would surely