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

FRANCE IS TO BLAME 713haps,' said Mussolini with a smile, and his three thousand listenerslaughed happily and approvingly, 'this has already been outstripped bythe facts.' Italy, too, must be strong militarily, for Italy had a greatmission dictated by her geography and her history. 'Until the year 2000,Italy's historic objectives are Asia and Africa' — and this was followedby the significant words: 'In the North there is little or nothing to begained.' Hitler had said the same things years before. But in the South,Mussolini continued, 'the political and economic expansion of Italymust not be stopped by the satiated and the satisfied.'Among these satiated and satisfied powers at whose expense Italywanted to expand in Asia and Africa, the first place was occupied byFrance. And Germany's 'great hour' of revenge against the Frenchhereditary enemy, which Hitler in his earlier prophecies had expectedfrom an alliance with Mussolini, now seemed to strike — at the verymoment when Hitler was seemingly changing his course and seeking areconciliation with France. The British government urged France toreconcile herself with him. Even those British friends of France, whoadvised her not to disarm but to arm, nevertheless intimated that in thelast analysis France must rely only upon herself, not upon Englishprotection. It was Winston Churchill who again expressed this view onMarch 8, 1934. To be sure, England was then, in Churchill's opinion,threatened only by Germany's rearmament; but no one 'proposes apreventive war to stop her from breaking the Treaty of Versailles.' Itwas clear that 'this very gifted people are capable of developing withgreat rapidity the most powerful air force for all purposes, offensive anddefensive, in a very short period.' The day when Germany would be in aposition to threaten the heart of the British Empire by air was perhapsonly eighteen months, perhaps even only one year, distant. And thismeant, said Churchill, that England would lose her freedom of actionand be dependent upon the help and good will of her friends on theContinent. That meant France — and France's policies. But this was thevery thing England should prevent at any cost, above all by creating herown strong air force. 'The next great object we must have in view is tosecure our freedom of choice to remain outside a European war if oneshould break out.... We must have the