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

FRANCE IS TO BLAME 715had progressed too rapidly; and who could seriously hope to stop thisprocess by conversations? A conversation, let alone an agreement, wouldhave meant that France was openly abandoning the treaties, whateverthese were worth. But this was the very thing which England now urgedher 'friend across the Channel' to do.The direction of France's foreign policy was in the hands of LouisBarthou, who may be considered the last classic statesman of the ThirdRepublic. A white-bearded old man of seventy-two, an adroitopportunist in the domestic field, not exactly a creative mind in the fieldof foreign politics, he was a remarkable mixture of talent and energyand was inspired by a great guiding principle. This principle was hislifelong fear of the German danger. He also had a strong will to breakthis danger. He spoke German and was a highly educated man who hadachieved the rare distinction of being elected to France's literary society,the French Academy of the 'Forty Immortals.' He had written a bookabout Richard Wagner, and liked to quote Heine's gloomy prophecy thatGermany would become a great danger to the world once Thor awokefrom his thousand-year-long sleep and began to break the churches andthe Cross. Barthou thought that this historic day had come; he said thatonly two or three years were left in which the danger could beeliminated.England, however, demanded that France negotiate with Germany;this meant that Hitler was to have a three-hundred-thousand-man armyif he renounced bombing planes and accepted a transitional period offive to ten years. It might be possible to accept this plan; but who wouldvouch that Hitler would abide by it? Barthou asked England forgaranties d'execution (guaranties that the plan would be carried out)—which was only a different form of France's eternal demand thatEngland support her if Germany violated the treaties. Embarrassed,England countered by asking what such garanties d'execution meantconcretely; and it was again France's turn to reply.What England's idea amounted to was: We will grant Hitler his army,and the four of us — England, France, Germany, and Italy — will sitdown around a table. We will determine the future armaments ofEurope; and neither Poland nor Czechoslovakia,