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Six Between Roosevelt and Hitler: America's Role in the Appeasement of Nazi Germany

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

Frederick W. Marks III
Frederick W. Marks III
Affiliation:
Forest Hills, New York
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Type
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The Historical Journal , Volume 28 , Issue 4 , December 1985 , pp. 969 - 982
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1985

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References

1 Hilton holds that, inasmuch as FDR's hatred of Hitler was second to none, he would never have appeased him, much less negotiated a soft peace to sustain him in power; Hilton, Stanley E., ‘The Welles mission to Europe, February–March 1940: illusion or realism?’ Journal of American History, LVIII (1971), 94, 100–1, 111, 120Google Scholar.

2 See, for example, Langer, William L. and Gleason, S. Everett, The challenge to isolation, 1937–1940 (New York, 1952), pp. 361–3Google Scholar; Reynolds, David, The creation of the Anglo-American alliance, 1937–1941 (Chapel Hill, 1982), p. 81Google Scholar.

3 Offner, Arnold, America's appeasement: United States foreign policy and Germany, 1933–1938 (Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1969), pp. 276–80CrossRefGoogle Scholar. This is the fullest and best account to date, yet it remains fragmentary as the author was unable to avail himself of official French sources (published or unpublished). There is no reference, for example, to crucial conversations between Roosevelt and such Frenchmen as Thoumyre and Saint-Quentin. Neither does Offner allude to key episodes as, for instance: the Fuller missions to Berlin; the Welles and Bullitt trips to European capitals in September and November 1937; Hugh Wilson's talks in Prague during August of 1938; Ambassador Kennedy's role in last-minute negotiations leading up to Munich; Truman Smith's discussion of Czech partition with a Polish colleague in Berlin; not to mention FDR's own effort to win a lion's share of the credit for Munich. The same is true of Offner's sequel, The origins of the Second World War (New York 1975), which omits all of the above and passes over the Mooney missions.

4 Haight, John McVickar Jr, ‘France, the United States and the Munich crisis’, Journal of Modern History, XXXII (1960), 340–58CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

5 As an example of the former, see Langer, and Gleason, , Challenge to isolation, p. 58Google Scholar. For the latter, see Drummond, Donald F., The passing of American neutrality, 1937–1941 (Ann Arbor, 1935), PP. 78ffGoogle Scholar.

6 FDR to Muriel and Warren Robbins, 30 May 1891; Eleanor Roosevelt to Sara Roosevelt, 25 July 1905; FDR to Sara Roosevelt, 4 March 1897 and 30 July 1905, Roosevelt, Elliott and Lash, Joseph (eds.), FDR: his personal letters, 4 vols. (New York, 1947–1950), 1, 20, 69; II, 46, 51Google Scholar (hereafter Letters); Diary of European Trip, summer of 1918, ibid., II, 391, 413, 419, 451, 462; James Roosevelt to FDR, 9 June 1897, box 3, Roosevelt family papers, Franklin D. Roosevelt library, Hyde Park (hereafter FDRL); Kleeman, Rita H., Gracious lady: the life of Sara Delano Roosevelt (New York, 1935), p. 216Google Scholar; Heinrichs, Waldo H., American ambassador: Joseph C. Grew and the development of the United States diplomatic tradition (Boston, 1966), p. 233Google Scholar.

7 Dodd, to Hull, , 23 08 1933, U.S. Department of State, Papers relating to the foreign relations of the United States, 1333–1941 (Washington, D.C., 1950–1969), 1933, II, 259 (hereafter FR)Google Scholar; Hull, Cordell, The memoirs of Cordell Hull, 2 vols. (New York, 1948), 1, 233, 240, 472, 597–8Google Scholar; Time, 19 June 1933, p. 12; Dodd, William E. Jr, and Dodd, Martha (eds.), Ambassador Dodd's diary, 1933–1338 (New York, 1941), pp. 4–5, 86Google Scholar; Morgenthau, Henry, ‘The Morgenthau diaries’, Colliers Magazine, 11 10 1947, p. 72Google Scholar; Offner, Appeasement, p. 234; Nixon, Edgar (ed.), Franklin D. Roosevelt and foreign affairs, 3 vols. (Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1969), 1, 337Google Scholar; FDR press conferences, 7 September 1934 and 12 March 1936, ibid. II, 207–8; III, 249; FDR, On our way (New York, 1934), pp. 115, 136Google Scholar; Pratt, Julius W., Cordell Hull, 1933–44, 2 vols. (New York, 1964), 1, 90Google Scholar; Corbin, to Doubergue, , 12 04 1934, Ministère des Affaires Étrangères, Documents diplomatiques français, 1932–1939 (Paris, 1964–), sér. I, VI, 209 (hereafter DDF)Google Scholar; Dallek, Robert, Franklin D. Roosevelt and American foreign policy, 1932–1945 (Oxford, 1968), p. 102Google Scholar; Phillips, William, Ventures in diplomacy (Boston, 1952), pp. 165–6Google Scholar; Friedländer, Saul, Prelude to downfall: Hitler and the United States, 1939–1941 (New York, 1967), p. 11Google Scholar; Drummond, , American neutrality, p. 85Google Scholar; Memorandum, by Acting Secretary of State, 8 08 1936, U.S. Department of State, Documents on German foreign policy, 1918–1945 (Washington, D.C., 1959–1966), ser. C, v, 800, 800n., 888 (hereafter DGFP)Google Scholar; Thomsen to Foreign Ministry, 17 and 27 March 1939, ibid. ser. D. VI, 14, 130; memorandum by Ambassador Dieckhoff, 29 July 1940, ibid, X, 351–2.

8 Lindsay to Simon, 30 January 1933, Woodward, E. L. and Butler, Rohan (eds.), Documents on British foreign policy, 1919–1939 (London, 1946–1979), ser. 2, V, 750–1Google Scholar; Prittwitz to Foreign Ministry, 16 March and 7 April 1933; Schacht to Foreign Ministry, 6 May 1933, DGFP, ser.C, 1, 175, 263, 26411., 393; Davis to Hull, 16 April 1933, 500. A15A4 General Committee/297, Record Group 59, National Archives (hereafter RG, NA), Laboulaye to Paul-Boncour, 16 May 1933, DDF, sér. I, III, 492.

9 Offner, Appeasement, pp. 206–9; Dodd, Martha, Through embassy eyes (New York, 1939), pp. 359–60Google Scholar; Dieckhoff to German Foreign Ministry, 5 August 1937, DGFP, ser. D, 1, 627; Hull conversation with Dieckhoff, 5 August 1937 and 14 January 1938, microfilm roll 29, Hull papers, Library of Congress (hereafter LC); Dallek, Robert, ‘Beyond tradition: the diplomatic careers of William E. Dodd and George S. Messersmith, 1933–1938’, South Atlantic Quarterly, LXVI (1967), 24InGoogle Scholar.; Dodd, and Dodd, , (eds.), Dodd's diary, 3, 23, and 30 11, 14 December 1937, PP. 430, 434–5, 445 (see also P. 342)Google Scholar. For Bullitt's opinion, see Bullitt to FDR, 23 November 1937, Bullitt, Orville H. (ed.), For the president, personal and secret: correspondence between Franklin D. Roosevelt and William C. Bullitt (Boston, 1972), p. 235Google Scholar.

10 Fuller, S. R. to Roosevelt, , 11 05 1933, Nixon, (ed.), Roosevelt, 1, 175Google Scholar; Fuller memorandum of conversation with Schacht, 23 September 1935, FR (1935), II, 282–86; Fuller to Hull, 14 October 1935, 862.00/3558, RG 59, NA.

11 Dallek, , Roosevelt, p. 124Google Scholar; François-Poncet to Flandin, 12 March 1936, Laboulaye to Flandin, 19 March 1936, DDF, sér. 2, 1, 517, 609–10; 600.0031 World Program, RG 59, NA; Stafford Little Foundation Lecture at Princeton University, 19 March 1936, box 15, Dulles papers, Princeton University; Bingham diary, 30 June 1934, 20 March and 15 April 1936, box 1, Bingham papers, LC; FDR to Dodd, 5 August 1936; Dodd to FDR, 19 October 1936, box 49, Dodd papers, LC; Leith-Ross to Phipps, 4 February 1937, Phipps papers, Churchill College, Cambridge (hereafter CCC); Lothian Memorandum, 11 May 1937, Halifax papers, CCC. Dulles, already one of America's leading specialists in international law, had not yet left private practice for a post in Washington.

12 Welles Memorandum to FDR, 10 January 1938, FR (1938),1, 116; Langer, and Gleason, , Challenge to isolation, p. 23Google Scholar; Letters, IV, 1460; Bullitt to Hull, 23 November 1937, box 24, President's Secretary's File (hereafter PSF), FDRL.

13 François-Poncet to Quai d'Orsay, 19 November 1937, dossier 307, Amérique-Éitats-Unis (hereafter AEU), Quai d'Orsay, Paris; M. Lamarle (French chargé at Prague) to Paul Boncour, 5 April 1938 (recounting events of the previous fall), DDF, sér. 2, IX, 221. See also ibid., p. 112n.; Bullitt to Hull, 13 January 1937, 23 November 1937, PSF, box 24, FDRL; Offner, Appeasement, p. 190; Dieckhoff to Foreign Ministry, 27 September and 20 December 1937, DGFP, sér. D, 1, 630, 658; Bullitt to Hull, 23 November 1937 (a thirty-two page letter), Bullitt, (ed.), Bullitt, p. 239Google Scholar.

14 Moffat Diplomatic Journal, 3 November 1937, Moffat papers, Harvard University; Davis to Hull, 15 April 1933, 500. A15A4, General Committee/297, RG 59, NA; Berle, Beatrice Bishop and Jacobs, Travis Beal (eds.), Navigating the rapids, 1918–1971: from the papers of Adolf A. Berle (New York, 1973), pp. 164, 183–4Google Scholar; speech by German consul general, 30 January 1940, box 19, Dulles papers, Princeton University; Time, 29 November 1937, pp. 18–19; 24 January 1938, p. 15; Hooker, Nancy Harrison (ed.), The Moffat papers: selections from the diplomatic journals of Jay Pierrepont Moffat, 1919–1943 (Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1956), 21 10 1938, pp. 220–1Google Scholar; Rosenman, Samuel I. (ed.), The public papers and addresses of Franklin D. Roosevelt, 13 vols., IV, 442; V, 9–12, 289, 583, 599, 605–607Google Scholar.

15 Eden memorandum, 21 January 1938, vol. 29, F.O. 954, Public Record Office, Kew (hereafter P.R.O.); Langer, and Gleason, , Challenge to isolation, pp. 21–6Google Scholar; Welles to FDR, 26. October 1937, box 23, PSF, FDRL. Welles' first memorandum was issued 6 October. There followed other plans dated 9 October, 26 October, and 10 January (1938).

11 Langer, and Gleason, , Challenge to isolation, p. 22Google Scholar; Foreign Office to Lindsay, February (?) 1938; Lindsay to F.O., 22 January and 16 February 1938; F.O. to Lindsay, 13 January 1938, F.O. 371/21526, PRO; Eden Memorandum, 17 January (?) 1938, vol. 29; undated précis by Michael Wright, based on the Halifax files, vol. 30, F.O. 954; F.O. to Lindsay, 4 February 1938; Lindsay to F.O., 6 and 12 February 1938, PREM 1/259, PRO.; Roskill, Stephen, Hankey: a man of secrets, 3 vols. (London, 1970–1974), III, 301Google Scholar; Cowling, Maurice, The impact of Hitler: British politics and British policy, 1933–1940 (Cambridge, 1975), p. 176CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Dilks, David (ed.), The diaries of Sir Alexander Cadogan, 1938–1945 (London, 1971), 12 01 1938, p. 36Google Scholar; Offner, Appeasement, pp. 229–34.

17 Saint-Quentin to Quai d'Orsay, 22 March 1938, dossier 308, AEU, Quai d'Orsay; Saint-Quentin to Paul-Boncour, 26 March and 1 April 1938; Bonnet to Saint-Quentin, 23 May 1938, DDF, sér. 2, IX, III, 194–5, 857.

18 Saint-Quentin to Bonnet, 11 June 1938, DDF, sér. 2, X, 39–40.

19 Dirksen to Weizsäcker, 13 June and 20 July 1938, DGFP, sér. D. 1, 714–15, 717–18, 721, 723; Offner, Appeasement, pp. 251–3.

20 Francois-Poncet to Bonnet, 15 August 1938, DDF, sér. 2, X, 678; Henderson to Halifax, 26 July 1938, DBFP, sér. 3, II, 12; memorandum by State Secretary Weizsäcker, 8 July 1938, DGFP, sér. D. II, 481; Wilson, , Career diplomat, p. 45Google Scholar; Wilson diary, 5 August 1938; Carr to Hull, 6 August 1938; Wilson to Biddle, 6 October 1938, boxes 1 and 4, Hugh Wilson papers, Hoover Library, West Branch, Iowa.

21 Harvey, John (ed.), The diplomatic diaries of Oliver Harvey, 1937–1940 (London, 1970), 6 09 1938, p.170Google Scholar; Saint-Quentin to Bonnet 27 September 1938; Bonnet to Saint-Quentin, 27 November 1938, DDF, sér. 2, XI, 588, 588II.; XII, 814; Bonnet, , De Munich, pp. 124–5Google Scholar.

22 Lindbergh, Charles A., The wartime journals of Charles A. Lindbergh (New York, 1970), 19 and 29 09 1938, pp. 71 and 79Google Scholar. Bullitt to Hull, 15 September 1938; memorandum of conversation between Kennedy and Welles, 27 September 1938; Kennedy to Hull, 28 September 1938; Kennedy conversation with Hull, 24 September 1938, 760F.62/827, 11177\10; 1248, 1333, RG 59, NA (see also the rest of the file).

23 Moffat memorandum, 20 September 1938; Hull memorandum, 23 September 1938, FR (1938), I, 625–6, 638–9; Lindsay to F.O., 19 September 1938, F.O. 371/21527, P.R.O.; Berle, , Rapids, 26 09 1938, p. 186Google Scholar.

24 Krock later learned that this invitation had been delivered to Ribbentrop by a Hohenzollern prince who was staying with Roosevelt at the White House (Louis Ferdinand); Krock, , ‘Reminiscences’, New York Times (clipping), 19 06 1945Google Scholar, box 52, Krock papers, Princeton University. See also FDR to Prince Louis Ferdinand, 14 January 1935; FDR to Hitler, 11 July 1935; Gilbert to Hull, 9 January 1939; Summerlin to McIntyre, 10 January 1938; Prince Ferdinand to FDR, 31 December 1936, 811.458 Germany/18, 23, 25, 27, 30, RG 59, NA.

25 Saint-Quentin to Bonnet, 2 October 1938, DDF, sér. 2, xi, 759–60. See also, Saint-Quentin to Bonnet, 28 September 1938, ibid. p. 656.

26 Hull to Wilson, 18 October 1938; Wilson to Hull, 21 October 1938, FR (1938), I, 724, 727. For other indications of Roosevelt's attitude, see Bullitt to Hull, 28 September, and Phillips to Hull, 29 September 1938, ibid. 692, 699.

27 Friedländer, , Prelude, pp. 37–8Google Scholar; Offner, Origins, p. 168.

28 Offner, Origins, p. 168; Saint-Quentin to Quai d'Orsay, 9 February 1940, dossier 319ter AEU.

29 Hull to Kirk, 13 October 1939; Harrison to Hull, 31 October 1939; Berle memorandum, 31 October 1939, 740.00119 European War 1939/78, 112, 117, RG 59, NA.

30 Mooney to FDR, 15 March 1940, box 4, PSF, FDRL; Berle diary, 16 October 1939, Berle papers, FDRL; Drummond, , American neutrality, p. 133Google Scholar; Messersmith to Swanson, 8 October 1938, 093.622/43, RG 59, NA; Messersmith memorandum, 25 January and 13 February 1940; Bullitt to Hull, 23 October 1939; Harrison to Hull, 31 October 1939,740.00119 European War 1939/104, 112, RG 59, NA; Messersmith to Phillips, 16 November 1934, item 442, Messersmith papers, University of Delaware.

31 Mooney to Roosevelt, 15 March 1940, 740.0011 European War 39/1824½, RG 59, NA.

32 Mooney to Roosevelt, 12 March 1940, 740.0011 European War 39/1824½ RG 59, NA; Mooney to Roosevelt, 15 March 1940, box 4, PSF, FDRL; Hull to American Embassy, Berlin, 12 February 1940, 121.840 Welles, Sumner/7, RG 59, NA.

33 Mooney to Roosevelt, 13 and 14 March 1940, 740.0011 European War 39/1824½, RG 59, NA; Mooney to Roosevelt, 13 March 1940, box 4, PSF, FDRL.

34 For Welles' itinerary, see Welles to FDR, 2 March 1940; Welles to Hull, 17 March 1940, box 4, PSF, FDRL; Schmidt (Foreign Ministry interpreter) Memoranda, 1, 2, and 4 March 1940, DGFP, ser. D, VIII, 821, 839, 850–62.

35 Messersmith memorandum, 13 February 1940, 740.00119 European War 1939/104, RG 59, NA (see also ibid. file 1824½).

36 On the first of the four facets, see Lothian to Smuts, 14 September 1939, GD 40/17, file 445, Lothian papers, Scottish Record Office (hereafter SRO). On FDR's plan for neutral participation see Berle diary, 10 February 1940, Berle papers, FDRL; Dallek, , Roosevelt, p. 216Google Scholar; Hull to Caffery, 8 February 1940, FR (1940), I, 117–18; Davies to Hull, 8 November 1939; Atherton to Hull, 13 February 1940, 740.00119 European War 1939/172 and 254, RG 59, NA.

37 Berle to FDR, 18 and 26 March 1940; FDR to Berle, 27 March 1940, FR (1940), I, 129–31.

38 Hassell, Ulrich von, The von Hassell diaries, 1938–1944 (Garden City, 1947), p. 120Google Scholar; Hilton, , ‘Welles Mission’, pp. 104–5, 117; Bullitt, (ed.), Bullitt, p. 404Google Scholar. Murphy was counsellor of the U.S. Embassy in Paris.

39 Vansittart minute on prime minister's account of talks with Welles, 18 March 1940, F.O. 371/24406, P.R.O.

40 Chamberlain to Lothian, 4 February 1940, Halifax papers, F.O. 800/324, P.R.O.

41 Cowling, , Impact of Hitler, p. 358Google Scholar.

42 Halifax to Lothian, 11 March 1940; Halifax minute, 20 March 1940; minutes by Vansittart on Halifax report, undated, F.O. 371/24406, P.R.O.

43 Halifax to Lothian, II March 1940, F.O. 371/24406, P.R.O.; Welles report, 11 March 1940, FR (1940), 1, 77.

44 Halifax to Lothian, 11 March 1940; minutes by Vansittart on Halifax report, undated, F.O. 371/24406, P.R.O.

45 Halifax to Lothian, 11 March 1940, F.O. 371/24406, P.R.O.

46 Welles report on his special mission, 11, 12, and 13 March 1940, FR (1940), 1, 77, 80, 84,88–9.

47 Thomsen, to Foreign Ministry, 10 02 1940, DGFP, ser. D, VIII, 757–8Google Scholar.

48 Hassell, Von, Diaries, 14–17Google Scholar February and 11 March 1940, pp. 112–13, 120.

49 Ibid. 11 March 1940, p. 120.

50 Welles to FDR, 2 March 1940, box 4, PSF, FDRL.

51 Dieckhoff memorandum, 4 March 1940, DGFP, ser. D, VIII, 864, 864n.; Hassell, von, Diaries, 11 03 1940, p. 120Google Scholar.

52 ‘Origine du Voyage Sumner Welles’, author unknown, 24 February 1940, 3DA5, dr. 7, sdr. b; Beneš memoire, 2DA3, dr. 6, sdr. d, Daladier papers, Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques, Paris (hereafter FNSP); Saint-Quentin to Quai d'Orsay, 10 February 1940; Daladier to Saint-Quentin, 16 February 1940, dossier 319ter; Saint-Quentin to Quai d'Orsay, 1 October 1938, dossier 310, AEU, Quai d'Orsay.

53 Daladier, notes on conversations with Welles, undated, 3DA5, dr. 7, sdr. b, Daladier papers, FNSP, Paris; Bullitt, to FDR, 18 04 1940, Bullitt, (ed.), Bullitt, p. 410Google Scholar; Hilton, , ‘Welles’, p. 115Google Scholar; Bullitt, to Moore, , 18 04 1940Google Scholar, box 3, Moore papers, FDRL.

54 Welles memorandum, 22 March 1939, FR (1939), II, 622–3.

55 Phillips, to Hull, , 1 03 1940, box 46, Hull papers, LCGoogle Scholar.

56 Hilton, , ‘Welles Mission’, pp. 108, 120Google Scholar.

57 Welles report, 26 February 1940, FR (1940), 1, 22.

58 Welles, to Hull, , 27 02 and 17 03 1940, box 4, PSF, FDRLGoogle Scholar.

59 Bullitt, to Hull, , 14 05 1940, FR (1940), 11, 703, 703nGoogle Scholar.

60 Welles report, 19 March 1940, FR (1940), 1, 115. See also ibid. 11, 687. Taylor was U.S. special envoy to the Vatican.

61 Taylor, to FDR, 3 and 11 05 1940Google Scholar; Lothian, to FDR, 26 05 1940, FR (1940), 11, 701–2, 710Google Scholar.

62 Hull to Phillips, 26 May 1940; memorandum, Hull, 26 05 1940, FR (1940), 11, 711–12Google Scholar. See also Corbin to Quai d'Orsay, 24 and 27 May 1940, Papiers 1940: Fouques Duparc, Quai d'Orsay; note by French under-secretary for Europe, 3 June 1940; Churchill to Reynaud, 27 May 1940; Daladier to Saint-Quentin, 25 May 1940; Papiers 1940; Reynaud, Quai d'Orsay.

63 Hull, , Hull, 1, 783Google Scholar; Phillips to Hull, 27 May and 1 June 1940, FR (1940), 11, 712, 715.

64 New Tork Times, 7 June 1940, p. 1; Time, 25 Septemper 1937, p. 22; Colonna to Hull, 11 June 1940, FR (1940), 11, 716; Thomsen to Foreign Ministry, 8 September 1940, DGFP, ser. D, XI, 42 (on the Lothian peace feeler).