Eighty years ago, Chamberlain's visit to Berchtesgaden starts a process that leaves Czechoslovakia's future in British hands
Neville Chamberlain’s first visit
to Germany to meet Hitler proved to be remarkably brief. The only business of
substance was a three hour conversation between the Führer and Britain’s prime
minister at the Berghof. The only other person present was the chief
interpreter of the German foreign office, Paul Schmidt. This was deisgned to
ensure the “personal” character of the talks although there was no-one in the British
party whose knowledge of German would have been sufficient for the task. Too
many of the Foreign Office’s German speakers had reservations about appeasement
to be included in the group.
It was agreed to resume the talks
on more specific topics in a few days time. As a special gesture of
consideration to Chamberlain Hitler decreed that these talks should take place
in western Germany to spare the prime minister the rigours of another long
flight. Bad Godesberg on the Rhine was fixed as the venue. Only the German and
British governments would take part in the talks. The future of Czechoslovakia
had been taken from the hands of the government in Prague.
There was further confirmation
that it was the British government in the driving seat on the side of the
democracies when the leading ministers of the French government flew to London
to discuss the crisis. Little of substance emerged about the talks beyond a
general sense that the French too preferred a negotiated settlement. It was
plain to the British ministers that the French were desperate to find a way out
of their treaty obligation to defend Czechoslovakia and a deal brokered by
Britain would fit the bill nicely.
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