Breach of Security - The German Secret Intelligence File on Events leading to the Second World War

Description

ISBN 7183-0101-3 The document now printed is one of the very few surviving examples of the work of the most secret of all the German intelligence agencies active in the Nazi era, the Forschungsamt (Research Office). Very little apart from the fact of its existence appears to have been known by Allied Intelligence agencies during the war. The record here printed shows that the experts of the Forschungsamt were able, in part at least, to read the codes and listen in to telephone conversations between the embassies and legations in Berlin and the foreign offices of Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Turkey, Belgium, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Latvia. In addition they benefited from the position of Berlin and Vienna as centres of the European cable system (all cables to Moscow and the Far East ran through Berlin, as those from London to South-East Europe ran through Vienna) to intercept communications between the Japanese embassies in Western Europe and Tokyo, between the Turkish embassy in Moscow and Ankara, and between the Bulgarian and Yugoslav legations in London and Paris and Sofia and Belgrade. This document sets out a picture of British policy towards Germany from the signature of the Munich Agreement to the British declaration of war on Germany at n a.m. on 3 September 1939. Preface page 13 Introduction by D. C. Watt 15 Part I: Britain's Attitude after the Munich Agreement and up to the Occupation of Bohemia and Moravia 47 Chamberlain’s Statements in Defence of his Munich Policy 48 Henderson’s Behaviour During the Discussions of the International Commission 49 Growing Opposition in Britain to the Munich Policy 49 Exacerbation of Anglo-German Relations by German Press Campaign of November 1938 50 Signs of a Move towards Disengagement from Munich Policy at the Outset of 1939 51 Renunciation of Munich as a Reaction to the German Occupation of Bohemia and Moravia 51 Part II: The British Policy of Encirclement 55 The Encirclement Programme and the First Diplomatic Moves towards its Implementation 56 British Plans in the Balkans 57 The Anglo-Turkish Treaty Negotiations 58 Rumania’s Role in the Encirclement 62 Britain announces her Guarantee to Greece 64 The British Woo Bulgaria 65 British Policy Towards Yugoslavia 68 The Anglo-Soviet Negotiations 69 The Development of Britain’s Relations with Poland 76 Part III: Repercussions of the Policy of Encirclement on the Development of Anglo-German Relations after the Occupation of Bohemia and Moravia 85 The Growing Anti-German Mood in Britain 86 Henderson’s Return to Berlin and the Introduction of National Service in Britain 86 The Devastating Effect of the British Guarantee to Poland on the Anglo-German Naval Agreement 87 Part IV: The Last Ten Days Before the Outbreak of War 91 Related Documents 121 Notes and Sources 191 Index 209