Czech your history
Sir: Chamberlain and other Conservatives always defended Munich, and the contro- versy has never died. The archives about Munich, which I analysed in my book Drive to War (1989), are fascinating and reveal that the Cabinet were aware that important anti-Nazis, including the head of the Ger- man foreign office, Weiszacker, and lead- ing German generals, had sent messages begging Britain to stick to their intention to fight for Czechoslovakia so that they could overthrow Hitler.
The Cabinet was divided, with Hailsham, Duff Cooper and Winterton dead against capitulation to Hitler. When on 27 Septem- ber Halifax swung round to Hailsham's view, the Cabinet decided to call Hitler's bluff. Then Chamberlain sold the pass behind the back of his colleague by entreat- ing Mussolini to call a conference.
The Italian and German archives reveal that Mussolini's plan at Munich was not his own but had, in fact, been written in the German Foreign Office and translated into Italian. According to Sir Horace Wilson, the British civil servant, the actual confer- ence was 'chaos', with Chamberlain and Daladier meekly agreeing to all Hitler's demands. The terms were worse than the preceding Godesberg 'ultimatum' and on flimsy grounds the Czechs were excluded from the conference.
Following Munich, Hailsham's son (Quintin Hogg) won the Oxford election on a pro-Munich platform, but his success was quickly reversed by Vernon Bartlett's victo- ry in the Bridgwater by-election, and when Hitler violated Munich by seizing the rump of Czechoslovakia the agreement was dis- credited.
The British Chiefs of Staff reported to the Cabinet that there were only eight or nine German divisions on the Siegfried Line, and German generals testified at Nuremberg that in September 1938 they were in no position to withstand a French attack from the west if they were also engaged in Czechoslovakia.
The evidence that Russia would have come to the aid of Czechoslovakia is over- whelming.
Richard Lamb
Knighton Manor, Broadchalke, Salisbury, Wiltshire
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