Document Analyst's Report

During May I worked through three documents books for Constantin von Neurath, Germany’s foreign minister from 1932 (under Hindenburg and Papen) to early 1938. The final document book, covering Neurath’s work as “Reich protector” of Bohemia and Moravia, is on the agenda for June. Neurath was an old-line aristocratic conservative, one of Hindenburg’s cabinet of barons, and not a committed Nazi or a member of Hitler’s inner circle. He was convicted on all four counts of the indictment but was sentenced to prison and not executed.

A path not chosen: Germany participated in a series of arms-control discussions during the early and mid-1930s, with Neurath’s support. In May 1933 he posed a wish: “May one continue to hope that the air arm or at least bombing planes will be generally outlawed in the future and that the existing air forces will be done away with?” The next year the government advised Great Britain that Germany needed to develop a defensive air force but supported proposals that “at least should outlaw bombing planes.” In March 1936 Germany’s proposal was more comprehensive: to prohibit gas, poison, and incendiary bombs, the bombing or artillery shelling of cities and towns behind the front lines, and the use of heavy tanks and artillery. Of course none of these proposals was adopted. (What the official statements did not convey was Hitler’s decision that Germany would adhere to international agreements only as long as they served German interests and that Germany would not adhere to international laws of warfare when the war broke out.)

A puzzling name: One document about German-English diplomacy by an English official in 1936 was identified as being by “States peace.” The English have some peculiar names, but this was clearly suspect. Fortunately the transcript was more informative about the surname when the document was presented in court, and an internet search provided the full name: Geoffrey Shakespeare. Neurath’s attorney, who prepared the document book, was a well-educated man (and another baron), but he was apparently not well versed in English literature.

A problematic gift: One of Neurath’s old friends (a baroness rather than a baron), reported that Neurath told her in 1938 that “It is horrible to play the part of Cassandra,” warning about the dangers of the looming war. During the war, she also said, Neurath received an unexpected gift at Christmas. It was a package of coffee, which was not available in Germany at the time. And it had been sent by Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS. It was a tempting gift, but Neurath did not drink it: He assumed it was poisoned.

Matt Seccombe, 3 June 2024