Month: July 2017

“After an exchange of niceties, I asked the Chancellor whether an incident on the Polish, Austrian or French border which drew an enemy into the Reich would be allowed to be a casus belli. Of course he said, ‘No, no.’ I then said in case such a thing were to occur in the Ruhr valley would you hold off and call a conference of the European powers? He said: ‘That would be my purpose, but we might not be able to restrain the German people.’ (I saw that he meant the violent Nazis whom he has trained to violence.) I continued: If you would wait and call a conference, Germany would regain her popularity outside. . . Many other subjects were touched upon. My final impression was of his belligerence and self-confidence.”

William E. Dodd, United States Ambassador to Germany, Ambassador Dodd’s Diaries, October 17, 1933

“We then talked of dangers to Germany and of the growing hostility abroad. [Von Neurath] repeated as usual how fully he agreed with me, but I’m afraid the lesson of economic nationalism has not been learned by him or, more important, by Hitler himself. If they really believe a country can be economically independent and discard international codes of behavior, as I suspect they do, real trouble will come.”

William E. Dodd, United States Ambassador to Germany, Ambassador Dodd’s Diaries, October 13, 1933

“Mr. Crane…was enthusiastic about his Hitler interview…Crane found Hitler simple, enthusiastic, bent on stirring the German people to passionate self-confidence and wanting in knowledge of foreign problems. This is the same story I have heard again and again.”

William E. Dodd, United States Ambassador to Germany, Ambassador Dodd’s Diaries, October 5, 1933

“I told him the Jewish problem must be solved in a different way; that German exports would continue to fall if the ruthlessness were not abandoned; and that the belligerent tone of German conduct would almost certainly lead to international boycott. I concluded: The Nazis do not seem to me to know what are the natural consequences of ruthless procedure.”

William E. Dodd, United States Ambassador to Germany, Ambassador Dodd’s Diaries, August 9, 1933

“…Hitler spoke over the radio to Germany, the rest of Europe and the United States, announcing the German withdrawal from the League [of Nations] and from the Disarmament Conference and proclaiming a Reich election for November 14. The speech was moderate for him. He demanded equal rights with other nations as to armaments, defended his ‘revolution’ as simply an anti-Communist move, and assured the world of peaceful intentions…It was not the address of a thinker, but of an emotionalist claiming that Germany had in no way been responsible for the World War and that she was the victim of wicked enemies…The Germans have made another huge blunder for want of statesmen.”

William E. Dodd, United States Ambassador to Germany, Ambassador Dodd’s Diaries, October 14, 1933