France and the Nazi Threat: The Collapse of French Diplomacy 1932-1939 (99 page)

  
60
.
    
DDF
, 2, XII, no. 60, François-Poncet, 10 October 1938.

  
61
.
    
Bonnet,
De Munich à la guerre
, p. 208; see
DDF
, 2, XII, p. 270, note.

  
62
.
    
Reprinted in François-Poncet, op. cit., pp. 342–344. See
DDF
, 2, XII, no 197, 20 October 1938.

  
63
.
    
DDF
, 2, XII, no. 199, Bonnet to François-Poncet, 21 October 1938.

  
64
.
    
DDF
, 2, XII, no. 205, François-Poncet, 23 October 1938.

  
65
.
    
DDF
, 2, XII, no. 279, Montbas, Berlin, 8 November 1938.

  
66
.
    
See the summary by chargé d’affaires de Montbas,
DDF
, 2, XII, no. 300, 13 November 1938 and no. 309, 15 November 1938.

  
67
.
    
*Toscano, Mario,
Le origini diplomatiche del Patto d’Accaio
, p. 80 cites a telegram dated 6 November from Ciano to Attolico, stating that Mussolini “is asking to delay the visit by Ribbentrop to Paris until after the trip by Chamberlain to that same city.” Corbin had heard about the Italian pressures. DDF, 2, XII, no. 382, 24 November 1938.

  
68
.
    
This is what Ribbentrop told Coulondre in the course of the first meeting.
DDF
, 2, XII, no. 333, Coulondre, 19 November 1938.

  
69
.
    
Adamthwaite, op. cit., p. 288. The information drawn from ADAP, D, IV, nos. 346, 348, 349, 351, and not corroborated in the French archives, that are possibly incomplete.

  
70
.
    
DDF
, 2, XII, no. 280, Corbin, 8 November 1938.

  
71
.
    
A program—geographic numeration—was sent from the Quai d’Orsay to London and Corbin had the assent of Halifax.
DDF
, 2, XII, 21 November 1938.

  
72
.
    
A 27-page summary in
DDF
, 2, XII, no. 390. On the social side, see the amusing account in Adamthwaite, op. cit., p. 249.

  
73
.
    
DDF
, 2, XII, no. 352, Lamarle, chargé d’affaires in Prague, 22 November 1938.

  
74
.
    
Renouvin, art. cit.

  
75
.
    
Daladier Collection, FNSP. Note of 5 December 1938.

  
76
.
    
See the excellent critical discussion of this point in Adamthwaite, op. cit., p. 401. Bonnet denies the meeting of 7 December in
Défense de la paix
, II, p. 39, but then confirms it in
De Munich à la guerre
, p. 224.

  
77
.
    
MAE, 7 December 1938. Coulondre mentions the meeting of the 7th at the hotel Crillon. Bonnet was alone. Coulondre, op. cit., p. 285.

  
78
.
    
ADAP, D, IV, no. 370.

  
79
.
    
Schmidt, Paul,
Statist auf diplomatischer Bühne
, p. 423

  
80
.
    
Text in
Livre jaune français
, p. 33.

  
81
.
    
MAE, Léger Papers, Letter to Outrey, 21 April 1952.

  
82
.
    
MAE, D. 188, Coulondre, 23 February 1939.

  
83
.
    
MAE, T. 367–69, Bonnet to Coulondre, 19 March 1939.

  
84
.
    
MAE, letter from Ribbentrop to Bonnet, Fischl, 13 July 1939.

  
85
.
    
MAE, answer from Bonnet to Ribbentrop, 21 July 1939.

  
86
.
    
We should note that as early as 11 December a Franco-British “representation” was made to Germany regarding Memel. See MAE, T. 117–118, Bonnet to Coulondre, 11 December 1938, and T. 4454, Coulondre, 12 December 1938.

  
87
.
    
MAE, T. 3654–3657, Coulondre, 20 December 1938.

  
88
.
    
Regarding this and what follows the best guide is Renouvin, Pierre, “Les relations de la Grance-Bretagne et de la France avec l’Italie en 1938-1939,” in
Les relations franco-britanniques de 1935 à 1939
, pp. 295–317. On public opinion I have used a good thesis which I directed by *Casset, Jean-Michel,
L’attitude française vis-à-vis de l’Italie (oct. 1938
–
mai 1939), 1967
.

  
89
.
    
Noël, L.,
Les illusions de Stresa
, p. 127.

  
90
.
    
Noël, L.,
Les illusions de Stresa
, pp. 118–120.

  
91
.
    
See Toscano, op. cit., pp. 79, 82.

  
92
.
    
See *François-Poncet, André,
Au Palais Farnèse. Souvenirs d’une ambassade à Rome, 1938
–
1940
, 1961: a grand picture, less detailed than the book by the same author regarding his Berlin embassy.

  
93
.
    
Carnets secrets de Jean Zay, p. 93. See Noël, op. cit. p. 128. Confirmed by François-Poncet. See MAE, T. 2231-2240, 3 December 1938. It should be noted that François-Poncet was optimistic at first. He noticed that Ciano knew about the ongoing Franco-German rapprochement. DDF, 2, XII, no. 285, 9 November, 287, 9 November 1938, 288, 10 November 1938.

  
94
.
    
MAE, T. 2190–2193, François-Poncet, 1 December 1938, 11 p.m.

  
95
.
    
MAE, T. 1039–1041, Bonnet to François-Poncet, 1 December 1938.

  
96
.
    
MAE, T. 3545–3548, Bonnet to Corbin, 1 December 1938, 11:45 p.m.

  
97
.
    
MAE, T. 2231–2240, François-Poncet, 3 December 1938.

  
98
.
    
MAE, T. 2439, François-Poncet, 17 December 1938.

  
99
.
    
MAE, T. 4438–4439, Coulondre, 10 December 1938.

100
.
    
JODP, Chamber, 13 December 1938.

101
.
    
MAE, T. 2267-2272, 4 December 1938.

102
.
    
MAE, Personal letter, 30 December 1938. Regarding he role played by Lagardelle, a follower of Georges Sorel, and former labor leader who had become favorable to corporative and was brought to Rome by Jouvenel in 1933 was finally not very efficient nor active, see Bérard, op. cit., pp. 400–401.

103
.
    
MAE, Note regarding Franco-British solidarity in the Mediterranean, 12 December 1938. See also T. 3204–3205, Corbin to Bonnet, 13 December 1938.

104
.
    
MAE, T. 1293, Noël to Bonnet, 12 December 1938.

105
.
    
MAE, Note from the Minister, 13 December 1938.

106
.
    
MAE, T. 2376 (mail), François-Poncet, 14 December 1938.

107
.
    
MAE, T. 3298, Corbin, 23 December 1938.

108
.
    
For example, MAE, T. p. 20, Bonnet to Corbin, and T. 29–32, Corbin, 5 January 1939.

109
.
    
MAE, D. 20, 9 January 1939.

110
.
    
MAE, T. 131–135, 12 January; T. 144–150, 13 January; T. 151–153, 13 January 1939.

111
.
    
MAE, D. 46, 26 January 1939.

112
.
    
MAE, T. 165–168, Bonnet to Saint-Quentin, 29 January 1939. See also Toscano, op. cit., p. 126, conversation between Corbin and Cadogan (
DBFP
, 3, IV, no. 76).

113
.
    
MAE, Note drafted by Bonnet, February 1939.

114
.
    
MAE, T. 597, François-Poncet, 16 February 1939.

115
.
    
MAE, Baudoin, “Transcript of my conversations with Count Ciano, 2 February 1939.” See Daladier Papers, Sc. Po., 2 DA 5.

116
.
    
MAE, Note drafted by Bonnet, February 1939.

117
.
    
MAE, T. 401 (mail), 3 February 1939.

118
.
    
MAE, T. 573, François-Poncet, 15 February and T. 593, 16 February 1939. See also T. 564, 14 February where he mentions the dissatisfaction of Coulondre about a trip taken by de Brinon.

119
.
    
MAE, T. 597, 16 February 1939.

120
.
    
MAE, T. 173–174, Bonnet to François-Poncet.

121
.
    
See Bedarida, quoted article, he quotes the later article by *Baudoin, “Un voyage à Rome: février 1939,” Revue de deux Mondes, 1 May 1962, p. 28–38; Bonnet, op. cit. p.69; *Guariglia, Raffaele,
La diplomatie difficile. Mémoires 1912–1946
, French translation, Paris, 1955, pp. 385–386.

122
.
    
Toscano, op. cit., pp. 118 and 167; Ciano,
Journal
…, 19 March, p. 59, and 21 March, p. 51.

123
.
    
MAE, T. 519, Noguès, Rabat, 16 December. 1938.

124
.
    
MAE, Mandel to Bonnet, 21 December 1938.

125
.
    
MAE, D. 478, Daladier to Bonnet, 17 February 1939.

126
.
    
MAE, Permanent Committee of National Defense, 24 February 1939.

127
.
    
MAE, weekly liaison, 1 March 1939.

128
.
    
MAE, T. 780–782, 1 March 1939.

129
.
    
DDF
, 2, XII, no. 326, 18 November, and no. 356, 22 November 1938.

130
.
    
MAE, T. 4351, 1 December. 1938. See also T. 4345 on the same day.

131
.
    
MAE, T. 4410, Montbas, 6 December 1938; MAE, T. 2372, François-Poncet to Bonnet, 13 December 1938.

132
.
    
MAE, D. 688, Noël, 7 December 1938.

133
.
    
MAE, T. 1342, Coulondre, 13 December 1938. See also from Rome, T. 2372 from François-Poncet, 13 December 1938 and T. 2524, 23 December. Ciano was not informed.

134
.
    
MAE, D. 59, Noël to Bonnet, 13 December 1938.

135
.
    
MAE, T. 4487 (mail), Coulondre, 15 December. See also
URSS, Documents
, op. cit., no. 50, p. 85, 15 December 1938. See also D. 1379, 22 December and D. 615, 29 December 1938.

136
.
    
MAE, D. 717, Noël, 21 December 1938.

137
.
    
URSS, Documents
, op. cit., no. 45, p. 81, 8 December 1938. Senator Jacques Bardoux felt the need to write to Daladier on 16 January 1939 announcing a violent coup attempt in the Polish Ukraine in February, and a second in the Soviet Ukraine in May; see
Journal d’un témoin
, p. 18.

138
.
    
MAE, T. 1 to 5, Coulondre to Bonnet, 14 January 1939.

139
.
    
MAE, T. 191, François-Poncet, 16 January 1939.

140
.
    
MAE, T. 202–203, 21 January 1939 and D. 82, 26 January As well as the military attaché in Warsaw, General Musse, SHA, 4/S, 19 January 1939.

141
.
    
*Potemkin,
Histoire de la diplomatie
, III, pp. 671 and 675.

142
.
    
MAE (excerpt from the archives of the Marine), 22 January 1939.

143
.
    
MAE, T. 134 (mail), Naggiar to Bonnet, 24 February 1939.

144
.
    
URSS, Documents
, op. cit., no. 56, p. 97, 27 December 1938.

145
.
    
MAE, “Étude générale du Cabinet du minister,” January 1939.

146
.
    
URSS, Documents
, no. 55, p. 93, 22 December 1938.

147
.
    
MAE, T. 1150, Corbin, 16 December 1938.