France and the Nazi Threat: The Collapse of French Diplomacy 1932-1939 (101 page)

  
44
.
    
See Renouvin, T. cited p. 308.

  
45
.
    
MAE, T. 1202–1208, François-Poncet, 26 March 1939.

  
46
.
    
Baudoin, quoted article.

  
47
.
    
Monzie, op. cit., p. 116.

  
48
.
    
Regarding the two councils see Carnets secrets of Jean Zay, p. 50–54. See Adamthwaite, op. cit., p. 307, regarding the initiatives by Halifax and Phipps and on a note from Oudinot (President of the Council), “Objections to negotiating with Italy,” 26 March 1936, Daladier papers. The same for the relations of Caillaux and Bonnet with the king of Italy, according to DBFP, V, no. 85.

  
49
.
    
MAE, T. 961, Corbin, 30 March.

  
50
.
    
MAE, T. 1278, 30 March 1939.

  
51
.
    
MAE, D. 182, 30 March 1939. MAE, T. 1303-1307, 2 April 1939. See also T. 53–54, Mercier, minister to Tirana, 3 April; T. 55-57, Mercier, 3 April 1939.

  
52
.
    
MAE, D. 197, 6 April 1939, and D. 204, 11 April 1939.

  
53
.
    
MAE, T. 1458–1460, 10 April 1939.

  
54
.
    
MAE, 12 April 1939 (13 p. dispatch).

  
55
.
    
MAE, D. 210, 13 April 1939.

  
56
.
    
MAE, T. 1697–1698, 24 April 1939.

  
57
.
    
MAE, T. 1726–1730, 26 April. See Renouvin, T. quoted, p. 310.

  
58
.
    
Renouvin, T. quoted, p. 310.

  
59
.
    
Renouvin, T. quoted, p. 310, note.

  
60
.
    
MAE, Note from Bonnet following a visit by Baudoin, April 1939.

  
61
.
    
MAE, Note from Bonnet, 2 May 1939.

  
62
.
    
MAE, T. 1949–1957, François-Poncet, 11 May 1939. He met with Ciano and secured a lifting of the ban on
Le Temps
in Italy.

  
63
.
    
MAE, T. 1893–1895, François-Poncet.

  
64
.
    
MAE, Transcript of the meetings of 20 and 21 May 1939. See the excellent analysis by Renouvin, T. quoted, pp. 311–312.

  
65
.
    
MAE, T. 2108–2111, 21 May 1939.

  
66
.
    
MAE, T. 2124–2130, 22 May 1939.

  
67
.
    
MAE, T. 1427, 23 May 1939.

  
68
.
    
MAE, T. 2243–2245, François-Poncet, 30 May 1939.

  
69
.
    
MAE, T. 2254–2263, 31 May 1939.

  
70
.
    
MAE, T. 2493, François-Poncet, 16 June 1939.

  
71
.
    
MAE, letter from Chamberlain to Daladier, 13 July 1939.

  
72
.
    
MAE, Daladier to Baudoin, 17 July 1939 (draft).

  
73
.
    
See Renouvin, T. quoted, p. 313.

  
74
.
    
On the subject there has been an interesting debate between P. Renouvin and D.C. Watt at the Franco-British Colloquium of September 1972. According to Watt it was British policy that held Italy back. According to Renouvin, whom we follow here, the explanation was that Italy was not ready. Ciano went to Germany in August and was frightened to discover that Hitler was not bluffing and that war was imminent (see Ciano,
Diary
, I). We note that Coulondre was aware of Ciano’s displeasure. MAE, T. 2179–2181, Coulondre, 13 August 1939.

  
75
.
    
See a very noteworthy unpublished study by *Laloy, Jean, “Remarques sur les Anglo-Franco-Soviet negotiations of 1939,” 1972. See *Taylor, A.J.P.,
The Origins of the Second World War
, 1963, in particular p. 231.

  
76
.
    
For example MAE, T. 53–58, Payart, chargé d’affaires, Moscow, 1 February 1939; T. 82–88, Naggiar, ambassador, 9 February 1939; T. 127, Naggiar, 21 February 1939 (after having met with Mikoyan and Molotov).

  
77
.
    
MAE, T. 66–67, Payart, 5 February 1939; T. 104–111, Naggiar, 14 February 1939.

  
78
.
    
MAE, T. 90–102, Naggiar, 11 February 1939.

  
79
.
    
See MAE, T. 82–88, 9 February T. 104–111, 14 February mostly T. 124 (pouch), 20 February 1939.

  
80
.
    
MAE, T. 134 (letter), Naggiar, 24 February 1939 (summary of a meeting with Litvinov, 22 February).

  
81
.
    
MAE, T. 355–357, Bonnet to Coulondre, 17 March.

  
82
.
    
MAE, T. 816–822, Corbin, 18 March.

  
83
.
    
MAE, Note from the Minister. Conversation with Souritz, 18 March (Bonnet Files) and Note from the British Embassy to the French government, 18 March. See also T. 842–846, Corbin, 20 March.

  
84
.
    
Coulondre wonders about this point and refers to parts of
Mein Kampf
regarding France. MAE, D.262, 19 March 1939.

  
85
.
    
MAE, Note from the Minister, 19 March 1939 (Hoppenot Files).

  
86
.
    
MAE, T. 125–127, Bonnet to Thierry (Bucharest), 19 March 1939. See Lukasziewicz, op. cit., p. 175 sq. on these conversations with Daladier and Léger whom he found “very badly inclined” toward Poland (p. 176).

  
87
.
    
MAE, T. 448, Noël, 23 March.

  
88
.
    
MAE, T. 838–841, Corbin, 20 March 1939.

  
89
.
    
MAE, Conversation of 20 March with Souritz (Bonnet Papers).

  
90
.
    
MAE, T. 919–923, Corbin, 28 March.

  
91
.
    
MAE, T. 494–498, Noël, 29 March. See an important note from the deputy directorate to the League of Nations, “Poland, Germany, and Danzig,” offering the account of events regarding Danzig since Munich (MAE, 30 March 1939). It should also be noted that Léon Noël had reported at length in February about anti-German agitation in Poland especially among students.

  
92
.
    
MAE, Payart, T. 235–239, 2 April 1939 (Bonnet Papers).

  
93
.
    
MAE, Payart, T. 245–246, 4 April 1939. The negotiations were not held in Moscow but rather in Paris between Bonnet and Ambassador Souritz. Payart on three occasions in April and May will request being informed. See Bonnet to Payart, T. 110, 113, 5 April 1939.

  
94
.
    
MAE, Bonnet to the embassy in Moscow. T. 116–121, 9 April (conversation Bonnet-Souritz of 8 April). See also T. 122, 10 April.

  
95
.
    
Quoted article, p. 3.

  
96
.
    
MAE, Payart to Bonnet, T. 259–263, 11 April 1939.

  
97
.
    
MAE, Payart to Bonnet. T. 265–269, 14 April 1939. See also Daladier to Bonnet, D. 1154 Z/EMA-SAE, 22 April (Hoppenot Papers).

  
98
.
    
MAE, Bonnet to Naggiar, T. 129–136, 15 April.

  
   
99
.
    
There is a misunderstanding on this subject. See MAE, Payart to Bonnet, T. 282–287, 18 April 1939.

100
.
    
See communication made on 15 April to the Quai d’Orsay by the British embassy regarding conversations between Halifax and Maisky, the Soviet ambassador to London (Bonnet Papers) and Corbin to Bonnet, T. 1235–1237, 15 April.

101
.
    
MAE, Bonnet to Naggiar, T. 138–141, 16 April 1939.

102
.
    
MAE, Analysis of the Draft of Assistance. Russian counter-proposals (probably 20 April 1939).

103
.
    
MAE, Corbin to Bonnet, T. 1289–1291, 21 April 1939.

104
.
    
MAE, Corbin to Bonnet, T. 1328–1331, 25 April 1939.

105
.
    
MAE, T. 1289–1291, Corbin, 20 April.

106
.
    
MAE see Note from the Deputy directorate for Europe, British aide-mémoire of 22 April and most of all Note of 24 April, Communication from the political section at the embassy of Great Britain: T. 1328–1331, Corbin 25 April 11939; expression given from Bonnet to Souritz, 29 April; British aide-memoire to France, 29 April.

107
.
    
MAE, T. 1389–1390, Corbin, 1 May 1939.

108
.
    
MAE, D. 338, 3 May 1939.

109
.
    
MAE, T. 326–329, Payart, Moscow, 4 May 1939.

110
.
    
MAE, T. 1893–1895, François-Poncet, 7 May 1939.

111
.
    
MAE, T. 346–349, Payart, 9 May. See Chamberlain’s speech, 10 May. MAE, T. 1487 (wire), Corbin, 10 May 1939.

112
.
    
MAE, T. 358, Payart, 11 May 1939.

113
.
    
MAE, T. 362–366, Payart, 12 May 1932.

114
.
    
MAE, Note from the Minister. Visit from Souritz, 15 May 1939.

115
.
    
MAE, T. 962–966, Bonnet to Corbin, 15 May 1939.

116
.
    
MAE, T. 1560–1565, Corbin, 18 May.

117
.
    
MAE, Note from the political affairs directorate on Franco-Anglo-Soviet negotiations, 5 July 1939 (Bonnet Papers). On 8 May and American press agency announced an imminent German-Soviet pact.

118
.
    
MAE, Notes taken during a Franco-British discussion on 20 May 1939 (Hoppenot Files) and MAE, continuation of the conversations between Daladier, Bonnet, and Halifax, 21 May 1939.

119
.
    
MAE, T. 1629–1831, Corbin, 24 May 1939. See T. 1637, Corbin, 25 May, and T. 186, Bonnet to Payart, 26 May 1939.

120
.
    
This was the opinion of Rochat, deputy director of political affairs. MAE, weekly liaison, 24 May 1939.

121
.
    
MAE, Note from the minister. Visit by Souritz, 26 May 1939.

122
.
    
MAE, T. 400–405, Payart, 28 May 1939.

123
.
    
MAE, D. 115, Payart, 29 May 1939.

124
.
    
MAE, T. 406–407, Payart, 29 May 1939.

125
.
    
MAE, T. 408–414, 30 May 1939.

126
.
    
MAE, Note quoted dated 9 July 1939; T. 429–431, and 432–437, Naggiar, 2 June 1939. MAE, T. 198–205, Bonnet to Naggiar, 2 June.

127
.
    
We should note that “non!” is written on the margin of this telegram. We do not know by whom. It is not in Léger’s handwriting. Lukasziewicz (op. cit. pp. 233–239) and Beck were furious about the Soviet answer that they knew through Bonnet on 3 June.

128
.
    
Laloy, T. quoted.

129
.
    
MAE, T. 416, Naggiar, 31 May.

130
.
    
MAE, T. 1097–1099, Bonnet to Corbin, 7 June.

131
.
    
MAE, T. 1768–1774, Corbin 9 June.

132
.
    
MAE, T. 481–483, Naggiar, 14 June; T. 488–492, Naggiar, 15 June.

133
.
    
MAE, T. 495–501, Naggiar, 16 June.

134
.
    
MAE, T. 502–506, Naggiar, 16 June.

135
.
    
MAE, T. 484–487, 15 June.