Dahlerus - peacemaker?

I am aware that this Swedish businessman was a friend of Goering and met and attempted to induce Chamberlain to agree to Hitler's terms just before the attack on Poland, September 1939.

I also see that he was called to give evidence at Nurembourg on Goering's behalf - there is film of this on U tube but as this is in German,I can't understand it.

The May 26 1940 British War Cabinet discussions instigated by Halifax concerning Mussolini's offer to mediate with Hitler and negotiate a peace in the impending destruction of the BEF at Dunkirk, are well known.

However, after the German attack on Poland, I thought Dahlerus had disappeared from the scene but a single sentence in Roy Jenkins' Biography of Churchill states that Halifax had contacted Dahlerus prior to hearing of the Mussolini offer via the Italian Embassador.

Tantalisingly nothing further is mentioned - can anyone shed furhter light on this gent and what, if anything, was happening in these murky activities.

 

I have a copy too...got to say..it never jumped off the page at me like it has with you....But I'm going out on a limb here...I think Jenkins is wrong.

Have a look at this Canadian students thesis...It will keep you awake, but its worth a read...His thesis is pretty damn good. And only mention of Dahlerus comes on page 29 I think..And that being the early feelers.

http://digitool.library.mcgill.ca/webclient/StreamGate?folder_id=0&dvs=1368311546955~830

 

That link keeps dropping...can't copy and paste...unfortunately its copy righted..

But here is the google page link...

https://www.google.com/search?client=aff-maxthon-newtab&channel=t2&q=dahierus%20halifax%20peace%20feelers

 

Thanks urgh that is a very interesting read. Surprising how the British Government thought that Hitler's regime was so appalling that he would be overthrown internally or that Goering might take over.

I have now obtained the court's questioning of Dahlerus at Nurmberg - unfortunately this all about 1939 activities BUT there is mention of a meeting in July 1940.

On a French website there is a claim that Dahlerus met Goering on 6 May 1940 and transmitted a message to the French Government concerning peace talks.

Apparently all discussions with the Swedish Government (which would include Dahlerus) were destroyed by the British Government at the time of Sea lion in order to protect vital information - don't know if this is true.

Here is the link for the nurembourg questioning of Dahlerus (in English)

http://gooring.tripod.com/goo22.html

 

I believe Göring was the top nazi who was not as eager into going to war, for example the Munich conference 1938 was largely his handwriting. However he was not able to change Hitler´s view so all these negotiations were pretty useless in my opinion although in summer 1940 Hitler himself offered peace to West. By then Hitler had lied so much that nobody wanted to trust him anymore. Also the Venlo incident caused that the Allied did not trust any anti-Hitler German contacts further on.

Not sure either was Dahlerus aware of the secret protocol of the Molotov-Ribbentrop deal, I am quite sure Göring did not tell about that as it would have meant that there was no way to peace practically anyway.

 

Good link Scipio...good reading...Thanks for the Nuremburg one.The peace feelers are an interesting subject..one that has vexed me for years..And even on our humble forum the amount of Halifax posts is quite informing....Then there is the Italian fiasco..I'm no conspiracy theorist...But sometimes you have to ask...Documents destroyed...A bit like Italian meetings and peace feelers, some of which have been wiped off of history in the early years of war.

 

I hope this isn't too far off topic but ...

I've heard a number of people claim this but never seen any text or other substantiation of it.

 

Hitler´s offer was in the speech unfortunately did not find it with search function here but I believe we have talked about it in the past.

http://ww2today.com/hitler-makes-a-peace-offer-to-britain

 

In other discussions I think I recall people saying that it was a brief mention in a domestic speach. That hardly counts as "offering peace". Then like you say he had proven himself so untrustworthy who would believe him at that point?

 

It was a brief mention...and I would agree with lwd that it would hardly clarifies as Hitler "offering peace." Hitler was blatantly telling Churchill to make peace "or else."(as in, or else Hitler will destroy Britain and her Empire)

The speech was made by Adolf Hitler on July 19, 1940 and is usually called Hitler's "Last Appeal to Reason" speech.
English translation found at: http://justice4germans.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/adolf-hitler-speech-berlin-july-19-1940-english1.pdf

Excerpt of Hitler's "offering peace"

The speech was also used for propaganda purposes and dropped in leaflet form over England.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/10/a4081510.shtml

 

And if memory serves, without checking up...I thnk thats the speech...Churchill finally ended the Halifax controversies...And settled both Halifax and Winstons future's...Winston gave the response speech to Germany on radio to Halifax to perform.....and thus Halifax was forced to concede no peace with this guy or regime sort of thing...Winston did not hang about and Halifax was despatched off the Front lines..I bet Winston had a few reasons to actually thank Hitler for his speech...And may have raised a glass extra on one of those two nights...I won't guess which...