Chapter 68 Book Two, Chapter Twenty-Six, Relations with Vichy and Spain

Unite with France United States and Canada maintain ties with Vichy The difficulties of General de Gaulle I broadcast to the French people on October 21 The far-reaching impact of this broadcast speech must be insisted on important measures Correspondence with the President in November Taking a firm approach to the French warships To General Charles de Gaulle Telegram Pétain assuring the President Great Britain and Spain Policy of General Franco's appointment of Samuel Hall as ambassador to the West Spanish hostility to us Danger Al The Gulf of Hercilas and the neutral zone The Spanish government's ingenious diplomacy against Hitler Franco's delaying tactics Sunier's mission September 19th Ribbentrop's visit to Rome Spanish demands gradually increase October 4th Hitler and Mexico Solini at the Brenner Pass October 23rd Hitler and Franco at Handay October 24th Hitler and Pétain at Mondois Collusion against Britain I November 14th Publishing my personal opinion on the day Petain broke with Laval Hitler was disappointed with Spain Franco was duplicity and ungrateful to Hitler and Mussolini My telegram to the President.

Notwithstanding the armistice signed by France with Germany, notwithstanding our disposal of the French fleet at Oran,[1] and the severance of diplomatic relations with Vichy, I have never lost my feeling of solidarity with France.Those who have not suffered from the devastation of France by their enemies, and the personal oppressions of the French in important positions, should exercise caution in criticizing individual persons.The intricacies of French politics are beyond the scope of this book.However, I deeply believe that once the facts are communicated to the whole French people, they will definitely make the best efforts for the common cause.When they heard that they could only be saved by following the words of the mighty Marshal Pétain, that England had given France little help, and that she would soon be conquered or surrender herself, the masses had little choice.I do know, however, that they want us to win, and they would never be more pleased than to see us go on fighting with high spirits.General de Gaulle was brave and unyielding, and our first task is to support him unswervingly.On August 7, I signed a military agreement with him to meet the actual needs.His inspiring speech has been broadcast to France and the world through British radio.The Petain government sentenced him to death, which made him famous.We do everything we can to support him and expand his activities.

【1】See Chapter Eleven in the upper part of this book.translator At the same time, contacts must be maintained not only with France, but even with Vichy.Therefore, I always try to use them as much as possible.At the end of the year, the United States appointed as its ambassador to Vichy a man of such great prestige and status as Admiral Lehi, who himself was very close to the President, and this gave me great pleasure.I have repeatedly urged Mackenzie King to keep his able and knowledgeable representative, M. Dupuy, at Vichy.At least one window opened here when we could not find any way into a courtyard.On the 25th of July, I sent a memorandum to the Foreign Secretary, saying: I want to plot a conspiracy in the Vichy government, that certain members of that government may, with the consent of the rest, flee to North Africa in order to bargain more forcefully for France in an independent position from the North African coast.To this end I want to use food and other inducements and obvious arguments.In this spirit, I am scheduled to receive in October a certain M. Rouguier, who claims to have come on the personal orders of the Marshal Pétain.This is not because I or my colleagues have any respect for Pétain, but simply because no approach to France should be blocked at will.It has always been our policy to make the Vichy government and its members feel that, on our part, it is never too late for them to correct their mistakes.Whatever may have happened in the past, France remains our partner in adversity, and unless there is a real war between the two nations, nothing will prevent her from sharing the victory with us.

This approach embarrassed de Gaulle, who, at all costs, kept the French flag flying abroad, but whose followers abroad were so small that he could hardly be called another effective French government.Even so, we have done our best to increase his prestige, expand his power, and increase his strength. From his situation, of course he hated any connection between us and Vichy, thinking that we should be loyal to him alone.He also felt that if he wanted to have a place in the hearts of the French people, he should pay great attention to this point, that is, although he is an exile who depends on others and relies on our protection, he must maintain an arrogant attitude towards the unfaithful British boss. .He had to be rude to the British in order to show the French that he was not a British puppet.He has indeed followed this policy unswervingly.He even explained the trick to me one day, and I fully understood his extremely difficult situation.I have always admired his great courage.

On October 21st, I made an appeal to the French people by radio.I have taken pains to prepare this brief speech, which must be given in French.I was dissatisfied with the original literal translation, which failed to convey the spirit of my English expression in French, but Mr. Duchener, a member of Free France in London, made me a better translation. The much better translation, which I practiced several times, was finally broadcast from the basement of the new building amidst the explosion of an air raid. French! For more than thirty years, I have been advancing side by side with you in peace and war, and I am still walking on this road.Tonight, no matter where you are, no matter what happens to you, I talk to you as if I were in your home.I repeated over and over the prayer inscribed around the Louis d'Or: God bless France.We in England, under the fire of the German devils, have not forgotten the inextricable bonds that unite us with France, and now we are fighting for the freedom of Europe and justice for the common people of all nations. It is for this purpose that we work hard for the cause of the people. We once took up arms and fought side by side with you.When good people are attacked, ravaged, and brought into misery by base and wicked men, they should be very careful not to be at odds with one another.Our common enemy is always trying to create this situation, and of course, unfortunately, many things have happened between us, and we have fallen into the enemy's trap.If things like this happen again, we must try to turn bad things into good things and turn them into good things.

[1] A gold coin before the French Revolution, on the front of the gold coin, engraved with the prayer "May God bless France" around it.translator Mr. Hitler said that he wanted to burn London to ashes, and his planes are now bombing, but the residents of London are not afraid of it.Our air force does more than defend itself.We are waiting for the long-publicized invasion of the enemy.Even the fish in the sea are waiting.But, for us, this is of course just the beginning.It is now 1940, and although we have suffered losses from time to time, we still have command of the sea as before.By 1941, we will have command of the air.Please remember what this means.Herr Hitler, with his tanks and other mechanized weapons, and the collusion of the fifth column with traitors, temporarily conquered most of the best peoples in Europe, with his little Italian accomplice at his side , eager to get something, but exhausted, worn out, and timid.Both of them wanted to divide France and the French Empire, treating France like a chicken: a leg for one, a wing or breast for the other.Not only will the French Empire be devoured by these two vile scoundrels, but Alsace-Lorraine will again be enslaved by Germany, Nice, Savoy, and Corsica. But Herr Hitler didn't just want to steal the territories of other peoples, or to incorporate piece by piece into his little federation.I will tell you the truth, and you must believe it: this villain, this monstrosity of hatred and defeat, is determined to destroy the French people, to ruin their life and their future.He used all sorts of cunning and barbaric means in an attempt to permanently destroy the source of culture unique to France and hinder the spread of the French spirit throughout the world.If his attempt succeeds, all of Europe will become the territory of the German devils, exploited, plundered and bullied by the Nazi gang.Please forgive me for being so frank, because this is not the time to talk around the bush.In the future, France will be oppressed by the Germans not because France has lost a war, but because everything she has is destroyed and nothing remains.Army, navy, air force, religion, law, language, culture, institutions, literature, history and tradition, all of these will be wiped out by the violence of the army of the victorious country and the all-consuming despicable means of the police.

[1] Napoleon was born in Ajaccio, Corsica.translator Frenchmen, let's get our spirits back without further ado.Remember what Napoleon said before a campaign: These Prussians boast so much today, but they were three against one at Jena[1] and six against one at Montmiray[2].I do not believe that the soul of France is dead!Nor do I believe that its status as one of the largest countries in the world is lost forever!These intrigues and crimes of Herr Hitler will bring retribution for him and each of his henchmen, and many of us will live to see their retribution.The matter is not over yet, but the period is not far away.We are following, our friends across the Atlantic and your friends across the Atlantic are following.If he cannot destroy us, we must destroy him and his gang, and all that they have done.

So, have faith and hope, because everything will turn out well. [1] Jena is located on the banks of the Saar River in Germany, ten miles southeast of Weimar, where Napoleon severely damaged the Prussian army on October 14, 1806.translator 【2】Montmiray is located in central France. In 1814, Napoleon led his army to pursue the Prussian army. The battle broke out here. Because Napoleon marched quickly, the Prussian army was caught off guard, and the army was routed and suffered heavy losses.translator What do we Brits ask of you in this difficult and painful time?We are now engaged in war in order to win the victory which we will share with you, and therefore we ask of you: if you cannot help us in the war, at least you will not make it difficult for us.Soon you will be able to add strength to the iron fist that strikes your enemies, as you should.But even at the present we believe that wherever the French are, their hearts are warmed, their blood boils with pride, when they hear of our victories in the air, or at sea, or soon, certainly soon, on land. .

Please remember that we will never stop, never tire, never give in, and my people across the country have sworn to this task: to cleanse Europe of the poison of Nazism and save the world from a new dark age.Don't think that we Brits want to seize your ships and colonies, as the German controlled radios say.What we want to take is the life and soul of Hitler and Hitlerism.That's all, nothing else, if you don't achieve your goal, don't give up.We don't covet anything from any country, all we want is respect for us.The French, both in the French colonies and in the so-called French non-occupied territories, had at all times opportunities for useful activities.I will not go into details on this point.The enemy is listening.The heart of the British is entirely with the many who are under the harsh laws, oppression and surveillance of the German barbarians, and I would say to the French in the occupied territories that when they think about the future , think of what the great Frenchman Gambetta [1] said after 1870 when he spoke of the future and fate of France: think of it often, but don't say it.

[1] Gambetta (1838 | 1882), a French bourgeois politician.When Prussia invaded France in 1870, he organized resistance in the provinces.translator Good night!Let's rest for tomorrow morning to recharge our batteries!The dawn is coming.The morning light will shine brightly on the brave and faithful, warmly bathe those who suffer for justice, and magnificently comfort the sleeping spirits.Such is the radiance of the dawn.Long live France!Long live the common people of the nations of the world to their just and true traditions, to the progress of a wider and more fulfilling age. There is no doubt that this appeal has touched the hearts of millions of Frenchmen, and to this day men and women of all ranks of France speak of it to me, despite what I had to do to save our common destiny I've done a lot of cruel things, sometimes against them, but they've still been very kind to me.

At this time, we must insist on important measures.While Europe and France are still under Hitler's rule, we cannot loosen the blockade, especially not against France.Although we sometimes had a few designated ships carrying medical supplies to unoccupied areas of France in order to comply with American wishes, we did not hesitate to intercept and search all other ships entering and leaving French ports. Whatever Vichy intends to do, we do not abandon de Gaulle and prevent him from expanding his growing sphere of influence in the French colonies.It is especially important that we cannot return to France any part of the French Fleet currently in custody in French colonial ports.The Admiralty was sometimes very apprehensive lest France should declare war, and thus add to our difficulties.I have always believed, however, that the French people would never in their hearts allow the Vichy government to take such an unnatural step as long as we proved our determination and ability to fight indefinitely.Indeed, at this time the French people already had great expectations and solidarity with Britain, and their hopes grew with each passing month.Even M. Laval, when he soon became Marshal Pétain's foreign minister, realized this. As autumn passed and winter approached, I feared that the two giant French frigates might attempt to sail back to Toulon, where they could continue their work.President Roosevelt's special envoy, Admiral Lehai, had a close relationship with Marshal Petain.So I asked President Roosevelt to do something, and my hopes were not disappointed. former navy personnel to president roosevelt October 20, 1940 We hear rumors from all sides that the Vichy government is going to use their warships and colonial troops to support Germany against us.I do not believe these reports myself, but it would be a very serious blow to us if the French fleet at Toulon were to be handed over to Germany.Mr. President, it would be a wise precaution if you could emphasize to the French Ambassador in the strongest possible terms America's disapproval of this action that betrays the cause of democracy and liberty.Vichy will take this warning very seriously. You must be aware of the heavy losses suffered by our last two military convoys in the Northwest Passage. [1] This happened during a period when we were short of destroyers (I have already told you about this period).Thank God, your fifty destroyers are arriving, and some will soon be engaged in battle.We're going to be in a much better situation by the end of the year, as we'll have a number of home-made anti-submarine ships completed, however, with so many small ships defending against invasion in the Channel, a massive naval deployment in the Mediterranean will be required, plus There is also a lot of escort work, so we are bound to go through a period of intense tension. [1] Between October 17th and 19th, 33 ships were sunk by submarines in the Northwest Passage, of which 22 were British ships.These figures include a military transport fleet of twenty ships. So the President sent a very harsh personal letter to the Pétain government regarding the Toulon fleet.He said: The fact that a government has become the prisoner of another power cannot justify that it should serve its conqueror and attack its former allies.He reminded him that Marshal Pétain had given him a solemn assurance that the French fleet would not surrender.If the French government intended to allow the Germans to use the French fleet in hostilities against the British fleet, it would constitute a most serious breach of trust against the deliberate intentions of the American government.Any agreement of this nature would certainly destroy the traditional friendship between the peoples of the United States and France.This would create a wave of extreme hatred of France in American public opinion and would permanently end aid to the French people.If France adopts this policy, the United States will never help France when there is an opportunity in the future to help France maintain its overseas territories. former navy personnel to president roosevelt October 26, 1940 Before I telegraphed you, asking you to telegraph Pétain, you telegraphed him with a righteous warning to the French.I am very grateful to you for this move, but everything is still unknown.The Foreign Office informs me that they have cabled you the information we have recently received concerning the conditions put forward by Germany, which Petain is said to have rejected.In this respect, the transfer of air or submarine bases off the coast of Africa is no less damaging than the transfer of ships.Especially the bases on the Atlantic coast, if in the wrong hands, will pose a threat to you and put us in an extremely difficult position.Therefore, I would like you to explain to the French that what you said about the ships also applies to the sale of bases. Despite threats of invasion and air raids over the past five months, we have continued to round the Cape of Good Hope to reinforce the Middle East, bringing modern aircraft and capital ships of our fleet there.I don't think the danger of invasion has passed, but we still have to expand our reinforcements to the east now.The pressure on both battlefields is very high, and any assistance will be greatly appreciated. At this time the Admiralty was so apprehensive of a break with Vichy that it naturally underestimated the disadvantage to our side of returning the two French ships to Toulon.I issued instructions for this. Prime Minister to Admiralty and First Sea Lord (from the train) November 2, 1940 Ever since France broke away from the alliance, we thought it imperative not to let the Jean Bart and the Richelieu fall into enemy hands or sail to ports where they could continue to be completed.For this you have attacked the Richelieu, and say that you have rendered her largely out of combat.The Jean Bart is not yet complete. Neither of these ships was fit to operate in the African ports in the Atlantic where they now anchor.It is our stated policy not to allow these two warships to fall into the wrong hands.It is reported that the First Sea Lord did not take seriously the proposal to prevent the return of the Jean Bart to Toulon, and also said that the ship can be sailed safely, which surprised me.We always considered Toulon to be an enemy-controlled port.It is for this reason that we made every effort (unfortunately) to prevent the Strasbourg from reaching Toulon.In my view, the idea that the Jean Barr could be returned to Toulon and the effort to prevent the Strasbourg from escaping are irreconcilable. It was the Admiralty's duty to prevent either of these ships from sailing to the French ports in the Atlantic or Mediterranean, so as to proceed to Toulon to be repaired and finished, and then ready to be dedicated to Germany or captured by Germany. Prime Minister to Foreign Secretary (from train) November 2, 1940 I don't know if the Jean Bart is going to move anytime soon.I have notified the Admiralty, which is in charge of preventing the ship from entering the Mediterranean.It therefore seems very important that you give Vichy a clear warning that if you attempt to sail the ship to a German-controlled port in the Atlantic, or to a port in the Mediterranean where the enemy can readily fall into enemy hands, the ship will to be intercepted and, if necessary, sunk. I will send you a copy of my Memorandum to the Lord Admiralty and the First Sea Lord from my private office in London. former navy personnel to president roosevelt November 10, 1940 1. We have received many reports about the French government's attempt to move the Jean Bart and the Richelieu to the Mediterranean in order to continue the completion of the work, which makes us very disturbed.Should this happen, it would present us with great potential danger, and would certainly open the way for the Germans to take control of the two ships.We feel that every effort must be made to prevent it. 2. A few days ago, we warned the French Government through our Ambassador in Madrid that this move would further induce the Germans and Italians to seize the French fleet.We do not doubt the sincerity of the French government, but we doubt their ability to keep their promise to keep the French fleet out of enemy hands.We particularly want to avoid a conflict between the Anglo-French navies, so hope: if they do intend to move these two ships, they don't do it now. 3. As we have told the French government, we do not doubt their sincerity in fulfilling their pledges, but if these two warships enter French ports or enter enemy spheres of influence, even if we believe that they are willing to honor their pledges, But in fact, whether they will be able to fulfill it is still uncertain, and I must say frankly that the intention of the French government to bring back these two warships, even if it can give good reasons, seems to me very doubtful. of. 4. It would be of great advantage to you if you could again warn Vichy on this matter, because, if things go awry, it would be very dangerous to both you and me. I am in close contact with General de Gaulle. Prime Minister to General de Gaulle (Libreville) November 10, 1940 I am eager to consult with you.The situation between France and England has changed considerably since you left.All over France there was a strong feeling of sympathy for us, for they had realized that we would not be conquered and that the war would go on.We know that the Vichy government was dismayed by the heavy pressure the United States was exerting on them.On the other hand, Laval and the vengeful Darlan are forcing France to declare war on us, and taking pleasure in provoking naval skirmishes. We have hopes for Weygand in Africa, and if we can win him over, the benefits arising from this will certainly be considerable.We intend to conclude some provisional agreement with Vichy in order to reduce the risk of accidents and to promote the development of French forces in our favor.We have told them plainly that if they bomb Gibraltar or take other provocative actions, we will bomb Vichy, and we will follow the bombing wherever the Vichy government moves, but so far we have not received their reply.From this we can see how important it is for you to come here to talk.Therefore, I hope you can return as soon as possible after the arrangement in Libreville. Please let me know your plans. On November 13th the President replied to my telegram of the 10th concerning the possible sailing of the Jean Bart and the Richelieu to the Mediterranean for further completion. He immediately ordered the US Chargé d'Affaires in Vichy to ask the Vichy government to indicate whether this was true, and pointed out to Vichy that the US government was extremely concerned that the two ships should stay in the port where they were originally anchored, so as not to be killed by someone. The two warships could be used against the interests of the United States in the future operations of the French fleet.Any such step on the French side would inevitably seriously damage Franco-American relations.He also suggested that the United States would be willing to buy the two ships if the French government was willing to sell them. The President also told me that Pétain had solemnly assured the Chargé d'affaires of the United States that the French fleet, including these two ships, would never fall into German hands.Marshal Pétain said that he had given such assurances to the American government, the British government, and even to myself.He said: "I reiterate again that these ships will be used to defend French possessions and territories.We will never use them to fight England unless they attack us.Even if I wanted to, I couldn't sell those ships.It could not be sold under the terms of the armistice, and even if it could be sold, the Germans would never allow it.France, under the ravages of Germany, could do nothing.If I had the liberty, I would very much like to sell them, on condition that they should be returned to us after the war, and in this way preserve the two warships for France.I must state again that I have neither the right nor the possibility to sell them under the present circumstances.Marshal Pétain spoke this very seriously, but showed no sign of surprise or resentment at the President's proposal.President Roosevelt also ordered the chargé d'affaires to inform Marshal Pétain that the American proposal concerning the two ships, as well as other proposals for the French Navy, could still be negotiated at any time. On November 23, the President telegraphed further assurances on the matter.Marshal Pétain had unconditionally stated that he would keep the two ships in the ports of Dakar and Casablanca where they now anchored, and that he would notify the President in advance of any change in this plan. The attitude of Spain is more important to us than that of Vichy, despite its close ties to Vichy.Spain can do us a lot, but it can do us a lot of harm.We were neutral during the deadly Spanish Civil War.General Franco received little or no aid from us, but he benefited greatly from the Axis powers, perhaps even his life.Both Hitler and Mussolini aided him.He doesn't like Hitler and is afraid of Hitler.He liked Mussolini and was not afraid of Mussolini.At the beginning of this world war, he declared his neutrality, which he has kept strictly ever since.There is a prosperous and mutually beneficial trade between our two countries, and the iron ore from the ports of the Bay of Biscay is of great importance to our munitions industry.But now, in May, the obscurity of the war is over.The power of Nazi Germany has been universally recognized.The French front has crumbled.The Confederate armies in the North were in danger, and it was at this moment that I had the pleasure of conferring upon a former colleague of mine (who had been removed by a cabinet reshuffle) a new post well suited to his talents and temperament.On the 17th of May, Samuel Hall was appointed Ambassador to Spain; and I am sure no one could have performed better the difficult, delicate, and high-stakes task of a five-year term.Thus we have good diplomatic envoys in Madrid, not only good ambassadors, but good counselors, Mr. Arthur Yanken[1], and the naval attaché, Colonel Hillgarth, who has Discharged from the Navy, resident in Mallorca, but now called up to serve with his extensive knowledge of Spanish affairs. 【1】Mr. Yanken died in a plane crash in 1944. Throughout the war, General Franco's policy was utterly selfish and callous.He thought only of Spain and the interests of the Spaniards.He never considered how to repay Hitler and Mussolini for their aid.On the other hand, he does not hold a grudge against Britain because of the hostile attitude towards him in our left parties. This narrow-minded tyrant only wants to save his drained people from another war.They have fought enough wars.A million of them have been slaughtered by their own kind.Poverty, high prices and hard times have left this desolate peninsula lifeless.Spain no more wars, Franco no more wars!It was with this ordinary feeling that he understood and dealt with the great turmoil that shook the world at that time. His Majesty's Government is perfectly content with this mediocre view.We just want Spain to remain neutral.We want to trade with Spain, and we want her to keep her ports out of use by German and Italian submarines.Not only do we want Gibraltar to remain undisturbed, but we want our ships to make use of the anchorage at Algeciras, and our ever-expanding air bases to make use of Gibraltar's connection to the mainland.We depend largely on these conveniences for our access to the Mediterranean.Spain could have erected or allowed others to erect a dozen respectable cannons on the hill behind Algeciras without much effort.They have the right to do so at any time. Once the cannon is erected, it can be fired at any time, and our naval and air bases cannot be used.Gibraltar may be under another long siege, but it is a precipice after all.Spain holds the key to all British activities in the Mediterranean, and never, even in the most difficult times, said it would not allow us to pass.The danger was so great that, for almost two years, we had frequently prepared an expeditionary force of over five thousand men, with the required ships, which could be dispatched within a few days of the order to prepare for When the Spaniards denied us the use of the port of Gibraltar, they could immediately seize the Canary Islands, control enemy submarines from the air and sea, and circle the Cape of Good Hope to maintain communication with Oceania. The Franco government can also deal us this devastating blow in a very simple way.They could have Hitler's troops across the peninsula, surround and capture Gibraltar for them, while they occupied Morocco and French North Africa themselves.After the armistice in France, the German army marched into the Spanish border on June 27, 1940, and suggested that they hold parties with the Spanish army in San Sebastián and towns south of the Pyrenees. We are terribly worried.Some German troops had actually entered Spain.But just as the Duke of Wellington said in April 1820: there is hardly a country in Europe that makes it impossible for foreigners to interfere in other countries' affairs than Spain.No country hates or even despises foreigners so much as Spain, and they are so different from other European countries in terms of customs and customs.Now, a hundred and twenty years later, Spaniards, exhausted and frightened by the scourge of the Civil War of their own making, are even less fond of dealing with other people.They don't want foreign troops to come and go in their country.Although these difficult Spaniards have Nazi and fascist ideology, it is better for foreigners not to come in.Franco's emotions were extremely strong, and he acted out of them with the utmost cunning.We admired his wit, not least because it worked to our advantage. Like everyone, the Spanish government was taken aback by the sudden fall of France and the possible collapse or destruction of Great Britain.Many people around the world have embraced the concept of a new European order, ruling nations, and the like.So Franco said in June that he was ready to join the victors and share in the spoils.On the one hand, because of his insatiable desire, and on the other hand, because of his cunning, he clearly pointed out that Spain's demands are quite large.However, at this time Hitler felt that there was no need to win allies.Like Franco, he estimated that in a few weeks, if not days, the major hostilities would end and Britain would sue for peace.Therefore, he is not very interested in Madrid's aggressive attitude. In August, the situation changed.It was then clear that Britain would keep fighting, and that the war was likely to be long.As Britain contemptuously rejected Hitler's peace proposal of July 19th, Hitler began to seek allies; except for the dictator whom he had aided in the past and who had recently pledged to stand with him. , Who else can I find?However, Franco also had a different opinion for the same reasons.On August 8, the German ambassador in Madrid told Berlin that the opinion of the Commander-in-Chief[1] remained unchanged, but he made certain demands.First, to secure Gibraltar, French Morocco, and part of Algeria, including Oran, to Spain, and to expand certain territories in the Spanish African colonies.In addition, appropriate military assistance and economic assistance were needed, since Spain only had enough food for eight months.Finally, Franco believed that Spain should wait until after the Germans had landed in England before entering the war, lest it be premature and protracted, which would become unbearable for Spain and in some cases become a source of danger to the current regime.At the same time, Franco wrote to Mussolini, reiterating his request and asking for his support.墨索里尼於八月二十五日回信，勸告總司令不要置身於歐洲歷史之外。希特勒因為西班牙的要求過高而感到棘手，而且有些要求將使他同維希重新發生糾紛。從法國奪去奧蘭，那一定會導致法國在北非成立敵對的政府。他反覆考慮這一問題的得失。 【１】指佛朗哥。translator 其間，又過去了許多日子。九月間，看來大不列顛是能夠抵禦德國的空中攻勢的。五十艘美國驅逐艦的移交，在歐洲各國造成了極為深刻的印象，西班牙覺得，美國在逐步走向戰爭。因此，佛朗哥和西班牙人便採取百般苛求的政策，並且還明確指出，必須要預先答應他們的要求。此外，還要求提供軍需品，特別是西班牙面對直布羅陀的炮台所需的十五吋口徑榴彈炮。在這段期間他們給德國人一些小恩惠。所有的西班牙報紙都是反英的。他們容許德國的情報人員在馬德里到處亂走。由於西班牙外交部長貝格貝德爾被懷疑為對德國缺乏熱誠，於是便派遣長槍黨的頭子塞拉諾‧蘇涅爾為特使正式訪問柏林，以便調整關係，保持夥伴精神。希特勒向他滔滔不絕地談論，特別偏重於西班牙人對美國的反感。他認為，這場戰爭也可能演變為洲際戰美洲對歐洲。一定要使西非沿岸的島嶼固若金湯。當天的晚些時候，里賓特洛甫要求在加那利群島為德國準備一個軍事基地。親德的長槍黨黨徒蘇涅爾竟拒絕討論這一點，他一個勁兒地強調西班牙需要現代武器、糧食和石油，並且還要求犧牲法國來滿足它的領土要求。西班牙在實現其參戰的希望以前，所有這些都需要滿足。 九月十九日，里賓特洛甫前往羅馬向墨索里尼報告情況，並舉行會談。他說，元首認為英國的態度是垂死掙扎，是完全不了解現實，是希望俄國和美國出兵干涉。墨索里尼說：美國是由於種種實際的利害關係，才站在英國一邊的。售與五十艘驅逐艦這件事，便足證明。他主張同日本結成同盟，以牽制美國的行動。雖然從數量方面來說，美國海軍可以算是巨大的，但是，我們認為，正如英國的陸軍一樣，它是一個鬆垮的組織。領袖繼續說：還有南斯拉夫和希臘的問題。 意大利在南斯拉夫邊境有五十萬人，在希臘邊境有二十萬人。 意大利之看待希臘人，正如四月行動以前德國人之看待挪威人。從我們來說，必須解決希臘，當我們的地面部隊進入埃及，英國艦隊不能在亞歷山大停泊而必須到希臘港口避難的時候，就尤其需要解決。 在這一點上，他們一致同意，主要的目標是擊敗英國。唯一的問題是：怎樣擊敗？墨索里尼說：要麼，戰爭在春季以前結束，否則就要拖到明年。他當時認為後一種可能性較大，因此，一定要最有效地利用西班牙這一張牌。里賓特洛甫認為，先同日本結盟，接著西班牙就宣戰，這對英國將是一個新的沉重的打擊，然而蘇涅爾卻不說定日期。 當西班牙人越來越冷淡、越來越貪得無厭的時候，希特勒爭取他們支援的願望也越來越強烈。早在八月十五日，約德爾將軍就指出，要擊敗英國，除了直接入侵以外，還有其他方法，那就是：延長空戰、加強潛艇戰、奪取埃及和直布羅陀。希特勒非常贊成襲擊直布羅陀，但是西班牙要求的條件太苛，同時，在九月底，他又有其他的打算。九月二十七日，德國、意大利和日本在柏林簽訂了三國同盟條約。這為他們開闢了更加廣闊的前景。 元首現在決定要親自出馬。十月四日，他在勃倫納山口同墨索里尼會晤。他說西班牙政府的要求太高，步調遲緩。他擔心，如果答應西班牙的要求便可能產生兩種直接的後果：英國佔領加那利群島上的西班牙基地；北非的法國殖民地加入戴高樂的運動。他說，這樣就會迫使軸心國家大大擴大它們作戰的範圍。另一方面，他也不排斥這種可能：使法國的武裝部隊在歐洲參加進攻英國的戰役。墨索里尼侈談他征服埃及的計劃。希特勒願意提供特別的衛隊參加這次進攻。墨索里尼認為並不需要，至少是在戰鬥的最後階段以前用不著他去支援。關於俄國問題，希特勒說：必須了解，我之不信任斯大林，也如他之不信任我。無論如何，莫洛托夫不久就要到柏林來，屆時，元首的任務是要說服俄國，把它的精力轉向印度。 十月二十三日，希特勒風塵僕僕地前往法國和西班牙邊境的漢達伊，同西班牙的獨裁者會晤。西班牙人不但不因希特勒屈尊就駕引以為榮，據希特勒對墨索里尼說，反而提出與他們的實力絕對不相稱的要求。西班牙要求修訂比利牛斯山脈的邊界，割讓法屬加塔洛尼亞（法國的領土，在歷史上曾一度同西班牙發生關係，但實際上是在比利牛斯山以北），割讓阿爾及利亞由奧蘭直到布蘭科角的地方，還要求幾乎整個的摩洛哥。會談是通過譯員進行的，歷九小時之久。他們僅僅達成了一項含糊其辭的議定書，為軍事談判進行了安排。後來，希特勒在佛羅倫薩對墨索里尼說：我寧可被拔掉三四顆牙齒，也不願再搞這樣的談判。 【１】 【１】齊亞諾：《外交文件》第四百零二頁。 元首從漢達伊回國的途中，知會貝當元帥前往圖爾附近的蒙都瓦去見他。這次會晤是賴伐爾安排的，他在兩天以前曾在這裡會見里賓特洛甫，他很驚奇地發現，希特勒也在此地。希特勒和賴伐爾兩人都想鼓動法國為擊敗英國出一臂之力。元帥和他左右的大多數人最初對此事大吃一驚。但是賴伐爾卻把這次事先安排的會談說得天花亂墜。有人問他究竟是希特勒的主意還是有人向他建這樣做的，賴伐爾回答道： 你把他當成什麼人？你以為希特勒還需要一個保姆嗎？這個人啦，他有他自己的主意。他想會見元帥。再說，他也很尊敬元帥。這次兩國元首的會見將成為具有歷史意義的大事。總而言之，同在契克斯共進午餐大有不同。【１】貝當被說變了心，同意這一計劃。他認為他個人的威望可以同希特勒抗衡，同時，也值得給希特勒一個法國並不是不願合作的印象。希特勒在西方無後顧之憂，便會打東方的主意，把他的軍隊轉向東方。 【１】杜‧穆蘭‧德‧拉巴爾泰德：《幻想的時代》，第四十三｜四十四頁。 這次會晤是十月二十四日下午在一個隧道附近的希特勒的裝甲火車上舉行的。元首說：我很高興同一位對這次戰爭沒有責任的法國人握手。 之後，無非是說些可恥的客套話。元帥對於德、法兩國之間在戰前未曾發展密切的關係表示遺憾。也許現在還為時不晚。希特勒指出，是法國挑起戰爭的，現在它已經被打敗，但是，他當前的目標是摧毀英國。在美國還不能有效地援助英國以前，佔領不列顛或者使之變為廢墟。他的用意是盡快結束戰爭，因為再沒有什麼比戰爭更不合算的了。整個歐洲都要付出戰爭的代價，因此，這與整個的歐洲休戚相關。法國能夠協助到什麼程度呢？貝當承認合作的原則，但是解釋說，他不能規定其範圍。當時曾製成一份記錄，根據記錄，與領袖的意見一致，元首表示，決心要見到法國在新歐洲中佔有它理應佔有的地位。在盡速擊敗英國這一點上，軸心國家同法國有共同的利益。因此，法國政府應在它力所能及的範圍內支持軸心國家採取的防衛措施。細節問題由停戰委員會同法國代表團協商解決。軸心國家承諾在同英國締結和約時，為法國在非洲保留一塊基本上等於它目前擁有的殖民地。 根據德國的記錄，希特勒非常失望。連賴伐爾也祈求他在法國的輿論未醞釀成熟以前，不要硬逼法國對英國作戰。後來希特勒曾說賴伐爾是一個卑鄙的民主主義小政客；但是，他對貝當元帥的印象較好。據說，貝當元帥回到維希的時候曾說過：討論這個計劃需要六個月，忘掉這個計劃又需要六個月。但是這場不名譽的交易，在法國到現在還沒有被人忘掉。 在十月裡，我給我們駐馬德里的大使發去一個電報： 首相致塞繆爾‧霍爾 一九四○年十月十九日 我們對你處理艱鉅任務的手腕不勝欽佩。我希望你能設法通過法國大使向維希傳達兩個根本的概念。第一，我們可以不究既往，願同一切向我們表明決心擊敗共同敵人的人合作。第二，我們正在為我們的生存而戰，為使所有被奴役的國家同時獲得解放的勝利而戰，我們決不半途而廢。請設法使維希明瞭我們在此間認為必能達到的目的，即：我們一定能擊敗希特勒，雖然他能蹂躪歐洲大陸，雖然戰爭也許會延續一個長時期，但是他的滅亡是注定了的。我真不理解：為什麼沒有一個法國領袖前往非洲，他們在非洲有殖民地，有制海權，還能得到凍結在美國的法國黃金。如果從一開始就這樣辦，我們現在就已經把意大利打垮了。這是勇敢的人們前所未遇的大好機會。當然，我們不能指望這樣的建議能得到他們明確的反應，不過，如有機可乘的話，不妨設法轉達。 我們曾收到有關蒙都瓦會談的各種各樣的報告，這些報告並沒有改變我對維希究應採取什麼態度的基本看法。這時正值十一月，我寫了一個備忘錄，向我的同僚們表明我的意見。 一九四○年十一月十四日 雖然在政治上不能說要復仇，雖然我們應當永遠向前看而不能向後看，但是，如果以為僅僅用和解及寬恕的政策就可以解決我們同維希之間的困難問題，那也是錯誤的。維希政府正處於德國的重大壓力之下，能使他們引以為慰的，莫過於使他們感到在他們的另外一邊是一個和藹可親、對人寬宏的英國。這就可以使他們以我們為犧牲去博得德國人的一點歡心，盡量徘徊觀望戰爭的演變。恰恰相反，在涉及到我們的利益時，我們應當毫不遲疑地以嚴厲和粗暴的手段對待他們。讓他們感覺到，希特勒固然不是善人，我們也不是好惹的。 應該記住，這些人曾犯了卑鄙無恥的罪行，使他們千秋萬代受世人的唾罵，而且，他們在這方面的所作所為絲毫沒有得到法國人民的同意。賴伐爾的確對英國懷有刻骨的仇恨，據說，他曾說過，他要見到我們化為齋粉，也就是說要把我們壓成粉碎，最後只剩下一塊油跡。毫無疑問，如果他當權的話，他會利用英國出人意外的抗戰做一筆交易，幫助德國摧毀我們，從而向他的德國主子討取更好的價錢。達爾朗因為我們損害了他的艦隊而對我們仇深似海。貝當一向是一個反英的失敗主義者，現在已經是一個昏庸老朽的人了。以為這些人足資倚畀，那簡直是幻想。不過，他們也可能由於法國日漸抬頭的輿論和德國咄咄逼人態度而被迫採取有利於我們的政策。的確，我們應當同他們保持接觸。但是，為了發展這種有利的趨勢，我們要有充分的把握，使維希那班人在德國和英國這上下兩層磨石之間受盡折磨。這樣，才能使他們在瀕臨滅亡的這一短暫期間內對我們表示比較馴順的態度。 貝當元帥上了賴伐爾的圈套，長此下去，勢必要同英國宣戰，而北非殖民地也將為德國所佔領，他越想越恨。十二月十三日賴伐爾到了維希，建議貝當前往巴黎，參加將拿破侖之子賴希塔德公爵（鷹）的骨灰移放老殘軍人退休院的儀式【１】，這是希特勒想錦上添花，用莊嚴的盟誓來鞏固蒙都瓦達成的協議。 【１】拿破侖於一八一○年四月與奧地利公主瑪麗亞‧路易莎結婚，一八一一年生一子，即賴希塔德公爵。羅斯唐（Rostand）曾編一劇《鷹》（LAiglon），描繪其一生。老殘軍人退休院為其父陵墓所在地。translator 然而，讓凡爾登【１】的勝利者在法蘭西國土上帶著日耳曼儀仗隊，出現在拿破侖皇帝的墓前，這並不使貝當感覺興趣。 況且，他對賴伐爾的手腕和意圖既感到厭倦，又感到害怕。於是，貝當的部下便設法逮捕了賴伐爾。德方有力的干預使他獲得釋放，但是貝當拒絕再讓他當部長。賴伐爾忿忿而去，前往德軍佔領的巴黎。弗朗丹繼任外交部長，我為此感到高興。 這些事件標誌著維希內部的變化。看來，他們終於到達了合作的極限。這時，出現了改善英法關係的希望，出現了美國以更加同情的心情了解維希的希望。 【１】凡爾登為法國東部軍事重鎮。第一次世界大戰時，德軍猛攻凡爾登，戰鬥激烈，為歷史上有名的戰役，當時貝當曾指揮法軍防區。translator 寫到這裡，正好可以掉轉筆鋒，接敘西班牙的故事。這時，佛朗哥看清了這是一場曠日持久的戰爭，西班牙厭棄任何另一場戰爭，德國能否獲勝，毫無把握，於是就採取盡量拖延、盡量苛求的辦法。這時，他是如此地信任蘇涅爾，竟於十月十八日任命他為外交部長，以撤換貝格貝德爾來表明他對軸心國家的忠心。十一月蘇涅爾被召往貝希特斯加登，希特勒辭色之間對西班牙之遲遲未能參戰頗為不快。到這時，德國空軍已在不列顛之戰中失利。意大利也被牽制於希臘和北非的戰鬥中。塞拉諾‧蘇涅爾的答覆未能符合希特勒的期望。 他沒完沒了地談到半島上的經濟困難。過了三個星期，德國諜報機關的首腦卡納里斯海軍上將被派往馬德里，為西班牙的參戰作詳細安排。他建議，德國軍隊於一月十日通過西班牙的國界，準備於一月三十日進攻直布羅陀。當佛朗哥告訴他西班牙不能在上述日期參戰時，他驚愕不止。看來，總司令是害怕英國海軍奪取大西洋的島嶼和西班牙的殖民地。他還強調，西班牙缺乏糧食，並且經受不起一場持久戰。由於德國在英國登陸的行動看來是無限期地往後推了，所以佛朗哥又提出了一項新的條件。在軸心國家把蘇伊士運河拿下以前，他無論如何不採取行動，因為只有到了那時他才能確保西班牙不致捲入長期的敵對行動。 一九四一年二月六日，希特勒致函佛朗哥，措辭激烈，急如星火，要佛朗哥有男子氣概，切勿再事拖延。佛朗哥復函，表示他始終不渝的忠誠。他主張，應以再接再厲的精神繼續進行進攻直布羅陀的準備工作。他又另外提出一點，宣稱，只有西班牙軍隊都配備了德國武器，才能用來發動這一行動。即使這一切都安排就緒，西班牙出於經濟的原因也還是不能參戰。因此，里賓特洛甫向元首報告，佛朗哥根本無意參戰。希特勒非常憤慨，但是，由於他現在要進攻俄國，也許不願像拿破侖一樣再進行一項不成功的事業同時進攻西班牙【１】。這時，沿比利牛斯山脈一帶集結了大量的西班牙部隊，他認為聰明的辦法還是遵循他對付各個國家的策略各個擊破。佛朗哥就是這樣玩弄種種微妙詭詐的手段和甜言蜜語的辦法渡過了難關，使西班牙置身於戰爭之外；正當英國孤立無援的時候，這對我們有莫大的裨益。 【１】十九世紀初葉，拿破侖攻佔了西班牙，後又進攻俄國。由於西班牙人民進行了持久的反抗鬥爭等原因，使拿破侖在西班牙和俄國同遭失敗。translator 當時，我們還不能認為西班牙這邊就萬事大吉，因此，我催促總統就其力之所能，推行懷柔政策。 former navy personnel to president roosevelt 一九四○年十一月二十三日 據我們獲悉，西班牙的局勢逐漸惡化，這個半島已瀕臨饑饉。只要他們不參加戰爭，你就按月供給他們糧食，這個辦法將起決定性的作用。如今不必計較小事，現在是明白無誤地坦率告訴他們的時候了。德軍如佔領直布羅陀海峽兩岸，對我們已經負擔很重的海軍來說，將更增加沉重的壓力。德軍不久就會在炮台上使用雷達（就是在黑夜也可以瞄準），這樣，就可以日夜封鎖直布羅陀海峽。由於即將在地中海東部展開主力戰，由於需要繞航好望角增援和供應我們的部隊，所以我們不能考慮在連接海峽或者海峽附近的陸地上採取任何軍事行動。直布羅陀能夠經受長期的包圍，但是我們如果不能利用港口或者通過海峽，那又有什麼用呢？德軍一佔領摩洛哥，即將麾師南下，潛艇和飛機不久便可從卡薩布蘭卡和達喀爾自由出動。總統先生，我無須向你誇大這將給我們帶來多大的危害，也無須誇大這種危害即將臨近西半球。我們必須盡量爭取時間。 事實上，這一重大的危險已經過去，儘管我們當時不知道，它確已永遠過去了。目前人們喜歡談論佛朗哥將軍是多麼的壞，因此，我願把他對希特勒和墨索里尼如何口是心非和忘恩負義的事實記載於此。不久我還要記載佛朗哥將軍的惡劣品質如何對盟國的事業反而起了更大的作用。