HITLER FOLLOWS HIS TROOPS INTO PRAGUE (3/16/39)

Microfiche-New York Times archives, McHenry Library, U.C. Santa Cruz | 3/16/39 | Emil Vadnay, Ferdinand Kuhn Jr., Otto D. Tolischus, Walter Duranty

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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EDITORIAL

[Homer_J_Simpson]

If you would like to be added to or deleted from the Real Time +/- 70 Years ping list, send me a freepmail. You can also search for these articles by the keyword realtime, going back to the first one on January 27, 2008. These articles are posted on the 70th anniversary of their original publication date. See my profile for additional information.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

The next day, from Hradschin Castle, [Hitler] proclaimed the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, which though it professed to provide "autonomy and self-government" for the Czechs brought them, by its very language, completely under the German heel. All power was given to the "Reich Protector" and to his Secretary of State and his Head of the Civil Administration, who were to be appointed by the Fuehrer. To placate outraged public opinion in Britain and France, Hitler brought the "moderate" Neurath out of cold storage and named him Protector. The two top Sudeten leaders, Konrad Henlein and the gangster Karl Hermann Frank, were given an opportunity to get revenge on the Czechs by being appointed head of the Civil Administration and Secretary of State respectively. It was not long before Himmler, as boss of the German police, got a stranglehold on the protectorate. To do his work, he made the notorious Frank chief of police of the protectorate and ranking S.S. officer.

For a thousand years [Hitler said in his proclamation of the protectorate] the provinces of Bohemia and Moravia formed part of the Lebensraum of the German people . . . Czechoslovakia showed its inherent inability to survive and has therefore now fallen a victim to actual dissolution. The German Reich cannot tolerate continuous disturbances in these areas . . . Therefore the German Reich, in keeping with the law of self-preservation, is now resolved to intervene decisively to rebuild the foundations of a reasonable order in Central Europe. For in the thousand years of its history it has already proved that, thanks to the greatness and the qualities of the German people, it alone is called upon to undertake this task.

A long night of German savagery now settled over Prague and the Czech lands.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Ping. See reply #2 for an update.

[headsonpikes]

Thanks again!

One thing to note in today’s posting is the front-page coverage of the Czech and other “gold hoards”, which Hitler was judged fortunate to get his hands on.

Money matters!

Especially real money.

[CougarGA7]

The last few days has records of some insane interchanges in the French Yellow Book I've been referencing. I found that these two entries from today of interest (without clogging the threads with all these communiques.

M. ARDIET, French Consul in Nuremberg, to M. GEORGES BONNET, Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Nuremberg, March 16, 1939.

GAULEITER STRETCHER (An ardent pro-Hitler Nazi and professor who once drew a scale on a blackboard and said the heavy side was Hitler's brian and the light side was all the professors intellect)*, at a great demonstration organized yesterday evening in Nuremberg on the occasion of the German troops' entry into Bohemia and Moravia, made the following statement: "This is only a beginning: far greater events will follow; the democracies can rise up and protest as much as they like, they will surrender in the end."

Many squadrons flew over Nuremberg this morning on the way to Bohemia.

ARDIET.

* Parenthesis mine.

Also this word comming from Poland already forshadows what is to come.

M. LEON NOEL, French Ambassador in Warsaw, to M. GEORGES BONNET, Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Warsaw, March 16, 1939.

Is the action recently taken in Europe by Germany the prelude to further acts in the west or in the east? In Warsaw, the second hypothesis seems quite plausible.

Germany's dissatisfaction with Poland is dear, since the anti-German demonstrations made by the students.

Herr von Moltke does not conceal from his colleagues his ill-humour, which does not spare M. Beck, and he complains that the meeting of the German-Polish commission in Berlin has had no useful result.

The development of sentiments hostile to Germany among all classes of Polish people cannot escape any observer.

It is to be supposed that the reactions and the calculations of the Chancellor will be influenced by this situation.

I learn, too, that a Ukrainian deputy in the Polish Diet, returning from Berlin, has announced that he received there assurances of a new campaign by Germany in favour of the Ukraine.

LEON NOEL.

It seems everyone gets it now. It only amazes me that the "Phoney War" ever happened based on what I read here. I guess hindsight is 20/20.

[BroJoeK]

This is an extraordinarily important day in history, not only for the Czechs & Germans, but also for the West -- the day when the last of Neville Chamberlain's blinders fell from his eyes, and he began to see, apparently for the first time, Hitler's true nature.

I must say, the NY Times editorial seems absolutely clear-eyed, at least as regards what Hitler was really up to. But it also seems that no one yet has a sense of the horrors to come, or the role America must play.

Note the comment above about the German secret police arriving with lists of people in hand. Is it not astonishing how little curiosity the NY Times shows about the fate of those hapless folk, or even just who they might be?

[beebuster2000]

“Stalin says: “there is small fear that ocupation of Prague has and danger for Soviet Russia”

amazing how everyone sailed blindly into WWII

[CougarGA7]

This is what Chamberlain had to say at this point too. Even the British had Poland on their mind immediately after Czechoslovakia fell.

Chamberlain After Czech Invation

[6323cd]

This is getting more fascinating by the day! Ta for the ping.

[2banana]

And Chamberlain cancels a “trade parley” with Germany in response. Why does this remind me of the west today in response to islam...

[SamAdams76]

One of my favorite things about this series is the inclusion of original ads from those old newspapers.

Now I'm hungry for a Southern Rum Tart (only 27 cents - while they last!).

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Now I'm hungry for a Southern Rum Tart (only 27 cents - while they last!).

How about a shot of Old Overholt to brace you up after this scary news? "Now priced within easy reach of almost everyone."

[SamAdams76]

Also, the extent by which European news dominated the front page in the U.S. papers from those days is staggering. We were definitely living in an Euro-centric world back in those days. These days, most Americans can't even name the leader of one European nation and probably don't care either.

Consider the amount of attention paid to the fact that Hitler had added 61,000 square miles to German territory by that time. Just for comparison, that is approx. the size of Wisconsin.

Anyway, I saw the ad for Old Humbolt whiskey, the banjo-playing "court jester" creeped me out!