ADSS 1.127 Tardini notes: telegram for Poland under draft

ADSS 1.127 Domenico Tardini, notes.

Reference: AES 6817/39

Location and date: Vatican, 26.08.1939

Summary statement: Telegram to Poland being drafted. Mussolini is trying to stop Hitler moving to war.

Language: Italian

Text:

09.00. The Holy Father gave me the text of the despatch to be sent in code to Warsaw. (“if Poland made some concession regarding Danzig, a way to east the tension could be opened …”) (1)

11.30.  The Italian Ambassador calls. (2) He tells me that the Foreign Minister (3) is doing his utmost to induce Mussolini to make Hitler understand the difficulty of following him in a war.  The Ambassador mentions a telegram prepared yesterday by Ciano, which at first Mussolini did not want to sign.  Then – the Ambassador infers from the improved news appearing in the newspapers – he signed it.  Attolico (4) then, would take up from there.  The Ambassador admits that the present difficulties to unhitch oneself now, because for one thing Italy would remain isolated and in a difficult position.  He insists that one must work on Poland (5).  I assured him that the Holy See is doing everything possible.

Notes: 

(1) ADSS 1.128.

(2) Bonifacio Pignatti (1877-1957), Italian Ambassador to the Holy See 1935-39.

(3) Galeazzo Ciano (1903-1944), Italian Foreign Minister 1936-43.

(4) Bernardo Attolico (1880-1942), Italian Ambassador to Germany 1935-39. Later Italian Ambassador to the Holy See 1940-42.

(5) See DDI, Series 8, Volume 13.  The day before Attolico had urged Ciano to pressure Mussolini to intervene with Hitler.  “Situation is … very grave … Only a direct personal action by the Duce on the Fuhrer can bring results.” N236, p 157.  Attolico had already telegraphed that, if Poland did not give in, war was inevitable. DDI, series 8, Volume 13, n214, p 139.

ADSS 1.126 Tardini notes: shall we send Tacchi Venture to Mussolini?

ADSS 1.126 Domenico Tardini, notes

Reference: AES 5654/39

Location and date: Vatican, 26.08.1939

Summary statement: Contemplates sending Tacchi Venturi again to Mussolini.  Note by Montini 27.08:  Pope thinks step is superfluous.  Italian gov’t is working in this direction. 

Language: Italian

Text:

The Cardinal Secretary of State telephoned His Excellency Monsignor Tardini.  From this telephone call one could understand that he would suggest to Reverend Father Tacchi Venturi to see the Head of the Italian Government and try to induce him to support a peaceful settlement of the German-Polish dispute.

Note of Montini: Audience with His Holiness.

His Holiness thinks this step is superfluous:  it is clear that the Italian Government is already working in this sense.

Notes: 

ADSS 1.125 Orsenigo to Maglione: Germany is ready for war

 ADSS 1.125 Cesare Orsenigo, Germany to Luigi Malgione, Sec State

Reference: Report number 121 (28.374); AES 5816/39

Location and date: Berlin, 26.08.1939

Summary statement: .  Reich no longer counts on a quick conquest of Poland without firing a shot, but would induce the Polish people to negotiate to force them to surrender.  An understanding of the basis of common interests would be possible; but the Germans, considering that their honour has been wounded, are ready for war.

Language: Italian

Text:

I take advantage of the diplomatic courier to add, with caution, a few more details to what I had the honour to mention to you during the past few days by means of coded dispatches.  I must respectfully call your attention to what I wrote in my report number 27333 of 17 May (1) because the events which I described then are exactly repeated nor in every historical and psychological detail, with reference both tho the German people and their rulers.  There is still hope, and the motives for it are mentioned on page 5 of the above-mentioned Report, to which I respectfully beg to call attention, that the plan to solve the Polish question without bloodshed with a sudden and swift invasion, so as to render the Allies help useless, seems to have been abandoned because it could not have been carried out without shedding blood.

The pretension is being put forward by Germany, with ever increasing insistence, to compel Poland to a meeting to force the nation, as happened in Prague, to surrender.  If Poland could find a dignified way to accede to this meeting and then come to a decorous compromise, this war could be avoided, at least for a long time.

The argument of the “vital exigencies” with which Germany likes to qualify its aspiration for Danzig and the Corridor, while Poland defends these possessions with the same motivation, cannot it seems be sustained.  Germany has not only been able to live for more the twenty years without these possessions, but has been able to prosper and to grow tremendously.  It is said, on the other hand, that Poland could live and prosper with an adequate compensation. The only thing to do is to sign a good and long treaty of reciprocal non-aggression.

Unfortunately everybody here is ready for war, with a terrifying coolness.  The recent slaughter of Germans, skilfully divulged by the newspapers, has removed the last hesitations and the war with Poland is no more the struggle for Danzig and the Corridor, but is the lesson that a people, armed to the teeth think they must give to those who have slighted their honour: and thus Hitler’s old temporising plan is cast aside, the plan about which I wrote to you in Report number 27234 of 6 May (2) when Hitler said he was prepared to wait for his ‘national claims” even up to 1945. This long-term political war has now been substituted buy an urgent war, to avenge the “offended national honour”, for which motive eighty million people are almost clamouring for hostilities.

Notes: 

(1) ADSS 1.47

(2) ADSS 1.29

ADSS 1.124 Osborne to Sec State: UK positive on Pope's speech

ADSS 1.124 D’Arcy Osborne, UK Minister to the Holy See, to the Secretariat of State

Reference: AES 6823/39

Location and date: Rome, 25.08.1939

Summary statement: Pope’s message on behalf of peace appreciated by UK gov’t and people.

Language: French

Text:

The British Minister to the Holy See has been instructed by Lord Halifax to inform His Eminence the Cardinal Secretary of State personally, or even to His Holiness the Pope himself, how the Government of His Britannic Majesty has highly appreciated the dignified and mobbing appeal for peace that His Holiness has addressed to the world on the evening of 24 August.

Lord Halifax, who made reference to the Holy Father’s message in his own radio broadcast of the same evening, wishes that His Holiness be directly informed of the touched and grateful reception that his noble words found in the hearts and minds of the members of His Majesty’s Government and of the people of Great Britain. (1)

Notes: 

(1) DBFP, Series 3, Volume 7, n281, p227.  In his telegram of 25.08.1939, sent at 17.15, Lord Halifax instructed Osborne to convey to the Pope “that His Majesty’s Government have much appreciated the moving and dignified appeal for peace (of) His Holiness …”

ADSS 1.123 Orsenigo to Maglione - options for Poland

ADSS 1.123 Cesare Orsenigo, Germany, to Luigi Maglione, Sec State.

Reference: Telegram number 335, AES 6013/39

Location and date: Berlin, 25.08.1939; received Vatican 26.08.1939 at 08.00.

Summary statement: Germany wants to force Poland to negotiate. Without participating directly, the Holy See could suggest a Polish declaration regarding the condition of the German minority in Poland. 

Language: Italian

Text:

Coded dispatch received. (1)

Hitler mentioned in well-known conversation, vital German necessity and especially provocation on account of slaughter of Germans.

Newspaper and radio report today new massacres.

It is general impression that Germany stages menace of imminent war to induce Poland to agree to negotiate and to cooperate to this end would be tantamount to helping German in its game.

However, Poland might, if invited by the Holy See, declare itself to be ready to avoid slaughter provided Germany would undertake same commitment.

There is no way of mu finding pout whether Germany would accept: probably they would request the opening of negotiations; Holy See could, if it is thought right, transmit request and eventually recommend it.

It is believed that, even in case of failure, action would be appreciated because of neutral nature. (2)

Notes: 

(1) The number is missing, bit the telegram evidently refers to telegram n105 of 25.08.1939 from Tardini to Orseingo. See ADSS 1.119.

(2) The document carries on the top a handwritten note from Domenico Tardini: “Brought to the Holy Father 26 August 1939 at 13.00” and in the margin a comment by Pius XII: “I think that these proposals could be sent to the Warsaw Nuncio to be communicated and recommended to the Polish Government, provided possible and opportune.”

Mark Riebling "Church of Spies: the Pope's secret war against Hitler"

The Wikipedia page on Mark Riebling describes him as a "a U.S. historian, essayist, and policy analyst. He has written on national security, the history of ideas, and Vatican foreign policy during Cold War and Second World War. He is the author of two books Wedge: The Secret War between the FBI and CIA and Church of Spies: The Pope’s Secret War Against Hitler."

Mark contacted me some time ago and asked if he could send me an advance copy.  I very happily replied that I would enjoy reading his book.  Unfortunately, teaching commitments and the like have meant that I probably won't get to reading it much before the Christmas holidays in December! 

Reviews have been positive and with only a skim through notes and bibliography it appears that Riebling has done his homework thoroughly.  It matters little if at the end of my reading the work that I agree or disagree.  What does matter is that a conversation about the role of the Pope during the war has been examined from another angle and new insights have been offered.  This is the stuff of history and it is what historians do.

Some of the reviews that have appears on line in recent weeks are these:

Desmond O'Grady in the Australian Financial Review weekend edition.

Mark Oppenheim on History Net.

The Australian publisher's review on Scribe

Review on Kirkus.

And reader comments on Amazon.

There is an extract from the book on Salon.

I look forward to reading what looks likely to be both good history and a stimulating thriller.