269. Domarus, 1297; Henderson, 275, 277; TBJG, I/7, 87 (1 September 1939).
270. Dahlerus, 107.
271. Halder KTB, i. 46 (30 August 1939).
272. Halder KTB, i. 47 (31 August 1939).
273. Halder KTB, i. 46 (30 August 1939).
274. IMG, xxxiv, 456–9, D0C.126-C; Weisungen, 23–5.
275. Halder KTB, i. 47–8 (31 August 1939), trans. Halder Diary, 43 (31 August 1939). See also Groscurth, 195, n.441 for the timing of the transmission of the attack order, passed on by Brauchitsch at 16.20 hours. TBJG, I/7, 87 (1 September 1939) notes that at midday Hitler gave the order to attack ‘in the night approaching 5a.m.’.
276. IMG, ix.313 (Ribbentrop testimony).
277. TBJG, I/7, 87 (1 September 1939).
278. TBJG, I/7, 88 (1 September 1939).
279. Henderson, 276; Ribbentrop Memoirs, 125; Josef Lipski, Diplomat in Berlin 1933–1939, ed. Waclaw Jedrzejewicz, New York/London, 1968, 609–10; Irving, Führer, 225; Irving, War Path, 260.
280. Domarus, 1305–6.
281. Heinz Höhne, The Order of the Death’s Head. The Story of Hitler’s SS, London, 1969, 238–44. In the most spectacular of the ‘incidents’, the attack on the Gleiwitz radio station, Polish uniforms were not used (as some post-war testimony claimed), and were not necessary. An SS guard had already taken over the watch on the station to ensure the success of the operation when, as pre-arranged, five SD men dressed in civilian clothes entered the building to carry out the attack (Jürgen Runzheimer, ‘Der Überfall auf den Sender Gleiwitz im Jahre 1939’, VfZ, 10 (1962), 408–26).
282. Shirer, 152.
283. StA Bamberg, K8/III, 18473, LR Ebermannstadt, 31 August 1939. See also DBS, vi.980–83; Steinert, 91ff.; Wolfram Wette, ‘Zur psychologischen Mobilmachung der deutschen Bevölkerung 1933–1939’, in Wolfgang Michalka (ed.), Der Zweite Weltkrieg. Analysen-Grundzüge-Forschungsbilanz, Munich-Zurich, 1989, 205–23, here 220; and DRZW, i.142.
284. Horst Rohde, ‘Kriegsbeginn 1939 in Danzig — Planungen und Wirklichkeit’, in Michalka (ed.), Der Zweite Weltkrieg, 462–81, here 462, 472–7, 479 n.1; Levine, 153; Domarus, 1307–8. It should have been the cruiser Königsberg, but that ship had developed engine trouble (Levine, Hitler’s Free City, 152). See Baumgart, 147, for Liebmann’s report of the conversation he overheard between Raeder and Hitler following the meeting on the Berghof on 22 August. Raeder remarked that the Schleswig-Holstein would probably be sunk by Polish coastal batteries with the loss of 300 or so sea-cadets. Hitler replied with a dismissive wave of the hand. In fact, the attack on the Westerplatte did not go according to plan. The Luftwaffe had to intervene before the Westerplatte was finally taken on the afternoon of 1 September, by which time the Germans had lost between 40 and 50 men (Rohde, 474–5).
285. Halder KTB, i.52 (1 September 1939), trans. Halder Diary, 47.
286. Levine, Hitler’s Free City, 153.
287. Domarus, 1308.
288. Shirer, 156. See Henderson’s impressions, 287–91; and those of Dahlerus, 123–4.
289. Domarus, 1311, cit. Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 1 September 1939.
290. Shirer, 156; Domarus, 1316 and n.901. Below, 195 contradicts Shirer’s impressions, stating that Hitler was received with far more cheering than usual, which broke out repeatedly through his speech. Shirer’s contemporary account is probably to be preferred. Hellmuth Groscurth, a rooted opponent of Hitler in the Abwehr, noted in his diary: ‘10.00a.m. Reichstag speech. Terrible impression everywhere’ (Groscurth, 196).
291. Domarus, 1315; text of speech 1312–17. As regards the timing of the start of hostilities, Hitler appears simply to have made a mistake (Rohde, 479 n.1).
292. Dahlerus, 124–5.
293. See the references to Mussolini’s peace efforts in Chamberlain’s speeches in the House of Commons on 1 and 2 September 1939: Documents, 161, No.105, 172, No.116; DBFP, 3rd Ser., VII, 501–2, 507–8, Nos. 700, 710; and Weinberg II, 640–41.
294. Domarus, 1319; DGFP, D, VII, 485–9, Nos. 504, 505, 507. In the evening of 3 September, Hitler thanked Mussolini for his efforts and explained why Germany was now at war with Great Britain and France (DGFP, D, VII, 538–9, No.565).
295. Dahlerus, 125–6. And see Hofer, Entfesselung, 392–3.
