had considerably more difficulty. His left leg was false from the knee down, but once on his feet he moved quite well with the aid of his stick and they went up the steps together.
The SS guards were troops of the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler and wore black dress uniform and full white leather harness. They saluted smartly as Canaris and Ritter passed inside. The hall was truly remarkable with mosaic floor, doors seventeen feet high and great eagles carrying swastikas in their claws. A young Hauptsturm-führer in dress uniform sat at a gold desk, two orderlies standing behind. He jumped to his feet.
‘Herr Admiral. The Führer has asked for you twice.’
‘My dear Hoffer, I didn’t get his summons until half an hour ago,’ Canaris said. ‘Not that that will do me any good. This is my aide, Captain Ritter. Look after him for me.’
‘Of course, Herr Admiral.’ Hoffer nodded to one of the orderlies. ‘Take the Herr Admiral to the Führer’s reception suite.’
The orderly set off at a sharp pace and Canaris went after him. Hoffer came round the desk and said to Ritter, ‘Spain?’
‘Yes.’ Ritter tapped his false foot. ‘I could still fly, but they won’t let me.’
‘What a pity,’ Hoffer said and led him over to the seating area. ‘You’ll miss the big show.’
‘You think it will come?’ Ritter asked, easing himself down and taking out his cigarette case.
‘Don’t you? And by the way, no smoking. Führer’s express order.’
‘Damn!’ Ritter said, for his pain was constant and cigarettes helped.
‘Sorry,’ Hoffer said sympathetically. ‘But coffee we do have and it’s the best.’
He turned, went to his desk and picked up the phone.
When the guard opened the enormous door to Hitler’s study, Canaris was surprised at the number of people in the room. There were the three commanders-in-chief, Goering for the Luftwaffe, Brauchitsch for the Army and Raeder for the Kriegsmarine. There was Himmler, von Ribbentrop, generals like Jodl, Keitel and Halder. There was a heavy silence and heads turned as Canaris entered.
‘Now that the Admiral has deigned to join us we can begin,’ Hitler said; ‘and I will be brief. As you know the British today gave the Poles an unconditional guarantee of their full support in the event of war.’
Goering said. ‘Will the French follow, my Führer?’
‘Undoubtedly,’ Hitler told him. ‘But they will do nothing when it comes to the crunch.’
‘You mean, invade Poland?’ Halder, who was Chief of Staff at OKW, said. ‘What about the Russians?’
‘They won’t interfere. Let us say there are negotiations in hand and leave it at that. So, gentlemen, my will is fixed in this matter. You will prepare Case White, the invasion of Poland on September the 1st.’
There were shocked gasps. ‘But my Führer, that only gives us six months,’ Colonel-General von Brauchitsch protested.
‘Ample time,’ Hitler told him. ‘If there are those who disagree, speak now.’ There was a profound silence. ‘Good, then get to work, gentlemen. You may all leave except for you, Herr Admiral.’
They all filed out and Canaris stood there waiting while Hitler looked out of the window at the rain. Finally he turned. ‘The British and the French will declare war, but they won’t do anything. Do you agree?’
‘Absolutely,’ Canaris said.
‘We smash Poland, wrap things up in a few weeks. Once it’s done, what is the point of the British and French continuing? They’ll sue for peace.’
‘And if not?’
Hitler shrugged. ‘Then I’ll have Case Yellow implemented. We’ll invade Belgium, Holland, France and drive the English into the sea. They’ll come to their senses then. After all, they are not our natural enemies.’
‘I agree,’ Canaris said.
‘Having said that, it occurs to me that I should demonstrate to our English friends as soon as possible that I do mean business.’
Canaris cleared his throat. ‘Exactly what do you have in mind, my Führer?’
Hitler gestured towards the huge map of the world that hung on the far wall. ‘Come over here, Herr Admiral, and let me show you.’
When Canaris returned to the reception hall at the Chancellery an hour later, Hoffer was seated behind his desk with the two orderlies. There was no sign of Ritter. The SS Captain stood up and came to greet him.
‘Herr Admiral.’
‘My aide?’ Canaris asked.
‘Hauptman Ritter was badly in need of a smoke. He went back to your car.’
‘My thanks,’ Canaris said. ‘I’ll find my own way.’
He went out of the huge doors and stood at the top of the steps, buttoning his greatcoat, looking out at the rain. He went down the steps and had the rear door of the limousine open before his driver realized what was happening, and climbed in beside Ritter.
‘My office,’ he called to the driver, then closed the glass partition.
Ritter started to stub out his cigarette as they drove away, and Canaris sat back. ‘Never mind. Just give me one of those things. I need it.’
Ritter got his cigarette case out and offered a light. ‘Is everything all right, Herr Admiral? I saw them all leave. I was worried.’
‘The Führer, Hans, gave us his personal order to invade Poland on September the 1st.’
‘My God,’ Ritter said. ‘Case White.’
‘Exactly. He has been negotiating with the Russians, who will do a deal. They’ll let us get on with it in return for a slice of eastern Poland.’
‘And the British?’
‘Oh, they’ll declare war and I’m sure the French will go along. The Führer, however, is convinced they will do nothing on the Western Front and for once I agree. They’ll sit there while we wrap up Poland, and his feeling is that once it’s an accomplished fact, we can all get round the negotiating table and get back to the status quo. Britain, as he informed us, is not our natural enemy.’
‘Do you agree, Herr Admiral?’
‘He’s right enough there, but the British are a stubborn lot, Hans, and Chamberlain is not popular. Since Munich his own people despise him.’ Canaris stubbed out his cigarette. ‘If there was a change at the top, Churchill for example …’ He shrugged. ‘Who knows?’
‘And what would we do?’
‘Implement Case Yellow. Invade the Low Countries and France and drive whatever army the British had brought across the channel into the sea.’
There
