The Hitler–Hess Deception

by Martin Allen

  Bright, Major 177

  British Expeditionary Force 70, 104

  Brooks, Brigadier 209, 210, 231, 256

  Bryans, Lonsdale 185

  Buccleuch, Duke of: distrust of by Whitehall 184–6; friendship with Bohle 187, 188, 217; and Duke of Kent 181, 184, 187, 188, 189; and Hess’s arrival 228, 230, 231, 242

  Burckhardt, Carl 189–91, 199

  Butler, R.A. (‘Rab’) 71, 165, 185–6, 190

  Cadogan, Sir Alexander: and German peace initiatives 53–4, 55, 63; role in Hitler/Hess deception 107–8, 148–9; and Hoare 156–7, 162, 163, 164, 166, 176; and involvement of Duke of Kent 179, 180–1, 186–7, and Hamilton 220, 252; after Hess’s arrival 254, 258, 259; drafts statement denying negotiations 287

  Cagoulards 41

  Canaris, Admiral Wilhelm 264, 280

  Candi, Château de 65, 66

  Caucasus: as source of oil 38, 137, 158, 172, 206, 262, 270

  Chamberlain, Austen 139

  Chamberlain, Joseph 13

  Chamberlain, Neville 13, 31, 140; and Munich Agreement 39, 42, 54, 192; loss of faith in 43; speech to House of Parliament (Sept. 1939) 47–8; turns down Hitler’s offer of peace 52; and Venlo Incident 62, 63; German assessment of 66, 67, 70; resignation 70

  Channon, Sir Henry ‘Chips’ 40, 55, 71, 72, 199, 202–3

  Churchill, Winston: anti-Bolshevik activities 102; and formation of Anti-Nazi League 103; and Albrecht Haushofer 31, 42, 94; appointed First Lord of the Admiralty 48; and Venlo Incident 62, 147; becomes Prime Minister 43, 70, 71, 104; condemnations of Hitler 283; sacks Duke of Buccleuch 184; and Hoare’s ‘banishment’ to Spain 71–2, 74; orders sinking of French fleet 246; opposes German peace proposals 77, 79, 80, 83–4, 85, 108; connection with SOE 99, 101, 102, 103, 104, 107, 219; strength as leader 120; misunderstanding with Halifax 120–1; relationship with Hillgarth 123–4; rejects peace proposals 126–8, 142; posts Halifax to USA 138–9, 140; appoints Eden Secretary of War 139–40; and German approaches to Halifax 147; and Dalton 151, 212, 213; and Bracken 151–2, 212, 213; Greek campaign 153–5, 169, 170; and Middle Eastern situation 159–60, 169, 200–1; hopes for German invasion of Russia 160–1, 171, 172, 200; orders Wavell to hold Tobruk 167–8; leadership challenged 169–70, 193, 200, 201, 202–3; optimism 195–6; and Hess’s arrival 207, 231, 250–4, 256, 257; statement to the House of Commons 259; and anti-war sentiment 269; and Hitler’s invasion of Russia 262–3, 269–70, 271, 272–4; broadcasts to the nation (June 1941) 274–5; rejects Himmler’s peace offer 282; supports Hillgarth’s bribery of Spanish generals 229–30; unsettled by Stalin’s knowledge of SOl’s operation 285; on Hess 192–3; on the Soviet government 262

  Ciano, Count Galeazzo 40, 63

  Clydesdale, Lord see Hamilton, Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, Duke of

  Colville, John (‘Jock’) 252, 273

  Cook, Thomas (travel company) 97

  Cooper, Lady Diana 139

  Cooper, Duff 94, 139, 169, 287

  Coulondre, Ambassador 246

  Cranborne, Viscount 35, 139

  Crossman, Richard 81, 210, 231

  Cunningham, Admiral Sir Andrew 154, 167, 170

  Czechoslovakia 34, 37, 38, 39–40, 41–2, 43, 68; Military Intelligence Service 116; government in exile 117, 210; pilots 226–7

  Dahlerus, Birger 49; peace initiative 49–50, 52, 53–5, 57, 76, 80

  Daily Record 233, 234

  Dalton, Hugh 101, 103; as Minister for SOE 101–2; friction with Leeper 102, 104, 212; and SO1 operation 111, 129, 149–51, 209, 210, 212, 231; presses for naval blockade of Spain 158; ‘reduced’ by Bracken 151–2, 212–13

  Danzig (Gdansk) 33 and n, 39, 42, 53, 247

  Darlan, Admiral Jean-François 246–7, 248

  Delmer, Sefton 255

  Dentz, General 159–60

  Deterding, Sir Henry 206

  Dienststelle Ribbentrop 27 and n, 37

  Dill, General Sir John 167

  Ditchley Park, nr Oxford 207–8, 250

  Doenitz, Admiral Karl 286

  Donald, Major Graham 240

  Dunglass, Lord (Alec Douglas-Home) 31

  Dunkirk, evacuation from 69, 70, 115n

  Eaglesham House, Scotland 234, 235

  Eccles, David 76

  Eden, Anthony: pre-war career 139–40; and Albrecht Haushofer 31; and German rearmament 34, 35; appointed Secretary for War 140; and Halifax’s report of German approaches 147, 148; Dalton voices fears to 149–51; and Greek campaign 154; in Cairo 154, 167; proposes Anglo–Soviet pact 172; and House of Commons debate (May 1941) 202, 203; at SO1 meeting (May 1941) 111, 209, 210, 212, 231; and Hess’s arrival 254, 257; Hoare’s letter to 122, 260–1; and German kidnap attempt 267–8

  Ekeberg, Dr 77, 78, 79

  Electra House, London 100

  Enigma code 171, 200, 264

  Feldt Stein & Co., Hamburg 5

  Forbes, Sir George Ogilvie 49

  Foss (Leeper’s secretary) 256

  Franco, General Francisco 72, 118, 123–4, 130, 178, 229–30

  Frank, Hans 259

  Franz Ferdinand, Archduke 6

  Freikorp Epp 8

  Fritsch, General Werner von 40

  Gaitskell, Hugh 81, 104, 107, 209, 231

  Galland, Adolf 244, 249

  Gardeman, Hans 272

  Gartenfeldt, Hauptmann 265

  Geographie Gesellschaft (Society for Geography) xxii, 29, 276

  Geopolitical Institute (Berlin) xxv

  geopolitics 9–10, 14–15

  George V, King 181, 182

  George VI, King 163, 182, 183, 184, 186, 213, 251, 259

  Gessler, Otto 57

  Gestapo 2, 59, 90, 280, 281

  Gibraltar 74, 118, 158, 176, 178

  Glasgow Herald 239

  Gloucester, Prince Henry, Duke of 183, 184

  Goebbels, Josef 1, 25; hatred of Albrecht Haushofer 27, 276; and German rearmament 34; at Anglo–German banquet 35; peace offers 57; propaganda broadcasts 105; and Hess flight 248

  Goerdeler, Carl 80 and n

  Göring, Hermann 11; and Munich Putsch (1923) 18–19, 20; at Anglo–German banquet 35; at conference on Greater Germany (1937) 40; and peace approaches to Britain 50, 142, 156, 157; and Hess’s flight 244, 248, 249; country estate visited by author 293–4

  Grand, Major Lawrence 98, 99

  Greece 153–5, 166, 169, 170

  Hailsham, Lord 206

  Halder, General Franz 271

  Halifax, Lord: stays at Reich’s official guest house set in Gӧring’s country estate 293; meeting with Hitler (1937) 36–7; and Haushofer’s letter to Duke of Hamilton 43; at Hoare’s briefing 72; heads SIS 101; and Dalton 149; misunderstanding with Churchill 120–1; appointed US Ambassador (1940) 31, 138–9, 140; and German peace initiatives 52–5, 62, 77, 79–80, 136–7, 140, 146–9, 162–4, 190

  Hamilton, Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, Duke of (formerly Lord Clydesdale): relationship with Albrecht Haushofer 30, 31; shows Haushofer’s letter to Churchill (July 1939) 42–3, 91; proposed as intermediary 89, 95, 186; Haushofer’s letter to (Sept. 1940) 113–16, 121–2; Hess’s letter to 132; and use of Dungavel House as meeting place 188, 199, 221; involvement in SO1 operation 218–20; Hess reads his Pilot’s Book of Everest 215; and Hess’s arrival in England 217, 221, 237; meeting with Hess 113, 238–42, 250–1; discussions with Churchill 250, 251–4; returns to RAF Turnhouse 255; interviews Hess with Kirkpatrick 256–7, 258–9; lunches with King George VI 259

  Hamilton, Dowager Duchess of 240

  Hamilton, General Sir Ian 89

  Hassell, Ilse von 190

  Hassell, Ulrich von 185, 280

  Haushofer, Albrecht: friendship with Hess 10–11, 28, 32–3, 38; early career 28–9, 31–2; friendship with Patrick Roberts 14, 29–30; as poet and playwright xxiii, 91; British contacts 30, 31, 220; early assignments 33–4; as adviser to Hitler and Hess 3, 9, 27–8, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38; arranges Anglo–German banquet (1935) 35; reports on ‘Germany’s Foreign-Political Apparatus’ 35–6; writes to C
lydesdale (1939) 42–3; reports on British reaction to German expansionism 46; and SO1 operation 82; told of his role in German peace proposals 88–92; meeting with Hess 92–7; letter to Duke of Hamilton (1940) 113–16, 121–2, 218; and Bohle 132, 133; meetings with Hoare (1941) 136, 162–4, 174, 175, 179; further negotiations with British 183, 189; meeting with Burckhardt 189–91; meets Hoare in Zürich xxv, 194, 198–9; last meeting with Hess 198; memorandum to Hitler xxv-xxvi; unaware of Hess’s flight 199; summoned by Hitler 248, 249; makes approaches to Hoare 260–1, 272; fortunes wane following Hess’s flight 275–6; relationship with Hitler 275–7, 279; flees after Hitler assassination plot 280–1; capture and imprisonment 281; contacted by Himmler 281; executed 282; body buried by brother xxi-xxiii; diaries found xxiii

  Haushofer, Heinz xxi–xxiii, xxvi–xxvii

  Haushofer, Karl: background 12; marriage 12–13; geopolitical theories xxiv, 9–10, 13–14, 15, 16, 22, 23, 24; visits England 13, 14; meets and influences Hess 8–9, 10, 15; first sight of Hitler 15, 17; hides Hitler after Munich Putsch 20; tutors Hitler xxiv, 2–3, 9, 11–12, 20-1, 22, 108; appointments obtained through Hess 27; theories influence Nazi policy 36, 38, 39, 77; contacts Ukrainian nationalists 38; meeting with Hess 87–92; receives letter from Violet Roberts 96–7, 109, 121; continues contact with Hess 191, 194; post-war interview 191; interrogation by Americans xxiii–xxiv, xv, 21, 198; interrogation by British Intelligence xxvi, xxvii; death xxvii

  Haushofer, Martha (née Mayer-Doss) xxvi–xxvii, 10, 12–13, 14, 198

  Hess, Alfred 5, 132, 236

  Hess, Fritz 5, 6–7

  Hess, Helene 136

  Hess, Ilse (née Prӧhl) 17, 38, 208, 215, 236

  Hess, Margarete 5

  Hess, Rudolf: birth and childhood 4–5; schooling 5; in Hamburg 5–6; bitterness at Germany’s World War I defeat 4, 6–7; joins Thule Gesellschaft 7; meets Karl Haushofer 8; influenced by him xxiv, 9, 10, 11, 21, 22; introduces Hitler to him 2, 8–9; friendship with Albrecht Haushofer 10–11; under Hitler’s spell 11, 15, 17, 18; involved in Munich Putsch 19; imprisoned with Hitler 20–1; input into Mein Kampf 21; as Nazi 1, 24–6; and Albrecht Haushofer 27, 28, 32–4; and Bohle 187; at Anglo–German banquet 35; relationship with Burckhardt 189; attempts to legitimise invasion of Poland 43; alarmed by report on British reactions to German expansion 46; discussions with Karl Haushofer on peace negotiations 87–92; advised by Albrecht Haushofer 92–6; and peace initiative via Violet Roberts and Duke of Hamilton 96–7, 113–15, 132–3; and Bohle’s involvement 132–3, 135, 188; additional flights 134–5; probable meetings with Hoare 135–6, 175, 177–9; preparations for flight to Scotland 143–4, 174–5, 177, 191, 193–4, 197–8, 199; relationship with Hitler 191–3, 194–5, 196–7; meeting with Rosenberg 206, 207, 213–14; last hours in Germany 214–16; flight to Scotland 216–18 221–3, 224, 225, 226–9, 231–3, 235–6; uses false name 236–7; in Home Guard custody 237–8; British reactions to his arrival xxvii–xxviii, 233–4, 242, 250–5; interviewed by Duke of Hamilton 113, 237, 238–42, 251; Hitler’s reaction to his flight xxvii, xxviii, 243–50, 255–6, 259–60; further interviews with Hamilton and Kirkpatrick 256–9; likely German rescue attempt 263–8; at Nuremberg trial xxvi, 112, 113, 286–7, 288–9; imprisonment 289, 292–3; knowledge of deception 289–90, 291–2

  Hess, Wolf Rüdiger 38, 208, 215, 291–2, 293

  Hess & Co. 5

  Hewel, Walter 243, 249

  Heydrich, Reinhard 35, 59, 61, 63

  Hill, George 102, 103, 266–7, 268

  Hillgarth, Captain Gareth Alan (agent ‘YN’) 123–4; report of Hoare’s meeting with Papal Nuncio 123, 125–6, 127; arranges transport for Hoare 130, 131–2, 133; at Hess/Hoare meetings 136, 175; and Franco bribery deal 229–30

  Himmler, Heinrich 1; as head of SS 35, 59, 60, 61, 248, 249; and the Haushofers xxii, 11, 27, 276, 281, 282; secret peace negotiations 63–4, 142, 156, 158, 190, 276, 281–2

  Hindenburg, Paul von 25

  Hitler, Adolf 1; Munich beerhouse speech (1920) 15, 17; speaking ability 17–18; and Munich Putsch (1923) 18–20; and the Haushofers xxiv, xxv, 2–3, 9, 11–12, 13, 15, 17, 20, 21, 22, 27, 32, 33, 34, 38; imprisonment and the writing of Mein Kampf 20–1; and Hess 21–2, 24, 25, 33; worried by British reaction to German rearmament 34–5; gives Anglo–German banquet 35; influenced by Albrecht Haushofer 35–6, 37–8; mistakenly believes German expansion will be allowed 36; meeting with Lord Halifax 36–7; disagreement with Karl Haushofer 39; and invasion of Czechoslovakia 39–42; secret peace

  Hitler, Adolf – cont. initiatives 44–5, 49–50, 53–5; against war with Britain 45–6, 48; makes public appeals for peace 49, 50–2; further ‘peaceable attempts’ 56–7, 58, 59, 64, 70; survives assassination attempt (1939) 61, 64, 67; and the Windsors 64–6, 70, 75; Reichstag speech (1940) 75; fourth peace offer 77–81, 87–8; changes bombing strategy 84; and Russian advances 85–6; diplomatic blunders 86–7; compares Nazi Germany to ancient Rome 91, 205; his involvement of Hess and the Haushofers in peace negotiations 87–94, 96; makes concessions 124–8; prepares for invasion of Russia (1940) 137, 141, 146, 154, 161, 205; deceived by SO1 operation 147–8; makes further peace offer through Hohenlohe 156–9; and North Africa campaign 166–7; and Gibraltar 178; suggests Bohle as possible future Ambassador to Britain 188–9; relationship with Hess 191–3; delivers major Reichstag speech (1941) 194–5, 204–5; prior knowledge of Hess’s mission 196–7, 198; and London blitz 202; and postponement of Russian offensive 205–6; and Rosenberg 214; reaction to Hess’s flight xxvii, xxviii, 243–50, 255–6, 259–60; meeting with Mussolini 270; and invasion of Russia 22, 271, 273–4, 275, 277–8, 284–5; views on-Albrecht Haushofer 276–7, 278–9; survives Stauffenberg Plot 280, 281; defeat 283–4; suicide 282

  Hoare, Sir Samuel (later Lord Templewood): friendship with Beaverbrook 204; as SIS agent in Moscow 102; appointed Ambassador to Spain 71–2, 74, 122–3; and the Windsors 71, 73; chosen by Albrecht Haushofer as negotiator 95, 115, 122; secret activity 111, 117–18; approached by Germans via Papal Nuncio (1940) 122–3, 124–6, 127; meetings with Hess 130, 131–2, 133, 136–7, 141–2, 143, 144, 175; and Hohenlohe’s peace initiative 155–8, 165–6, 172; meetings with Albrecht Haushofer 162–4, 175; trip to Gibraltar 176–7; and Hess’s visit to Madrid (April 1941) 177–9; meeting with Albrecht Haushofer (May 1941) xxv, 194, 198–9; approached by German agents 260–1, 272

  Hoare–Laval Pact 71 and n

  Hohenburg, Sophie Chotek, Duchess of 6

  Hohenlohe, Prince Max zu: peace initiatives 142, 156–9, 165–6, 172, 190

  Honecker, Erich 293

  Hong Kong Telegraph 234

  Hopkins, Harry 207, 231

  Hopkinson (Intelligence officer) 69

  Horn, Carl 236

  Hossbach, Colonel 40

  Hoyningen-Huene, Baron Oswald von 64–5, 75, 76, 119

  Ingrams, Leonard St Clair 81, 105, 150, 209, 210–11, 231, 242, 256

  International Red Cross 189, 190, 199, 248

  Ironside, General Sir Edmund 67

  Jodl, General Alfred 86

  Jung, Carl Gustav 188

  Kaden, Helmut 134, 135, 136, 143, 174

  Karinhall, nr Berlin 293–4

  Kell, Sir Vernon 100

  Kelly, David 137, 141–2, 144, 156, 158

  Kent, Prince George, Duke of: pre-war meetings with Nazi officials 181–3, 214; and negotiations with Portugal 183; involvement with SO1 180–1, 183, 187, 188–9, 199, 217, 218, 230, 231; car accident 242

  Kiel mutiny (1918) 4

  Kirkpatrick, Ivone 108; meetings with Hess xxvii, 254–5, 256, 257, 258–9; and the Haushofers’ deaths xxvi,

  xxvii

  Knatchbull-Hugessen, Sir Hugh 56

  Knickebeins 223–4, 234–5

  Lawrence, Sir Geoffrey 289

  Lebensraum xxiv, 3, 15, 21, 22, 41, 158, 172

  Leeper, Reginald (‘Rex’): involvement in anti-Bolshevik plot 102, 103; takes over Political Intelligence Department 102–3; relationship with Churchill 102, 103
; defeatism 103–4; as leader of SO1 103, 104, 106, 219; Gaitskell letter and origin of Hitler/ Hess deception 81, 82, 87, 104, 107, 108; assessment of war 150, 274; friction with Dalton 102, 104, 150; friendship with Strang 179; and involvement of Duke of Kent 189, 242; at SO1 meeting (Woburn, May 1941) 111, 209, 231; orders minutes not to be kept 256; and fate of German agents 266, 267, 268

  Leigh-Mallory, Air Vice Marshal Trafford 263–4

  Leitgen, Alfred 197, 245

  Lenin, V.I. 8, 102

  Lequio, Francesco 165

  Ley, Robert 1, 24, 276

  Liddell Hart, Basil 170

  Life Magazine: ‘The Mystery of Haushofer’ 11–12

  Lindsay, Sir Ronald 139

  Lippert, Rudolf 244–5

  Litvinov, Maxim 102

  Lloyd, Lord 206

  Lloyd George, David 139, 169–70, 201, 202–3, 269

  Lockhart, Robert Bruce: involvement in anti-Bolshevik plot 102; opinion of Leeper 103–4; as liaison to Czech government in exile 117, 210; works for SO1 117, 150; friendship with Strang 179; opinion of Beaverbrook and Churchill 204; records Bracken/Dalton quarrel 213; at SO1 meeting (May 1941) 209, 210, 231; views on Kirkpatrick 254–5; dines with Prime Minister 271–2

  London Blitz 201, 202, 231

  Longmore, Air Marshal 167

  Lothian, Lord 30, 31, 95, 115, 138

  Luftwaffe 83, 84–5, 108, 264

  Luton, bombing of (1941) 264

  Lutz, Franz 194, 198, 215, 244, 245

  Lyttelton, Oliver 139

  McBride, Daniel 234, 235–6, 237

  McCowen, Major John 263–4, 265–6

  MacDonald, Ramsay 31, 100

  Mackinder, Halford J.: theories adopted by Karl Haushofer 9–10, 13–14

  McLean, David 233, 234

  MacLean, Hector 241

  Mair, John 238

  Maiski, Ivan 172

  Makins, Roger 176, 178

  Mallet, Victor 44–5, 77–9, 80, 88

  Mann, Erica: interview with Karl Haushofer 191

  Mason-MacFarlane, General 176

  Menzies, Stewart 254

  Messerschmitt, Professor Willy 264

  Messerschmitt headquarters, Augsburg 134, 174, 199, 229

  Messerschmitt Me-110E 135–6, 174–5, 199, 216, 222, 224, 229

  MI5 100–1, 185, 218, 238, 255, 265; 20 Committee 219, 265, 266