Derek Pennington: The German Peace

His offer was short and crystal clear. He waited for their reaction. No more bullshit!

The three top Russians spoke quietly but urgently among themselves for a few minutes. This stretched to ten minutes. Finally it was Khrushchev who answered.

“Your offer is accepted,” was all he said. Then he smiled.

‘ That’s a first’ thought von Brauchitsch.

The conference now lost itself in details of dates, security, verification procedures, and other nonsense that von Brauchitsch largely left to von Mannstein to sort out. He was by no means sure if their offer would result in anything more than a few months reduced production by the Germans, and free insight into their manufacturing facilities for the Russians. That was the only risk they faced. At least the deadlock was broken. They would soon know how serious Khrushchev was.

An hour later they were all drinking vodka in the Russian living quarters. His offer had dramatically changed the atmosphere in an instant. The Russians were actually trying to be friendly!

A few more drinks and some Russian music started playing. Another drink and some of the Russian soldiers were called in by their officers to perform some traditional dances for the German guests, who were actually enjoying their first ever normal meeting with Soviet citizens. Most unexpected. And very interesting. Even a slightly inebriated Marshall Zhukov demonstrated his dancing abilities to a delighted audience.

Like von Altendorf, von Brauchitsch was also aware of how the Russian peasantry had been brutally treated for countless years. He looked around him. ‘Yet they are resilient. I really hope they see some meaningful change emerge from all this. If everything works out amicably, I think I would like to visit their country at some time.’

The vodka was truly awful, but the Germans forced it down. Don’t want to offend our hosts now that we have made this breakthrough! The Russians seemed to have an endless supply of the stuff.

During their get together, von Brauchitsch took the opportunity to surreptitiously return to Khrushchev the incriminating paper he had handed over at their last meeting. In effect he was saying, ‘Your trust has not been betrayed.’ Khruschev’s face showed no emotion, he simply raised his glass in a silent salute to the German.

Before the party started to break up von Brauchitsch found himself standing next to Khrushchev. He had the feeling that the Russian had deliberately manoeuvred himself to be there when he had seen the German interpreter with him. The new Russian Tsar touched him on the shoulder and smiled. Two smiles in one day!

Khrushchev then addressed von Brauchitsch through the German interpreter who calmly and coolly translated as if it were nothing more than a few comments the Russian was making about the festivities.

It was much more than that!

Von Brauchitsch was told emphatically that the bad old days of Stalin were a stain on the Soviet Union. Khrushchev himself had been forced to do things of which he was deeply ashamed. He was pledging to do everything he could to alter the Soviet Union in a meaningful and positive way so that it could eventually assume its place alongside the rest of Europe within, or shoulder to shoulder with, the European Alliance. Although he could not say how long this would take, it would not happen quickly. Such a thing could not even be mentioned within Soviet ruling circles at the present time.

The friendship and fair play displayed by Germany towards the Soviet Union, regardless of their conflicting ideologies, would forever be remembered by Nikita Khrushchev. He thanked von Brauchitsch.

He then calmly wandered away to drink more vodka with his compatriots leaving a wondering von Brauchitsch.

The following morning, suffering from hangovers varying from bad to very bad, the German delegation prepared to evacuate their living quarters before going to the airport. To their great surprise the senior members of the Soviet delegation appeared. They wanted to bid their new comrades a fond farewell, and give them a few bottles of the best Russian vodka to take back to Germany as gifts. The same drink they had enjoyed so much the previous evening.

To the horror of von Altendorf they also insisted on one last drink before their German friends left. There was no way the Germans could refuse. The vodka was already being poured!

Von Brauchitsch noticed von Altendorf go pale at the thought. He could not help but smile at this. That was one person he was not going to sit next to on the bumpy flight home! He can puke over somebody else!

The Russian arms control inspectors had finally gone home after three weeks. At one stage it seemed to Von Mannstein that they had been more interested in Germany’s night life, than inspecting the country’s armaments production. Albert Speer wholeheartedly agreed with him. Never known for his ‘partying’, Speer was glad to see the back of their wild and sometimes uncouth, visitors.

The two Ministers, and their underlings detailed to escort the Russians, nevertheless felt sure that the Russians had successfully accomplished their mission. They would be able to confirm to their superiors in Moscow that production had indeed been slowed down in the factories they had seen in Germany.

During the visit to the Junkers factory, von Mannstein had noted that the Soviets were in possession of very accurate production figures up the end of 1945. He wondered how they had got them, and mentioned the fact in his thank-you letter to Junkers. The Soviet figures for Focke-Wulf and Messerschmitt were much more inaccurate, as were those for tank production.

Now it remains to be seen if the Soviets are serious about arms limitation. Or if they ARE serious, will the ‘old guard’ allow any change?

The royal palace was pleased to announce that an invitation had been extended to the German Chancellor, Field Marshall Walther von Brauchitsch, to attend a ceremony in October at Buckingham Palace. He was to be invested with Britain’s highest Order of Chivalry, The most Noble Order of the Garter.

Traditionally, this day, 23 April, St Georges day, was the day such honours were announced.

This Order had instituted by Edward III in 1348, and was awarded by the British sovereign as his or her personal gift. In this particular case, a special Statute had to be passed, to enable the Chancellor to receive the award as a foreign Head of State. Prior to this, the only foreign nationals to whom it could be awarded, were foreign monarchs.

It was a singular honour for von Brauchitsch and it recognised his courage and commitment in, firstly, eliminating the scourge of Nazism in Germany, then later his leading role in creating a peaceful, prosperous, and strong Europe. This included the German success with arms limitation. All this was suitably described in diplomatic language.

What could not be mentioned, for obvious reasons, was the virtual elimination of communism in Europe, other than the Soviet Union. The current easing of tension between the Soviet Union and the western world was also attributed to von Brauchitsch, but again could not be officially recognised.

The British general election had seen Winston Churchill’s Conservative party returned to power with a greater majority. The five years since the last election had been good ones for Britain. Churchill unashamedly took the credit for this. The British people had never had it so good!

During his Premiership, it had given him a certain amount of secret pleasure to say no to the invitation by the US President Truman for Britain to join his ramshackle United Nations organisation. Truman was too liberal for his liking. He was also too often openly hostile to the existence of the British Empire.