Midnight in Berlin Read Online Free PDF

that the German question could be settled peacefully and war avoided. The German government, he said – and abruptly stopped.
    Someone at the table had muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear, “Nazi regime.” The ambassador looked around to identify the miscreant.
    The German government, he continued, was both brutal in its treatment of opponents and highly aggressive in its pursuit of lost territory. Neither fact needed to lead to a wider war if the Western powers, principally Britain and France, pursued their diplomacy of containment. Hitler was many things, but not stupid. He did not want a European war, he was not ready for a European war and there would be no reason for a European war once negotiations had satisfied his demands.
    The ambassador looked round, seeking the usual nods of agreement, and prepared to end the meeting. Some people were staring at the ceiling, some down at the table. No one was looking at him. He closed his folder and got to his feet.
    â€œThank you, gentlemen,” he said.
    â€œThere is one thing you should know,” said Roger Halliday.
    He was sitting at the back and, as usual on a Monday morning, he looked hung-over.
    Sir Nevile sighed and sat down again.
    â€œI hear reliably that Field Marshal Blomberg has married. The wedding took place at the War Ministry on Saturday. It was in secret.”
    Halliday had the attention of the room. He rarely spoke at these meetings, indeed he hardly concealed his contempt for them, but when he did say something it was usually important.
    â€œWell, we must congratulate him. Blomberg is a fine general and, as head of the army, I, of course, know him well,” said the ambassador.
    â€œHitler and Göring were witnesses. There was no one else present except the general’s five children.”
    Sir Nevile picked up his folder and prepared to rise again. He would send a minute to London about Halliday. The man had been in Berlin too long.
    â€œReally?” he said. “That just shows how important he is to us.”
    â€œThere is a problem, however,” said Halliday. “His bride is twenty-seven – thirty-two years younger than him.”
    â€œThe old goat,” said Buckland. “Jolly good for him.”
    â€œUnfortunately, photographs of the woman of a pornographic nature have surfaced. They were taken when she was much younger. Worse still, the police have established that ten years ago she was working as a registered prostitute in Munich.”
    There was a silence while the meeting digested this news.
    â€œAre you sure?” said the ambassador. He was furious but determined to remain calm. This was typical of the man, waiting until the last minute to throw some scandalous piece of information into the meeting, as if it had any relevance.
    â€œThe Gestapo have the information and they are sure.”
    â€œHow do
you
know this?”
    Halliday sighed, shook his head and fished a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Smoking was forbidden in the ambassador’s meeting. He tapped a cigarette from the pack, put it in his mouth and said nothing.
    The ambassador turned to Macrae.
    â€œDid you know about this?”
    â€œNo. But Blomberg is Hitler’s favourite general.”
    â€œI know that. Can you check – find out what it means?”
    â€œIt means,” said Halliday, getting to his feet, “that Hitler is going to get rid of Blomberg and what follows will not be good news for the army – or for us.”
    He left the room. Sir Nevile turned to Macrae again.
    â€œI don’t think we need to get too worried about this. Find out what you can and report to me later today.”
    Like all military attachés, Noel Macrae had been reminded at the start of every posting that his role was not that of a spy.The Foreign Office spelt out this policy in unmistakable detail with a note that read:
    You should take the greatest care to avoid any action liable to create