Appeasing Hitler: The Diplomacy of Sir Nevile Henderson, 1937-39 (Studies in Diplomacy)

This study of Sir Nevile Henderson is the first in the English language, and challenges the idea that Henderson was hopelessly pro-Nazi and failed to pass on British warnings to the Hitler government about its behavior. Henderson was sent to Berlin in 1937 to try to build bridges to the Nazi regime, and tried hard to do this. But he ultimately recognized that the Nazi government was "a gangster regime," while fighting to the last to preserve peace. Sir Nevile Henderson has been vilified as 'our Nazi ambassador in Berlin'. This reassessment draws upon primary documents to overturn orthodox interpretations, arguing that history has overstated Henderson's influence. The origins of the Second World War remain clouded in Churchillian mythology. Sixty years on, Peter Neville's controversial book provides an essential reassessment of the appeasement myths by examining a central yet understudied figure. Sir Nevile Henderson has been vilified as 'our Nazi Ambassador in Berlin' by historians and popular memory alike. He has remained in disgrace despite the widespread historical rethinking of appeasement in recent years. Yet there has never before been a book-length study of Henderson despite his central role as Britain's Ambassador. Peter Neville's important reassessment draws upon primary documents to overturn orthodox interpretations. While Henderson's analysis of the Nazi regime was seriously flawed, history has vastly overstated his influence. In presenting the first full and close analysis of what Henderson himself called 'the failure of a mission', the author has made a pathbreaking contribution to the history of appeasement The origins of the Second World War remain clouded in Churchillian mythology. Sixty years on, Peter Neville's controversial book provides an essential reassessment of the appeasement myths by examining a central yet understudied figure. Sir Nevile Henderson has been vilified as 'our Nazi Ambassador in Berlin' by historians and popular memory alike. He has remained in disgrace despite the widespread historical rethinking of appeasement in recent years. Yet there has never before been a book-length study of Henderson in English despite his central role as Britain's Ambassador. Peter Neville's important reassessment draws upon primary documents to overturn orthodox interpretations. While Henderson's ANALYSIS of the Nazi regime was flawed, history has overstated his influence. In presenting the first full and close ANALYSIS of what Henderson himself called `the failure of a mission', the author has made a pathbreaking contribution to the history of appeasement. Based on close ANALYSIS of unpublished primary sources, Dr Neville's measured conclusion is not that Henderson did well, but that his influence as ambassador has been exaggerated and that no one else could have done better "Sir Nevile Henderson has been vilified as 'our Nazi Ambassador in Berlin' by historians and popular memory alike. He has remained in disgrace despite the widespread historical rethinking of appeasement in recent years. Yet there has never before been a book-length study of Henderson in English despite his central role as Britain's Ambassador. Peter Neville's reassessment draws upon primary documents to overturn orthodox interpretations. While Henderson's analysis of the Nazi regime was flawed, history has overstated his influence. In presenting the first full and close analysis of what Henderson himself called 'the failure of a mission', the author has made a pathbreaking contribution to the history of appeasement."--BOOK JACKET Neville has written extensively on World War II and the personalities central to it. Here he reassesses the role of the British ambassador to Berlin for two crucial years leading to the war, who has continued to be vilified though the interpretation of appeasement has shifted considerably over the past 60 decades. Neville does not say that Henderson did a good job, but that his influence was less than has been supposed, and that probably no one else could have done any better. Nevile Meyrick Henderson was born on 10 June 1882, the third child of Robert and Emma Henderson of Sedgwick Park, near Horsham, Sussex.