In 1939, when many people had expected him to sanction a new pogrom, he held back, still hoping to reach an accommodation with Britain and France. Once the Reich was at war with the United States, the die was cast and the ‘final solution of the Jewish question’ rapidly took on a new form. By New Year, Hitler was no longer prepared to listen to Todt or anyone else proposing peace, unequivocally rejecting Ribbentrop’s suggestion that he should start negotiations with Moscow.
