Appeasement: Chamberlain, Hitler, Churchill, and the Road to War

by Tim Bouverie

Vain, arrogant, and shallow, Joachim von Ribbentrop had been trying to foster ties between the British and the Nazis since 1933. Born into the officer class of the old Wilhelmine Germany—though without the “von,” which he later bought—he had made his fortune by marrying the daughter of the largest German producer of sparkling wine, before going on to become the agent for such well-known brands as Green and Yellow Chartreuse, Johnnie Walker whiskey, and Pommery champagne. Having played a minor role in Hitler’s accession to power, the highly ambitious and, by now, devoted Ribbentrop managed to carve a niche for himself, in the early years of the Third Reich, as the Führer’s unofficial emissary and propagandist abroad. Initially, his political efforts were unsuccessful. Sir John Simon responded coolly to his advances, while other Government figures, such as Ramsay MacDonald and Neville Chamberlain, regarded him as an interfering parvenu. He was, however, favored by a number of leading hostesses, including Lady Londonderry and “Emerald” Cunard, and in 1935 successfully negotiated the Anglo-German Naval Agreement. On July 24, 1936, Hitler rewarded him by appointing him Ambassador