They didn’t want Britain and France to simply take advantage of Hitler’s sudden demise to mete out their own harsh justice on Germany. They needed peace assurances from these countries. And they couldn’t take their eyes off Russia in the east. Stalin was always waiting for any moment of weakness when he might pounce and tear away another piece of Europe at bargain basement prices. For the conspirators, cultivating friendly foreign contacts, and convincing them that the conspiracy was credible, was a vital part of the whole.
