WW2 Your World War II Resource	War Stories "A People Without Living Room" (1939) Else Wendel Hausfrau at War (1957) INDEX
Russian Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov (seated) signs the non-aggression pact while German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, standing directly behind him, and Joseph Stalin, to Ribbentrop's left, look on.
	There was only one topic of conversation in the homes and cafes during those last days of August 1939, the Non-Aggression Treaty with Russia. It had come as a complete shock to all of us. Ever since the Reichstag fire in February 1933, Communism had been expelled from German political life. Members of the Communist Party had been bitterly pursued and put in prison. Russia was declared the arch-enemy. In February 1933 we had been told that Russia had prepared a revolution in Germany, and had it not been for Hitler we would all have been swallowed up in the Communist regime, and now, after six years of hate campaign, the Press suddenly declared unanimously that Russia had no wish to export her ideology to Germany. Nor did Germany wish to export National Socialism to Russia. The world, our Press said firmly,  was wide enough for both ideologies to flourish side by side .... Our feelings now were a jumble of relief and astonishment at this quick change. Towards Hitler we had nothing but admiration and respect. A man who had the courage to step over the abyss between Germany and Russia to prevent war was a man worthy of the highest praise. Mr. Wolter told us all to read the writings of Machiavelli. "Get a copy of Machiavelli's book Il Principe," he told me. "Keep yourself up to date. Learn about politics, my dear comrade-assistant. The key is 'no morals'; forget the Salvation Army; be ruthless and have no remorse. No price is too high for peace in your home-country." He said all this in a stern voice with a half-twinkle in his eye. Then he became gentler and added: "You know, in the long run this ruthlessness my be best. It's more merciful than a long 'decent, human' war, don't you agree?" I agreed. "In time you will get used to seeing the flag with the hammer and sickle flying in the Unter den Linden," said Mr. Wolter ironically. On 1 September 1939, however, my personal views changed. The radio and newspapers announced the attack on Poland. "You look like the Mater Dolorosa," Mr. Wolter said to me that morning. You want your sons to live, don't you? Well, how can they live if Germany is to be cramped up -- ein Volk ohne Raum [a people without living room]? Twenty years after the Treaty of Versailles and we are still separated from our own people by the Polish Corridor! Danzig is a German town. If the Poles won't give it back to us voluntarily, then, all right, we march in and take it .... "It's all trash when they accuse Germany of being responsible for the first World War, and say we must be punished. They talk of freedom to us, but where is freedom when a big town like Danzig can't come back into its Fatherland? Do you seriously think we would have got the Rhineland back if we hadn't marched into it?; or Austria?; or Czechoslovakia?; and our Army?; and our rivers; we weren't even masters of our own rivers till Hitler came! Now we have got our Army and no more foreign restrictions in our country." He looked at me with a certain pity. "But, of course, you women don't understand politics. You have to be hard and strong to grasp such things. Women have the brains of babies over politics. My wife is just the same." Somehow I just had to answer back. "But up till now Hitler has done everything peacefully. I do admire his foresight and diplomacy, as long as it means peace. But this is war!" Mr. Wolter commented, "No need to worry at all. You take my word for it, this war against Poland will be just a Blitzkrieg. It will be over in a flash." END