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Franklin Roosevelt and the Runciman Mission to Czechoslovakia, 1938: A New Perspective on Anglo-American Relations in the Era of Appeasement

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Notes

  1. Recent accounts are to be found in J. Charmley, Neville Chamberlain and the Lost Peace, Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1989

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  2. R.A.C. Parker, Chamberlain and Appeasement: British Policy and the Coming of the Second World War, Macmillan, London, 1993; and

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  3. P. Shen, The Age of Appeasement: The Evolution of British Foreign Policy in the 1930s, Sutton Publishing, Stroud, Gloucestershire, 1999.

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  4. Fullest coverage of the Runciman Mission is to be found in J.W. Wheeler-Bennett, Munich — Prologue to Tragedy, Macmillan, London, 1963 (second edition); and

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  5. T. Taylor, Munich: the Price of Peace, Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1979.

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  6. See also A.J.P. Taylor, The Origins of the Second World War, Penguin, London, 1963 (second edition).

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  7. D.C. Watt, How War Came: The Immediate Origins of the Second World War, 1938-39, William Heinemann Ltd, London, 1989, pp. 27–28.

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  8. D. Reynolds, The Creation of the Anglo-American Alliance, 1937-41: A Study in Competitive Cooperation, Europa Publications Ltd, London, 1981

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  9. C.A. MacDonald, The United States and British Appeasement, 1936-1939, Macmillan, London, 1981

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  10. W.R. Rock, Chamberlain and Roosevelt: British Foreign Policy and the United States, 1937-1940, Ohio State University Press, Columbus, 1988

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  11. D.C. Watt, ‘Roosevelt and Chamberlain: Two Appeasers’ International Journal, 28 (1973), pp. 185–204

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  12. W.V. Wallace, ‘Roosevelt and British Appeasement in 1938’, Bulletin of the British Association for American Studies, 5 (1952), pp. 4–30

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  13. B.R. Farnham, Roosevelt and the Munich Crisis: A Study of Political Decision-Making, Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1997.

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  14. There is also no mention of the Runciman Mission in standard American works such as R. Dallek, Franklin D. Roosevelt and American Foreign Policy, 1932-1945, Oxford University Press, New York, 1979 and

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  15. A. Offner, American Appeasement: United States Foreign Policy and Germany, 1933-1938, W.W. Norton, New York, 1976.

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  16. Watt, How War Came, pp. 25–29.

  17. House of Commons Debates, 1937-38, Vol. 338, 26 July 1938, Neville Chamberlain, cols 2938–2961.

  18. House of Commons Debates, 1937-38, Vol. 338, 26 July 1938, Neville Chamberlain, cols 2957–2958.

  19. House of Lords Debates, 27 July 1938, Lord Halifax.

  20. L.W. Fuchser, Neville Chamberlain and Appeasement: A Study in the Politics of History, W W Norton & Co, New York, 1982, pp. 66–67.

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  21. See also R. Crockett, Twilight of Truth: Chamberlain, Appeasement and the Manipulation of the Press, St Martin’s Press, New York, 1989 and

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  22. A. Adamthwaite, ‘The British Government and the Media, 1937-38’, Journal of Contemporary History, 18 (1983), pp. 281–93.

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  23. See Parker, Chamberlain and Appeasement; Watt, How War Came; and J.W. Bruegel, Czechoslovakia before Munich: The German Minority Problem and British Appeasement Policy, Cambridge University Press, 1973.

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  24. Parker, Chamberlain and Appeasement, pp. 134–139.

  25. Parker, Chamberlain and Appeasement, pp. 139–151.

  26. FO 371, Vol. 21723, C5297/1941/18. Berlin tel. 254 from Henderson to Halifax, 1 June 1938.

  27. FO 371, Vol. 21723, C5297/1941/18. FO minutes by Halifax, 9 June 1938.

  28. PREM 1/265, Horace Wilson to Halifax, 22 June 1938.

  29. FO 800/309, Runciman to Halifax, 30 June 1938; Halifax to Runciman, 1 July 1938; Runciman tel. to Halifax, no date; Runciman tel. to Halifax, no date. FO 371, Vol. 21728, C7273/1941/18. FO minutes by Cadogan (16 July 1938) and Halifax (16 July 1938).

  30. FO 371, Vol. 21727, C7304/1941/18, Prague tel. 380, Newton to Halifax, 20 July 1938.

  31. H.C. Debates, 1937-38, Vol. 338, 26 July 1938, Chamberlain, col. 2958.

  32. H.C. Debates, 1937-38, Vol. 338, 26 July 1938, Colonel Wedgewood, col. 2992 and Mander, col. 3031.

  33. H.C. Debates, 1937-38, Vol. 338, 26 July 1938, Geoffrey Mander, cols 3031–3032.

  34. Eg. A. J. P. Taylor, Origins of the Second World War, p. 210.

  35. Runciman Papers, University of Newcastle, Record 285, Runciman to Chamberlain, 7 May 1938; Chamberlain to Runciman, 10 May 1938.

  36. Elibank Papers, National Library of Scotland, Box 8808, Roosevelt to Murray, 25 December 1936; Murray to Roosevelt, 26 December 1936.

  37. FO 371, Vol. 20656, A93/93/45; FO minute, 31 December 1936; A147/93/45: memorandum, 5 January 1937 of issues to be raised between Eden and Runciman.

  38. PREM 1, Vol. 291, Runciman to Baldwin, 8 February 1937. ‘Conversations with President Roosevelt and Mr Hull’. Also FO 371, 20656, A1059/93/45.

  39. PREM 1, Vol. 291, Runciman to Baldwin, 8 February 1937. ‘Conversations with President Roosevelt and Mr Hull’. Also FO 371, 20656, A1059/93/45. See also Richard Harrison, The Runciman Visit to Washington in January 1937, Canadian Journal of History, XIX, August 1984, pp. 217–239.

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  40. Elibank Papers, Box 8809, Roosevelt to Murray, 17 June 1937.

  41. FO 371, 19836, A8677/3173/45. FO minute by Sir R. Vansittart, 11 November 1936. FO minute by A. Eden, 12 November 1936

  42. For the Quarantine speech see Rock, Chamberlain and Roosevelt; MacDonald, The United States and Appeasement; Dorothy Borg, Notes on Roosevelt’s ‘Quarantine’ Speech, Political Science Quarterly, LXXII (1957) pp 424–433

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  43. John McV. Haight Jr, Roosevelt and the Aftermath of the Quarantine Speech, The Review of Politics, 24 (April 1962), pp. 233–259.

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  44. For the Ingersoll talks and Roosevelt’s initiative see Rock, Chamberlain and Roosevelt; MacDonald, The United States and Appeasement; Reynolds, The Creation of the Anglo-American Alliance.

  45. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1938, Vol. 1, 16 April 1938 Anglo-Italian agreement. SD 741.65/536 London telegram 319, Kennedy to Hull and Welles, 15 April 1938; 741.65/5416 State Dept tel. 160, Welles to Kennedy, 19 April 1938.

  46. The Times, 27, 28, 29 June 1938

  47. E.g. Daily Telegraph, 21 July 1938.

  48. The Times, 6, 7, 9 July 1938

  49. H.C. Debates, 26 July 1938, Sir Archibald Sinclair.

  50. H.C. Debates, 26 July 1938, Neville Chamberlain.

  51. Cabinet Papers, 28 July 1938, CAB 36(38).

  52. FO 371, 21730, C7757/1941/18. FO minute by Halifax, 29 July 1938. See also MacDonald, The United States, Britain and Appeasement, pp. 89–91.

  53. State Department 760F.62/528: London tel. 699, Kennedy to Hull, 29 July 1938 (FRUS, 1938, Vol. 1 pp537–539).

  54. Runciman to Roosevelt, 28 July 1938 (PSF: Great Britain: AS), in D.B. Schewe, FDR and Foreign Affairs, Garland, New York, 1979, Vol. 6, May 1938–August 1938, No 1208.

  55. Runciman Papers, Box 284, Murray to Runciman, 27 July 1938.

  56. SD 760F. 62/508, State Dept tel, Hull to Roosevelt on USS Houston, 26 July 1938 (not in FRUS).

  57. SD 033.4111/13: memo on ‘Right Honourable Walter Runciman’ 22 January 1937.

  58. PREM 1, Vol. 291, Runciman to Baldwin, 8 February 1937. ‘Conversations with President Roosevelt and Mr Hull’.

  59. Pierrepont Moffat Diary, Houghton Library, Harvard University, 12 May 1938, quoted in MacDonald, The United States, Britain and Appeasement, p.90.

  60. Hull to Roosevelt, 29 July 1938, President’s Official File 20, referred to in MacDonald, The United States, Britain and Appeasement, p. 90.

  61. SD 760F.62/673 Prague tel. 233, Carr to Hull, 6 August 1938 (FRUS 1938, Vol. 1, pp. 540–544).

  62. SD 760F.62/556. Memorandum of conversations by Chief of Division of European Affairs (Moffat) 5 August 1938 (FRUS, 1938, Vol. 1, pp. 539-40).

  63. Moffat Diary, 6 August 1938, referred to in MacDonald, The United States, Britain and Appeasement, pp. 90–91.

  64. The Times, 17 August 1938

  65. The Times, 28 August 1938

  66. SD 7560F.62/1037, memo by Hull on meeting with Sir R Lindsay, British Ambassador, 3 September 1938

  67. Murray to Roosevelt, 30 July 1938 (PSF: Great Britain: Murray: TS), FDRFA, Vol 6, No 1211.

  68. Bullitt to Roosevelt, 17 August 1938 (PSF: France: Bullitt: TS), FDRFA, Vol. 6, No 1231

  69. Memo by A. Berle Jr, Asst Secretary of State, for Roosevelt, 15 August 1938. (PSF: State: Berle: T), FDRFA, Vol. 6, No 1225.

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  70. Speech by Roosevelt, Queens University, 18 August 1938. (Speech File: TS), FDRFA, Vol. 6, No 1234.

  71. FO 371, 21526, A6491/64/45, Washington tel. 324, Lindsay to Halifax, 18 August 1938. FO minute by Perowne.

  72. Mackenzie King Diary, 28 July 1938, National Archives, Ottawa.

  73. Mackenzie King Diary, 18 August 1938.

  74. SD 760F.62/589. Memo of conversation by Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Moffat), 19 August 1938 (FRUS, 1938, Vol. 1, pp. 548-49).

  75. SD 760F.62/597. London tel. 815, Johnson to Hull, 24 August 1938. (FRUS, 1938, Vol.1 pp. 549–551). Also Halifax to Lindsay, 24 August 1938, (Documents on British Foreign Policy, 3rd series, Vol. 2, 1938. No 679, p. 149.)

  76. FO 371, 21732, C8867/1941/18 FO tel. 242, Halifax to Newton, 27 August 1938. (DBFP, 3rd series, Vol. 2, 1938, No 704, pp.172–1175).

  77. SD 760F.62/628, London tel. 838, Kennedy to Hull, 30 August 1938 (FRUS, 1938, Vol. 1, pp. 560–561).

  78. SD 760F.62/634, London tel. 846, Kennedy to Hull, 31 August 1938 (FRUS, 1938, Vol. 1, pp. 568-69).

  79. SD 123 Kennedy, Joseph P/109, State Dept tel. 492, Hull to Kennedy, 1 September 1938. (FRUS, 1938, Vol. 1, pp. 568-69).

  80. Eg, SD 760F.62/640, Berlin tel. 410, Wilson to Hull, 1 September 1938. (FRUS, 1938, Vol. 1, pp. 566-67).

  81. SD 760F.62/660, Warsaw tel. 168, Biddle to Hull, 5 September 1938. (FRUS, 1938, Vol. 1, pp. 576–577).

  82. FO 371, 21733, C8715/1941/18, FO tel. 235, Halifax to Newton, 25 August 1938. (DBFP, 3rd series, Vol. 2, Nos 686 and 687, pp. 153–155).

  83. FO 371, 21733, C8796/1941/18, Prague tel. 471, Newton to Halifax, 26 August 1938. (DBFP, 3rd series, Vol. 2, No 695, pp. 164–165).

  84. Eg. A.J.P. Taylor, Origins of the Second World War.

  85. FO 371, 21735, C9278/1941/18, letter from Runciman to Halifax, 30 August 1938 (DBFP, 3rd series, Vol. 2, 1938, No 723, pp.192–193).

  86. FO 371, 21734, C9047/1941/18, Prague tel. 493, Newton to Halifax, 1 September 1938 (DBFP, 3rd series, Vol. 2, 1938, No 730, pp. 198–199).

  87. FO 371, 21734, C9047/1941/18, FO tel. 252, Halifax to Newton, 1 September 1938 (DBFP, 3rd series, Vol. 2, 1938, No 739, pp. 206–207).

  88. FO 371, 21735, C9280/1941/18, FO tel. 597, Halifax to Lindsay, 2 September 1938 (DBFP, 3rd series, Vol. 2, 1938, No 741, pp. 209–211). Also, SD 760F.62/706, Aide memoire, British Ambassador to Secretary of State, 3 September 1938. (FRUS, 1938, Vol. 1, pp. 574–576).

  89. FO 371, 21735, C9374/1941/18, FO tel. 608, Halifax to Lindsay, 6 September 1938 (DBFP, 3rd series, Vol. 2, 1938, No 787, pp. 252–253). Also SD 760F.62/719, memorandum of conversation by Chief of Division of European Affairs (Moffat), 7 September 1938. (FRUS, 1938, Vol. 1, pp. 580–581).

  90. SD 760F.62/715, London tel. 891, Kennedy to Hull, 9 September 1938. (FRUS, 1938, Vol. I, pp. 584–585).

  91. SD 760F/723, London tel. 893, Kennedy to Hull, 10 September 1938 (FRUS, 1938, Vol. I, pp. 585–586).

  92. SD 760F.62/732, London tel. 897, Kennedy to Hull, 11 September 1938 (FRUS, 1938, Vol. I, pp. 587–588).

  93. SD 760F.62/751, Berlin tel.431, Hugh Wilson to Hull, 12 September 1938 (FRUS, 1938, Vol. 1, pp. 590).

  94. The Times, 13 September 1938

  95. SD 760F.62/749, London tel. 907, Kennedy to Hull, 12 September 1938 (FRUS, 1938, Vol. I, p. 591).

  96. SD 760F.62/767, London tel. 910, Kennedy to Hull, 13 September 1938. (FRUS, 1938, Vol. I, p. 592).

  97. SD 760F.62/770, Prague tel. 186, Carr to Hull, 13 September 1938 (FRUS, 1938, Vol. I, p. 593).

  98. SD 760F.62/855, Prague tel. 193, Carr to Hull, 16 September 1938 (FRUS, 1938, Vol. I, pp. 605–606).

  99. Runciman Papers, box 354, Memo by Robert Stopford on the Runciman Mission (1968)

  100. SD 760F.62/1018, statement issued by State Department, 15 September 1938 (FRUS, 1938, Vol. I, p. 605).

  101. Farnham, Roosevelt and the Munich Crisis, pp. 106–107.

  102. FO 371, A7504/64/45, Washington tel. 349, Lindsay to Halifax, 20 September 1938 (DBFP, 3rd series, Vol. 7, pp. 627–629).

  103. Roosevelt to Hitler, 27 September 1938 (PP5780:M), FDRFA, Vol. 7, No 1303; Farnham, Roosevelt and the Munich Crisis, pp. 108–136.

  104. Viscount Templewood, Nine Troubled Years, pp. 325–326; W Rock, Chamberlain and Roosevelt, p125.

  105. H.C. Debates, 1937-38, Vol. 339, 3 October 1938, Chamberlain.

  106. K. Feiling, The Life of Neville Chamberlain, 1946, p. 325.

  107. See Runciman Papers, Box 293, for letters and telegrams of congratulation.

  108. Runciman Papers, Box 284, Murray to Runciman, 24 October 1938.

  109. Runciman Papers, Box 284 Murray to Runciman, 1 January 1939

  110. PREM 1/367, Chamberlain to Roosevelt, 8 November 1939.

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    Tony McCulloch

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McCulloch, T. Franklin Roosevelt and the Runciman Mission to Czechoslovakia, 1938: A New Perspective on Anglo-American Relations in the Era of Appeasement. J Transatl Stud 1, 152–174 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1080/14794010308656798

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