User:Jnestorius/Irish official condolences on the death of Hitler

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Existing articles[edit]

Irish neutrality during World War II#Condolences on Hitler's death[edit]

Ireland maintained a public stance of neutrality to the end by refusing to close the German and Japanese Legations, and the Taoiseach Éamon de Valera signed the book of condolence on Adolf Hitler's death on 2 May 1945, and personally visited Ambassador Hempel, following the usual protocol on the death of a Head of State of a state with a legation in Ireland. President Douglas Hyde visited Hempel separately on 3 May.[1] The visits caused a storm of protest in the United States.[2] Irish envoys in other nations did likewise, but no other Western European democracies followed Ireland's example.[3]

The Emergency (Ireland)#Relations with Germany[edit]

On the occasion of the death of Adolf Hitler, de Valera paid a controversial visit to Hempel to express sympathy with the German people over the death of the Führer.[4] This action has been defended as proper given the state's neutrality. Sir John Maffey, the British Representative, commented that de Valera's actions were "unwise but mathematically consistent".[5] Douglas Hyde, Ireland's president, also sent condolences,[6] an action which enraged the United States minister as no similar action had taken place on the death of the United States President, Franklin D. Roosevelt.[7][8] Yet all flags in Dublin were lowered to half-mast out of respect.[9]

Éamon de Valera#The Emergency (World War II)[edit]

Controversially,[10] de Valera formally offered his condolences to the German Minister in Dublin on the death of Adolf Hitler in 1945, in accordance with diplomatic protocol.[11] This did some damage to Ireland, particularly in the United States – and soon afterwards de Valera had a bitter exchange of words with Winston Churchill in two famous radio addresses after the end of the war in Europe.[12]

Eduard Hempel[edit]

Eduard Hempel (1887–1972) was the Nazi German Minister to Ireland between 1937 and 1945 — in the buildup to and during The Emergency (Second World War). When he was first appointed to the post he was not a Nazi party member but a short while after his appointment, the Berlin regime put him under extreme pressure to join.

Prior to his appointment, the Irish External Affairs ministry had specified that they did not want a Nazi party member as diplomatic representative; the solution to this requirement appears to have been that at the time he took up his position he was not a member of the party, but joined the following year, his NSDAP card being dated 1 July 1938.

In the Irish Times Correspondence of 10 March 2011, the late Charles Acton is quoted, ' Dr Hempel was I am convinced an old fashioned, career civil service diplomat, caught in the terrible dilemma of his times. Loving his country but hating the regime that had taken control of it, he felt he could do more good in the long run and mitigate the harm of the regime by remaining Minister and pursuing a course of utter correctness, than by resigning and thereby risking the Legation being run by a real Nazi.'

Michael Drury, on 25 February 2011 in a letter to the Irish Times wrote, "Official circles in Ireland recognised that Dr Hempel behaved correctly throughout his mission, given the narrow limits of his position. For example, he respected Ireland’s neutrality better than the American minister did. If he were regarded as having been “Hitler’s man”, I would not have been instructed, as an official of the Irish Embassy in Bonn, to attend his funeral in 1972." In further correspondence on 8 March 2011 he wrote, 'I agree that Dr Hempel ought to have resigned when pressured to join the Nazi party, but not all of us are endowed with heroic virtues. He had no need to use the “classical excuse” that he followed orders: he was not accused of war crimes.'

Drury's assessment of Hempel was however challenged by several other Irish Times readers, who pointed to evidence of the German minister's pro-Hitler, pro-Nazi and anti-Semitic outlook.

Hempel's time in Ireland is particularly noted for the incident at the end of his term of office when the Taoiseach, Éamon de Valera and Joe Walshe, Secretary of the Department of External Affairs, paid a visit to his home in Dún Laoghaire on 2 May 1945 to express their official condolences on the death of German dictator Adolf Hitler. Hempel was described as being distraught at the news, wringing his hands in anguish, although after his death his wife, Eva, accounted for the incident by saying that he was suffering from eczema. According to official papers released in 2005, President Hyde also visited Hempel, the following day.

In his eight years in post, Hempel sent thousands of reports to Berlin by telegraph and shortwave radio (the latter until he surrendered his radio transmitter in December 1943 at the insistence of the Department of External Affairs, and under pressure from the United States and United Kingdom). Some historians have stated that Hempel was involved in undermining the 1942 allied raid on Dieppe to failure by reporting Canadian troop movements on the south coast of England although this charge has been disputed.

In a 'Documents on Irish Foreign Policy 1941-1945' a letter from de Valera is quoted defending his contentious visit to Hempel following the death of Hitler. He wrote,"So long as we retained our diplomatic relations with Germany, to have failed to call upon the German representative would have been an act of unpardonable discourtesy to the German nation and to Dr Hempel," he said in a letter.

De Valera granted Hempel asylum at the end of the war. He returned to Germany in 1949.

Reference:[13]

Joseph Walshe#Second World War[edit]

On 2 May 1945, he and Taoiseach Éamon de Valera visited Hempel at home in Dún Laoghaire to express the Irish Government's official condolences on the suicide of Adolf Hitler.

Reference:[14]

References[edit]

  • Gray, Tony (1997). The Lost Years – The Emergency in Ireland 1939–45. Little, Brown & Co. ISBN 0-316-88189-9.
  1. ^ "Hyde (and de Valera) offered condolences on Hitler's death". Irish Independent. 31 December 2005. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  2. ^ Dermot Keogh (1989). "Eamon De Valera and Hitler" (PDF). Irish Studies in International Affairs, Vol. 3, No 1, p. 84.
  3. ^ "The Irish Nationalist And The Nazi: When Eamon De Valera Paid His Respects To Adolf Hitler". International Business Times. 10 September 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  4. ^ Commentary on Taoiseach Éamon de Valera's visit to the German Legation, 2 May 1945 from the National Archives of Ireland available here [1].
  5. ^ Gray, p. 233
  6. ^ Associated Press in Dublin (31 December 2005). "President sent sympathy on Hitler's death | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited". London: Guardian. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
  7. ^ On the death of President Roosevelt, de Valera made arrangements for a commemoration service in St Mary's (Catholic) Pro-Cathedral. The Ambassador said that he would not attend unless it was held in St. Patrick's (Church of Ireland) Cathedral, Dublin. Walsh tried to contact Gray, but was told that he was unavailable. Neither service was held. Since the Ambassador would be unavailable to receive condolences from de Valera, he sent his secretary to deliver his condolences rather than delivering them in person. He then instructed that flags be lowered to half-mast as a mark to respect to the late President.
  8. ^ de Valera had protested vociferously to the American Government about its "invasion of Ireland" when U.S. troops had landed in Northern Ireland.
  9. ^ (1997, Hawley) John D Kearney and Irish Canadian relations during World War II Heather J Hawley, University of Western Ontario
  10. ^ Griven, Brian (2006). The Emergency. London: MacMillan. p. 5. ISBN 978-1-4050-0010-9. Officials of the Department of External Affairs tried to persuade him not to visit Hempel, although the secretary of the department, Joseph Walsh, who accompanied him, did support the action
  11. ^ An Irish Statesman and Revolutionary by Elizabeth Keane (ISBN 978-1845111250), page 106
  12. ^ "Irish Public Service Broadcasting – 1940s: De Valera and Broadcasting". History of RTÉ. RTÉ. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  13. ^ Herr Hempel at the German Legation in Dublin 1937-1945, John P. Duggan, Irish Academic Press, 2002. ISBN 0-7165-2757-X
  14. ^ Nolan, Aengus (2008). Joseph Walshe: Irish Foreign Policy, 1922-1946. Mercier Press Ltd. pp. 289–296. ISBN 9781856355803. Retrieved 11 August 2015.

Draft[edit]

Events

  • De Valera and Walshe visit Hempel at private residence on 2 May 1945
  • Hyde visits 3 May 1945
  • What action did Irish ambassadors abroad take?
    • in Germany
    • other neutrals
    • Allied states
  • Walshe, FF supported; lower DFA officials, opposition parties opposed it
    • Asked what other neutrals had done, but after the fact.
  • Irish reaction
  • Foreign reaction
    • US almost campaigned for allies to withdraw ambassadors[1]

Analysis

  • Compare with FDR reactions
  • Compare with other neutrals (govt asked for their reactions, but after the event)
  • affected foreign view of state; UN membership refused.
  • why did Dev do it?
    • fastidious neutrality
    • personal liking for Hempel / dislike of Gray
    • symbol of independence
    • did he know how unpopular it would be?

In 2005, after President Mary McAleese compared Northern Irish "irrational hatred" of Catholics to Nazi hatred of Jews, she avoided answering questions about whether the government ought to apologise for de Valera's actions. The government said it had not advised her on the question. Michael McDowell, the Minister for Justice, said the apology reflected de Valera's "excessive zeal" to protect neutrality.

Sources[edit]

Eamon de Valera and Hitler: An Analysis of International Reaction to the Visit to the German Minister, May 1945 Dermot Keogh Irish Studies in International Affairs Vol. 3, No. 1 (1989), pp. 69-92 Published by: Royal Irish Academy Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30001759

Dermot Keogh http://www.historyireland.com/20th-century-contemporary-history/de-valera-hitler-the-visit-of-condolence-may-1945/ De Valera, Hitler & the visit of condolence May 1945 Issue 3 (Autumn 1997), The Emergency, Volume 5

Excerpt From “Irish Neutrality in World War II: Eamon de Valera’s Struggle to Protect Eire” An Independent Study By Matthew D. Sweeney 2009 http://history.hanover.edu/hhr/09/IrishNeutrality.pdf

Éamon de Valera expressed his condolences to both the American and German Ambassadors in Dublin 3 over the loss of their leaders. While many people across the world expressed similar grief over the passing of President Roosevelt, hardly any lost sleep over losing Hitler. De Valera’s expression of condolence to the German Ambassador was one of the most controversial and hated events in modern Irish history. De Valera certainly had no illusions about what the public reaction would be, and he actually expected that he would be highly criticized. Knowing full well what people would say, why would he do this? Was it his final “neutral” action before the end of the war? Was it in defiance of Ireland’s ancient enemy, Britain, which fought against Germany in the war? With Ireland having only recently won freedom from Britain, was the act meant to show how truly independent Ireland had become? In fact, the most likely answer lies deeper in the tumultuous wartime relationship that de Valera had with the leaders of the Alliance and their foreign delegations in Ireland, as well as with the rather congenial relations that he had with the German Legation. It is probable that de Valera’s condolences to the German Embassy in April, 1945, were due to his high regard for the German Ambassador, Dr. Edward Hempel, and for his antipathies toward the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, and the American Ambassador, David Gray.

Review: The Emergency, Neutrality and the Second World War Reviewed Works: Ireland in World War Two: Neutrality and Survival by Dermot Keogh, Mervyn O'Driscoll; Propaganda, Censorship and Irish Neutrality in the Second World War by Robert Cole; Con Cremin: Ireland's Wartime Diplomat by Niall Keogh Review by: Brian Girvin Irish Historical Studies Vol. 35, No. 140 (Nov., 2007), pp. 553-558 Published by: Irish Historical Studies Publications Ltd Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20547494

Review: The Privilege of Captivity Reviewed Works: That Neutral Island: A Cultural History of Ireland during the Second World War by Clair Wills; Propaganda, Censorship and Irish Neutrality in the Second World War by Robert Cole Review by: John-Paul McCarthy The Irish Review (1986-) No. 39, Contemporary Art (Winter, 2008), pp. 188-190 Published by: Cork University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/29736407 "By 1945, the Irish Taoiseach was to be seen shuffling awkwardly into Dr Hempel's ante-room, displaying a caveman rectitude that would have been"

De Valera's Use of Words: Three Case-Studies J. J. Lee Radharc Vol. 2 (Nov., 2001), pp. 75-100 Published by: Glucksman Ireland House, New York University Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25122320

Irish Studies in International Affairs The Anglo-American Alliance and the Irish Application for Membership of the United Nations Ronan Fanning Irish Studies in International Affairs Vol. 2, No. 2 (1986), pp. 35-61 Published by: Royal Irish Academy Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30001952 "contrary from his senior officials in the Department of External Affairs, who correctly calculated its repercussions, and it provoked bemused in- credulity on the part of Dr Hempel, the German"

"RTÉ Archives > Politics > De Valera Conveys Condolences". RTÉ.ie. Retrieved 11 August 2015.

"George Bernard Shaw's Letter to the Editor, May, 1945". Retrieved 11 August 2015. The Journal of Historical Review, Winter 1988-1989 (Vol. 8, No. 4), pages 509-511 Ronald Klett "It all sounds like an act from Victor Hugo's Hernani, rather than a page of modern world-war history; but Eamon de Valera comes out of it as a champion of the Christian chivalry we are all pretending to admire. Let us recognize a noble heart even if we must sometimes question its worldly wisdom."

"De Valera's condolences excessive zeal, says McDowell". The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 August 2015. "De Valera's condolences excessive zeal, says McDowell" Mark Hennessy Fri, Jan 28, 2005

Keane, Elizabeth (2006-06-04). An Irish Statesman and Revolutionary: The Nationalist and Internationalist Politics of Sean MacBride. I.B.Tauris. pp. 106–. ISBN 9781845111250. Retrieved 11 August 2015. Dev suspended Dáil for FDR death not for Hitler.

MacIntyre, Ben (11 May 2013). "Its refusal to resist Hitler still shames Ireland". The Australian. Retrieved 11 August 2015.

"Ireland Through European Eyes". DRB. Retrieved 11 August 2015.

De Valera's imprudent and infamous visit to the private residence of Hempel to offer condolences on the death of Hitler in May 1945 in line with his slavish interpretation of diplomatic protocol granted apparent credence to Allied propaganda that Ireland was pro-Nazi. Cumulatively this created an impression that Ireland was pro-German, but the prime motivation of de Valera and others involved in the framing and implementation of Irish foreign policy was to fortify Irish independence by strict observance of international law as they saw it rather than making common cause with Nazism or even post-war Germany. Germans and non-Germans none the less gained a strong super­ficial image of Ireland as a friend of Germany.

Girvin, Brian (March 2006). "De Valera's Diplomatic Neutrality". History Today. Retrieved 13 August 2015. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)

Yet on May 2nd, 1945, de Valera paid a visit to Dr Eduard Hempel, the German minister in Ireland, to offer his condolences on the death of Hitler. The visit outraged opinion across the world and has puzzled historians ever since. For critics it was a snub to democratic Europe; for apologists it was an act of statesmanship, reflecting the successful defence of Ireland’s neutrality during the war. Recent research shows that this was not a spontaneous decision nor was it a blunder. Shortly afterwards, de Valera wrote to Robert Brennan, the Irish Minister to the United States, asserting ‘I acted correctly, and, I feel certain wisely’. Some members of the diplomatic service attempted to dissuade him from the visit, but his political colleagues Frank Aiken and Sean T. O’Kelly supported de Valera’s decision. The government also approved the President’s decision to send his condolences to Hempel the following day. This action outraged David Gray, the American Minister in Ireland, as no representative of the President visited the American legation after the death of President Roosevelt.

External links[edit]

Category:1945 in Ireland Category:Independent Ireland in World War II Category:Foreign relations of Nazi Germany Category:Germany–Ireland relations Category:Acknowledgements of death Category:Éamon de Valera Category:Adolf Hitler Category:Controversies in Ireland Category:1945 controversies Category:Political controversies in Europe‎ Category:Diplomatic incidents

  1. ^ Fanning 1986 pp.39-40
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