Hitler's man in Dublin - Herr Hempel at the German Legation in Dublin: 1937-1945 - Book Review

Contemporary Review, March, 2004 by Robert S. Redmond

Herr Hempel at the German Legation in Dublin: 1937-1945. John P. Duggan. Irish Academic Press. [pounds sterling]35.00. 352 pages. ISBN 0-7165-2764-4.

The letter of credence dated 22 June 1937 from Hitler to King George VI, tells us something of the odd position of the Irish Free State at the time. It recommends Eduard Hempel as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the German Government. It hoped Hempel would 'earn the goodwill of His Majesty and deepen the bonds between the British and German people'. Hempel was a career diplomat who put protocol above all else. During his time in Dublin, he had to deal with different pressures. The Wehrmacht preferred to keep Ireland neutral. Other Nazi organisations had other ideas. Ribbentrop and Veesenmeyer, the coup d'etat expert, wanted to provoke an Irish rising on the lines of 1916. The Abwehr or German intelligence agency, introduced spies. All these things embarrassed Hempel.

There was also the attitude of De Valera, whose aim was the unity of the Free State with Northern Ireland. He was, nethertheless, cautious of all attempts by either Britain or Germany to offer this in return for involvement in the war. There were offers from both sides, but De Valera recalled unfulfilled promises made to John Redmond in 1914-1918. His actions were always tempered with 'a certain consideration for Britain'--a phrase which appears frequently in the book.

When the invasion of Britain was planned, it seems Hitler regarded the British Isles as one entity. Whether he sought a bridgehead on the island of Ireland and intended to invade there first is not clear. Nevertheless, he hoped for a Luftwaffe base for air raids on the west of England and Wales. On the allied side, Churchill tried several times to bring Ireland into the war and a British invasion always looked possible. The Irish Government, therefore, was on its guard against action from either side. De Valera declared that Ireland would defend herself against any attack. If it came from Germany, he would appeal for British help. If it was from Britain, he would call upon Germany. Ribbentrop wanted to provide the poorly equipped Irish army with British weaponary left behind after Dunkirk. When Hempel pointed out that this would breach neutrality, he was not popular with his Berlin masters. The IRA also complicated the picture with threats to invade the North. Hempel, however, had a low opinion of the IRA and could not see its value to Germany.

The 'certain considerations for Britain' were shown in a number of ways. Regular weather forecasts were supplied from Ireland. We know that Eisenhower made the final decision to launch the landing in Normandy in 1944 on the strength of a meteorological report. Few know it came from Blacksod Bay in County Galway. When Belfast was bombed in 1941, De Valera sent fire brigades from Dublin and DunLaoghaire to help 'our people'. There were escapes by British airmen across the border while Germans were held in internment.

Hempel would always do his duty to the Reich provided protocol was not blatantly ignored. A cousin of a friend of his returned from England in 1944 after working in an aircraft factory. He told Hempel about preparation for an airborne landing at Arnhem. How Hempel reported this we are not told, but the 2nd SS Panzer Corps was ready for action and not limping and mauled as Montgomery had expected.

This remarkable, informative and well researched book, with several valuable appendices supporting the text, tells us a great deal about the war from the German-Irish perspective. The one who emerges with the greatest credit must be De Valera who has long been notorious in British eyes for his visit to Hempel on the death of Hitler. De Valera probably came to regret this act and on reading this book, one might think it was more a token of personal regard for Hempel then an act of diplomatic nicety. De Valera was never so anti-British as he has been painted.