nouncing his intention of invading Western Europe sooner or
later. Göring had to admit that once again Hitler was proving to
be right. Hitler planned in three weeks’ time to launch the
mightiest onslaught in history on Russia, and for this he would
approach almost every one of Russia’s western neighbors for as-
sistance. Only the Swedes would not be invited “Their ruling
class is basically pro-British,” Hitler explained to Julius Schnurre
in mid-May. “Even the Reichsmarschall has been cured of his
infatuation for Sweden.”
Göring spent five hours with him and Jeschonnek on June
. The new campaign was going to be some party, and it was time
to start sending out invitations. On June , Hitler dropped a
broad hint to Mussolini. On the third, after again consulting all
afternoon with Göring, he tipped off the Japanese ambassador.
The RSVPs trickled in: Hungary and Romania, eager to assist;
the Finns, glad to join in. A few days later the high command
sent out invitations to forty of Hitler’s top commanders to at-
tend a meeting at the Berlin Chancellery on the fourteenth. Al-
most at the same time, Birger Dahlerus received in Stockholm
what he described immediately, on June , to the British envoy
there as “a rather cryptic message... which seems to indicate
Germany will attack Russia by about June .” The message,
Dahlerus said, had been telephoned to him by a mutual ac-
quaintance who had just arrived in Stockholm from Berlin.
From American files it is plain that Dahlerus had also notified
the American legation “Dahlerus... had it first hand from
Göring that Germany meant to attack Russia almost at once.”
The historic briefing session began at : .. Göring
wrote in his diary, “Führer briefing. Rehearse attack on Russia
with high command (OKW), War Dept., Admiralty, all army
groups, Luftflotten and staffs present.” After lunch, the “dis-
cussions continued.” Hitler explained more or less convincingly