Edouard Daladier Historical Figure Nationality: France Date of Birth: 1884 Date of Death: 1970 Cause of Death: Natural Causes Occupation: Politician Affiliations: French Radical Party Turtledove Appearances: The War That Came Early POD: July 20, 1936; Relevant POD: September 29, 1938 Appearance(s): Hitler's War through Coup d'Etat Type of Appearance: Direct (HW); Contemporary references (W&E-CdE)

Edouard Daladier (1884-1970) served as Prime Minister of France on three separate occasions between 1933 and 1940. He also served as Minister of War at the outset of World War II. Following the fall of France, he fled to Morocco on the assumption that the government would continue the struggle from there, but was arrested by the Vichy regime. He was interred at Germany's Buchenwald concentration camp and at Itter Castle in France. He was released in 1944 as the Allied Forces liberated France. After the war he continued to participate in French politics.

He is perhaps best remembered for representing France at the Munich Conference, at which he approved letting Germany seize control of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia.

Edouard Daladier in The War That Came EarlyEdit

Edouard Daladier represented France at the Munich Conference. Though France, like Britain, was obligated by treaty to protect Czechoslovakia from German aggression, Daladier and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain were desperate to avoid the need to fight another war against Germany. Thus, both wereprepared to allow Adolf Hitler to seize the Sudetenland unchallenged. However, when news of the assassination of Konrad Henlein reached the conference, Daladier and Chamberlain both assumed Hitler had arranged the event to give himself an excuse to invade Czechoslovakia. He had not, but he seized upon the opportunity to do so anyway, prompting France and Britain to go to war with Germany.^[1]

Under Daladier, French troops did cross over into German territory in October, 1938. French military intelligence was convinced that Germany was far stronger militarily than it actually was, so little fighting was done on German soil.^[2] Once Czechoslovakia was subdued, Germany turned on France with a vengeance. Simultaneously, Germany invaded the Low Countries before invading France proper in an attempt to impliment the Schlieffen Plan, much as it had in 1914. Throughout much the remainder 1938 and into the Spring of 1939, it did appear that the German's would successfully take Paris. Paris proper was even subject to aerial bombardment. However, Anglo-French forces were able to finally bring the German drive to halt in April, 1939.

Daladier was often depicted as a puppet of Jewish interests in German propaganda.^[3]

After nearly two years of warfare which saw only the slowest of gains in forcing German troops out of France, as well as the loss of Norway to German occupation, Chamberlain and Daladier accepted a mid-1940 proposal made by Deputy Führer Rudolf Hess in which both Britain and France ended their war with Germany, and joined Germany's war against the Soviet Union.^[4] By the end of 1940, French troops were fighting in Poland and in the Soviet Union proper.^[5] This move was not universally popular.^[6]

Still, the new coalition was quite successful as 1940 passed into 1941. By mid-1941, French troops had pushed deep into Russian territory. However, Daladier made certain to keep his country's options open. In the Spring of 1941, the British military, in an unprecedented move, overthrew the government of Neville Chamberlain's successor, Sir Horace Wilson^[7] The interim government withdrew troops from Soviet territory, and declared war on Germany.^[8]

Daladier did not follow immediately follow suit. Indeed, for much of the rest of the year, Britain was concerned that Hitler might convince Daladier to attack the U.K.^[9] France did not follow this plan. Instead, Daladier continued France's war in Russia, while simultaneously taking steps in the event of renewed war with Germany. In the summer, France began supplying the Spanish Republic again.^[10] Closer to home, Daladier ordered the Maginot Line expanded from the Belgian border to the English Channel. The move was not unnoticed.^[11]

Daladier also began negotiations with the British^[12] and the Soviet Union.^[13] By the end of 1941, negotiations had been completed, and France ceased to be at war with the USSR. This became official one night when French forces launched green flares into the sky. French troops, despite German efforts, quickly surrendered en masse to the Soviets as part of the political realignment.^[14]They were then returned to French territory.

1. ↑ Hitler's War, pg.s 8-16.
2. ↑ Ibid., e.g., pgs. 36-39.
3. ↑ Ibid., pg. 377.
4. ↑ The Big Switch, generally at pgs., 200-220.
5. ↑ Ibid., generally pg 312.
6. ↑ Ibid.
7. ↑ Coup d'Etat, pgs. 152-154.
8. ↑ Ibid., pg. 187.
9. ↑ Ibid., pg. 189.
10. ↑ Ibid., pgs. 205-206.
11. ↑ Ibid., pg. 233.
12. ↑ Ibid., pg. 386.
13. ↑ Ibid.
14. ↑ Ibid. pgs. 389-395

Political offices (OTL)
Preceded by Joseph Paul-Boncour	President of the Council (Prime Minister) of France 1933	Succeeded by Albert Sarraut
Preceded by Camille Chautemps	President of the Council (Prime Minister) of France 1934	Succeeded by Gaston Doumergue
Preceded by Léon Blum	President of the Council (Prime Minister) of France 1938-1940	Succeeded by Paul Reynaud
Political offices (The War That Came Early)
Preceded by Léon Blum	President of the Council (Prime Minister) of France 1938-present	Succeeded by Incumbent

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