Reincarnated: Vive La France-Chapter 115: THE ANGLO-GERMAN NAVAL AGREEMENT

Sir John Simon stood with his back to the fire, squinting at the latest telegram from Berlin through a pince-nez that always made him look like a man who didn’t want to see things too clearly.

Baldwin, seated in the leather chair with his tie loosened and the edges of his uniform slightly rumpled, kept his eyes fixed on the fire.

"He calls it," Simon said, scanning the message with a half-smile, "’A civilized step toward mutual naval understanding.’"

He raised an eyebrow. "That’s bold, coming from a man who’s never worn a uniform or captained a bathtub."

Baldwin didn’t react to the jibe.

He simply nodded.

"What’s he offering?" Baldwin asked, voice measured.

Simon exhaled sharply, the paper crinkling in his hand. "They’ll accept the thirty-five percent cap, relative to Royal Navy tonnage. But..."

He hesitated.

"But they want flexibility. A special clause: should the Royal Navy reduce its fleet for any reason, Germany reserves the right to re-calculate their tonnage proportionally."

Baldwin’s eyes narrowed. "So we disarm, they grow."

"They’re couching it in terms of parity logic. Balance, not aggression."

Baldwin muttered under his breath, "Balance. Hitler’s version of it."

Anthony Eden entered the room at that moment, a fresh dispatch in his hand.

"They also want parity in submarines," Eden said, voice flat. "Though unofficially. Raeder’s pushing it through Ribbentrop. It’s not in writing, but the language is... slippery."

Simon took the paper and scanned it quickly. "No fixed ceiling shall preclude the sovereign necessity of undersea defense, to be discussed outside treaty terms."

He lowered the paper. "That’s a wink."

Baldwin leaned back in his chair, processing the information.

"Do we reply?" he asked.

"We do," Simon said. "But we ask for something back."

In Berlin, Ribbentrop read the British cable aloud to Hitler and Admiral Raeder.

The room was unusually quiet.

Hitler didn’t interrupt.

That was rare.

"They propose a gentleman’s understanding," Ribbentrop said, his tone careful.

"On the condition we limit submarine production in spirit, if not in letter."

Raeder, standing to one side with his arms folded, raised an eyebrow. "In spirit?"

"They want something they can tell the French," Ribbentrop explained with a slight smile. "A bone to throw across the Channel."

Hitler stood and walked to the window, his back to the room, silent for a few moments.

"And in return?" Hitler finally asked, turning toward his men.

Ribbentrop smirked slightly. "We gain British recognition of our right to naval parity. On paper, thirty-five percent, but effectively, a strategic seat at the table."

Hitler turned back toward them, a cold smile spreading across his face. "They’re asking us to lie politely."

Ribbentrop shrugged. "It’s called diplomacy."

There was a long pause.

"Good," he said, stepping away from the window. "Give them polite lies. And tell them if they sign this we’ll even delay the construction of the next cruiser class by six months. Optics, and all that."

Raeder glanced over, his expression unreadable. "You’ll delay?"

"Of course not," Hitler said with a dismissive wave. "But they’ll write it down. And we’ll nod."

Back in London, the final cable from Berlin arrived just after noon.

Simon read it aloud to the Cabinet.

"The Reich is prepared to formalize the agreement on the basis of thirty-five percent tonnage, with gentleman’s considerations regarding submarine parity and surface fleet reductions. Mutual recognition, not entanglement. The Reich further proposes joint publication in London and Berlin on June 18th, signaling renewed naval civility between our peoples."

Chatfield scoffed. "Naval civility. From the man who tore up Versailles with a speech."

Baldwin looked over the paper quietly, his mind already working through the implications.

"We’re not making friends," he said. "We’re managing risk."

Eden stood from his seat, pacing slightly as he ran his hand through his hair.

"They’ll use this," he said, his voice a quiet warning.

"They already are," Baldwin replied, his tone steady, as if he had already accepted the inevitable.

Simon folded the paper and passed around the final draft of the agreement. "They want to sign in London. Quietly. No ceremony."

Baldwin gave a small nod. "Good. Let’s not dress treachery in velvet."

THE ANGLO-GERMAN NAVAL AGREEMENT.

Final Draft (June 1935)

To be signed in London.

June 18th, 1935

Preamble:

The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the German Reich,

Desiring to improve relations by agreement on naval limitations.

Recognizing the right of sovereign nations to maintain independent defense forces,

Agree to the following:

Article I – Ratio of Tonnage

Germany agrees to limit the total tonnage of its surface war fleet to 35% of the total tonnage of the Royal Navy, as recorded on June 1st, 1935.

Article II – Notification

Germany shall notify His Majesty’s Government of all new warship construction within 30 days of authorization.

Article III – Categories of Vessels

The agreement applies to all capital ships, cruisers, destroyers, and aircraft carriers.

Article IV – Adjustment Clause

Should the United Kingdom undertake disarmament or reduction of naval tonnage, Germany reserves the right to adjust its proportional tonnage in line with the 35% ratio.

Article V – Diplomatic Recognition

The United Kingdom recognizes the sovereign right of Germany to maintain a regulated naval force within the limitations agreed herein.

Article VI – Duration

The agreement shall remain in effect for a period of ten years, subject to review after five years.

UNDECLARED SECRET PROTOCOLS (Not for Public Release)

1. Submarine Parity (Unofficial Understanding):

The United Kingdom accepts, in principle, the possibility of Germany achieving parity in submarine tonnage (100%), though no written cap is imposed herein. Both sides agree to ’limit escalation in spirit’.

2. Surface Naval Construction Delay Clause:

Germany agrees to delay public authorization of additional capital ships until after March 1936, as a gesture of goodwill and to avoid diplomatic complications.

3. Non-Disclosure to France:

Both parties acknowledge that the agreement has been negotiated bilaterally and agree not to disclose the draft or final terms to third parties prior to formal signing.

The final page was blank, awaiting signatures.

Baldwin stared at it in silence.

"By this document," he said slowly.

"We carve thirty-five percent of our deterrence into their hands."

Eden, seated across from him, replied evenly.

"And in return, we buy... what? Six months? A year?"

Simon, who had been pacing the room with his own thoughts, stopped and looked at them both.

There was a resigned clarity in his eyes.

"We buy... plausibility," he said, his voice softer now.

The deal was done.

The ink was dry before anyone had even fully grasped the consequences of what had been agreed upon.