Reincarnated: Vive La France-Chapter 192: Diplomacy however frail is the last defence against a world once more descending into madness.

Chapter 192: Diplomacy however frail is the last defence against a world once more descending into madness.

13 January 1937.

London, House of Commons

A bone-deep chill swept through the streets of Westminster.

Inside the neo-Gothic shell of the Palace of Westminster.

It was the first parliamentary session of the New Year, but the mood was far from festive.

The chamber slowly filled with Members of Parliament, scarves tucked into waistcoats, brows furrowed more from global tension than weather.

The world had changed too much, too quickly.

At exactly three o’clock, the Speaker entered and the low murmur subsided into silence.

The session opened with formalities.

But everyone waited for the same man.

Anthony Eden, the Foreign Secretary, rose to speak.

At 39, Eden was striking in both dress and demeanor meticulously tailored, soft-spoken, a man of diplomacy rather than bombast.

But today, his usually calm eyes held a certain conviction.

"Mr. Speaker," he began, "the future of Europe hangs in the balance. Germany stands at a crossroads, possessing the power to influence a choice that will decide not only her fate but that of the entire continent. Should she choose cooperation with other nations full and equal cooperation there is no one in this country who will not assist wholeheartedly in removing misunderstandings and paving the way for peace and prosperity."

The chamber murmured in approval.

A few MPs even tapped their order papers lightly on the benches, the Commons’ understated version of applause.

But not all were satisfied.

From the Labour benches rose Clement Attlee, modest in appearance yet sharp of tongue.

His small stature belied his force of will.

"Mr. Eden," he said, "while your words are commendable, actions speak louder. How do we ensure that Germany’s cooperation is genuine and not a facade for ulterior motives? The world remembers too well the illusions before 1914."

Eden nodded. "Mr. Attlee, your caution is well-placed. Vigilance must be our watchword. Diplomacy cannot be blind. We shall engage in open dialoguebbut our hand of peace will be extended with our eyes wide open, and our defences in readiness."

On the press benches, pens scratched furiously.

In a tucked-away office nearby...

John Winthrope, Eden’s private secretary, stood with a telegram freshly decoded from Berlin.

"Foreign Office, 9:20 AM Dispatch," he read aloud. "From Sir Nevile Henderson. German rearmament continues at an accelerated pace. Goring frequently quotes We shall not be restrained by foreign decrees.’" freēnovelkiss.com

Eden scanned it silently, his jaw tightening.

"And yet," he murmured, "they profess a desire for peace in every communiqué to us."

Winthrope folded his hands behind his back. "Do you believe them, sir?"

Eden’s gaze drifted to the foggy window. "I believe they desire peace... on their terms. But peace that crushes the independence of others is simply conquest by another name."

Back in the Commons

David Lloyd George, older now but still shrewd, cleared his throat.

"Mr. Speaker, I must remind this House that we’ve heard the siren song of rearmament before. We must not sleepwalk again. The power of words must be matched by steel diplomatically and militarily."

A few gasps Lloyd George rarely intervened these days.

His voice still carried weight.

Attlee rose again.

"Is the government prepared to set clear lines, Mr. Eden? That if Germany crosses certain thresholds, Britain will respond not merely protest?"

Eden’s reply was calm but deliberate.

"Let us not speak lightly of thresholds, Mr. Attlee. But yes, we are defining them. And if they are crossed, we will not meet aggression with passivity."

Later that evening, in a quiet study room of the Commons Library...

A young Conservative backbencher, Robert Taverner, was deep in conversation with Ellen Markham, one of the first women in Parliament, representing Labour.

"You heard Eden," Taverner said, lighting a cigarette with trembling fingers. "He said all the right things. But I keep wondering does anyone in Berlin care what we say anymore?"

Ellen leaned forward. "I think Eden believes they might listen. But we must act as though they won’t."

Taverner exhaled smoke toward the ceiling. "Funny, isn’t it? We beat Germany twenty years ago, and now the fear feels worse."

Ellen gave a bitter smile. "Because the shadows grow deeper in silence. And because this time... we know too well what comes when men believe themselves gods."

At 10 Downing Street later that night

Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin sat before a crackling fire, listening as Eden debriefed.

"They applauded, Anthony," Baldwin said, swirling the cognac in his glass. "But applause is cheap. What’s your real read on Berlin?"

Eden hesitated.

"Hitler is consolidating power at an alarming pace. The reoccupation of the Rhineland should have prompted a stronger response from France or us. Instead, it emboldened him. I believe he sees appeasement not as generosity but as weakness."

Baldwin sighed. "You’re advocating for rearmament?"

"Yes. Quietly. Subtly. But certainly."

"Even though the public isn’t ready."

Eden looked down at the flames. "They must become ready, Prime Minister. Before history repeats itself."

In Berlin same day, same hour

Across the Channel, in a shadowed office in the Wilhelmstraße, Joachim von Ribbentrop reported to Adolf Hitler.

"Eden addressed the Commons today," Ribbentrop said. "The British posture remains firm in rhetoric, but we sense no immediate threat of action. They still wish to believe in peace."

Hitler chuckled.

"Then let them believe it. Until it is too late to do otherwise."

14 January 1937.

The Times, London

"Eden Urges Europe Toward Peace; Stresses British Vigilance"

"...In a measured yet forceful speech, Mr. Eden warned of the dangers of unchecked nationalism and reaffirmed Britain’s readiness to support peace but not at the cost of passivity in the face of aggression..."

And for the public, the phrase still prevailed

"Peace in our time."

Eden’s diary, entry dated 13 January 1937

Tonight I spoke for peace, and yet I fear the hour is already too late. We extend our hand toward cooperation but how does one shake hands with a clenched fist? Still, I must try. For to abandon diplomacy is to invite catastrophe, and diplomacy however frail is the last defence against a world once more descending into madness.