Economic Warfare
This is William Walker’s third novel featuring Paul
Muller his diplomat/spy protagonist. I reviewed his first novel “Danzig” a few
years ago and have yet to read his second. Our characters come on the scene in
late 1938 where neutral Switzerland is caught in a vice between England/France
on one side and Nazi Germany on the other. England is threatening to engage in
economic warfare against Germany, a war in which the Swiss economy would be
collateral damage.
The Brits seek out Muller to get information on the
German economy. Muller is set up as a lure to find out what the Brits are up to.
With the aid of Hilde Magendanz, an economist buried in the bowels of the Swiss
National Bank he hits paydirt. Hilde initially comes off as a “mousey woman” in
dingy office actually is not only brilliant but rather glamourous in high
diplomatic settings. It is no brainer to figure out that there would soon be a
romantic attachment between her and Muller.
Hilde discovers that the German economy is teetering
under the weight of armament expenditures that is rapidly draining Germany’s
foreign exchange reserves. Hjalmar Schact the Reichsbank president urges Hitler
to cut back his armament buildup which Hitler accedes to in part, but in the
end, Schacht is fired. Simply put Hitler had no choice but to go to war sooner
rather than later.
We find out that the Swiss are fearful that Germany
was planning an end run around the Maginot Line through Switzerland. Though
neutral Switzerland entered in a secret defense pact with France who would come
to its aid should Germany invade, something I did not know.
There is much more in the book and it makes for a good
read. Walker makes at least one mistake when he attributes the phrase “arsenal
of democracy” in 1939, when in fact Roosevelt doesn’t utter it until December
1940.
For the full Amazon URL see: Economic Warfare (amazon.com)
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