Herr Hempel at the German Legation in Dublin, 1937–1945

Description

Dr Eduard Hempel was German Minister in Dublin from 1937 to 1945, the period known in Ireland as ‘the Emergency’. A conservative career diplomat who was only a nominal member of the Nazi Party, Hempel faced the dilemma of having to implement Nazi foreign policy whilst strictly observing the diplomatic protocols required by Ireland’s neutrality. He had to satisfy Eamon de Valera, the British government and his German paymasters at a time when Third Reich diplomacy lacked unity and was subject to interference from several competing mverick agencies: Ribbentrop and Veesenmayer were bent on fomenting rebellion in Ireland, while Admiral Canaris masterminded intelligence-gathering and espionage operations. In this engagng portrait, John Duggan describes and evaluates Hempel’s impossible mission, and throws valuable light on Ireland’s neutrality during World War II.

About the Author

John Duggan is a retired Lieutenant-Colonel and author of Neutral Ireland and the Third Reich (1985) and A History of the Irish Army (1989).