Ernest Tennant
Ernest William Dalrymple Tennant | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 May 1887 |
| Died | 31 July 1962 (aged 75) |
| Occupation(s) | Merchant banker, industrial entrepreneur |
| Known for | Advocate for Anglo-German relations before World War II |
| Notable work | "Herr Hitler and His Policy: March 1933", "Herr Hitler's Constructive Policy" |
Ernest William Dalrymple Tennant OBE (5 May 1887 – 31 July 1962) was a prominent English merchant banker and industrial entrepreneur. He championed enhanced economic and political collaboration between the United Kingdom and Germany, emerging as a significant advocate for Anglo-German relations in the period leading up to the Second World War. Tennant received the honor of Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1919.
Early years
During the First World War, Tennant served with the Intelligence Corps, achieving the rank of captain.[1] Following the conflict, he was awarded the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1919.[1] As a prosperous merchant banker, he cultivated substantial commercial ventures within Germany.[2] His financial affiliations included institutions such as what later became Bank Leumi in Israel.[3]
Early connections
Tennant frequently traveled to Germany with the aim of strengthening trade relations between Britain and Germany.[2] Initially, he expressed support for Nazism, contributing an article titled "Herr Hitler and His Policy: March 1933" to Douglas Francis Jerrold's The English Review, a publication that maintained skepticism towards Nazis but showed admiration for Italian fascism.[4] In 1935, Tennant authored "Herr Hitler's Constructive Policy," which challenged numerous British media accounts of Nazi brutality as overstated propaganda.[5] He led a trade mission to Germany on 9 May 1934,[3] and on 20 September that year met with Adolf Hitler alongside industrial figures including Robert Vansittart.[3] Additionally, he traveled with Paul Rykens and Montagu Norman to Germany,[3] and was among four distinguished guests at a banquet hosted by Hitler on 19 December 1934, alongside Lord Rothermere, Esmond Harmsworth, and George Ward Price.[6]
In 1932, Tennant established a friendship with Joachim von Ribbentrop, frequently staying at his residence in Berlin’s affluent Dahlem neighborhood.[7] Leveraging his connection with J. C. C. Davidson, Tennant facilitated a meeting between von Ribbentrop and Lord President of the Council Stanley Baldwin in November 1934. Opinions vary regarding Baldwin’s response; Tennant portrayed it as favorable, while Davidson indicated otherwise.[7] Tennant suggested Baldwin undertake a visit to Germany; however, Baldwin declined and instead dispatched his Parliamentary Private Secretary Geoffrey Lloyd, an action Hitler interpreted as dismissive.[8] A subsequent meeting arranged by Tennant in February 1935 proved more distant, prompting Tennant to reproach Baldwin for inadequate diplomatic conduct.[9]
Anglo-German Fellowship
In November 1934, Tennant shared a meal with von Ribbentrop and British business leaders at the Savoy Hotel, an encounter that paved the way for the formal establishment of pro-German advocacy. This initiative culminated in September 1935 with the creation of the Anglo-German Fellowship (AGF), which brought together prominent political and commercial figures from the UK to encourage stronger relations with Germany. Tennant became the organization's inaugural secretary and acted as a principal financier, widely acknowledged as the driving force behind the AGF, which wielded considerable influence within Britain's elite circles. His connections extended to Richard Meinertzhagen, an original AGF member, through shared ties in merchant banking.
In 1934, Tennant authored an essay on Hitler featured in The Man and The Hour, edited by Arthur Bryant. He was present at the 1935 Nuremberg rally, alongside individuals such as Unity Mitford, although he was not ideologically aligned with Nazism and expressed early reservations about Nazi antisemitic policies. Tennant played a role in arranging David Lloyd George's 1935 trip to Germany, after which Lloyd George published a favorable account of Hitler.
Towards war
Tennant initially accepted Germany’s rationale for its Central European maneuvers, defending the 1936 Rhineland occupation in The Times. Nonetheless, he declined to join the pro-Nazi organization the Link in 1937. Alongside historian Philip Conwell-Evans, Tennant’s apprehension about Nazi Germany deepened, especially following the Anschluss, and by 1938 he privately regarded German policies as aggressively expansionist.
In 1939, with tacit endorsement from Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, Tennant was among several pro-German British envoys covertly dispatched to Germany to engage Nazi officials sympathetic to Britain. During a meeting near Salzburg with von Ribbentrop, he was informed that Britain’s guarantee to Poland was provocative and warned that "Germany is ready" should Britain pursue war.
Following World War II, Tennant was called upon to testify at the Nuremberg trials concerning von Ribbentrop.
Personal life
Tennant, born to William Augustus Tennant and Agnes Gairdner, resided at the family property known as Orford House. A cousin of Margot Asquith, he married Eleonora Fiaschi in 1912; they had four children before their marriage ended in divorce. In 1950, he wed Irene Adelaide Gage, daughter of Henry Gage, 5th Viscount Gage. His offspring included Vanessa Fiaschi Dalrymple Tennant (1919–1995), June Tennant (born 1921), Julian William Fiaschi Tennant (1924–1995), and Camilla Tennant (born 1930), who later became spouse to Anglo-Australian politician William Yates.
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- ↑ Griffiths, Fellow Travellers of the Right, pp. 77-78
- ↑ Griffiths, Fellow Travellers of the Right, p. 123
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedFellow117 - ↑ Griffiths, Fellow Travellers of the Right, p. 118
- ↑ Griffiths, Fellow Travellers of the Right, pp. 118-119