Two Truths and a Lie: A Review of Munich – The Edge of War

While my novels at this point predominantly deal with The Great War, or, as it is now commonly called, World War I, World War II was the subject that really sparked my interest in history (especially military history). From playing Axis and Allies with my brothers and friends to watching the staple WWII movies of the past, like A Bridge Too Far and The Longest Day, I was constantly consuming content on this world-changing event.

As such, I am always on the prowl for a good World War II movie, and Munich – The Edge of War (streaming on Netflix) caught my eye. It focuses on the Munich Conference of 1938, where France and Britain negotiated with Hitler and Nazi Germany to hand over the Sudetenland (the Munich Agreement) to avert another war in Europe. Here’s my take on the film.

Truth 1: The Movie Is Based On A Historical Fiction Novel

The movie is based on the historical fiction novel Munich, released in 2017. The book and the movie adaptation center on three characters—two fictional and one real. Hugh Legat, portrayed by George MacKay (known for another war movie, 1917), serves as Neville Chamberlain’s (played by Jeremy Irons) private secretary at the British Foreign Office. His friend from Oxford, with whom he had a falling-out years previously, is Paul von Hartmann (played by Jannis Niewöhner), who works as a translator at the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Their paths will ultimately cross at the Munich Conference of 1938.

I have not read the book, but since the event doesn’t involve combat, I was curious how they would make it entertaining. It used the spy and espionage angle, the characters’ intricate relationships, and the authoritarian state of the Nazi machine to drive the drama. In this sense, it made for an enjoyable and entertaining movie. Especially considering that if you know history, you know how it ends. But for me, I enjoy these types of stories because it’s not necessarily the end that matters, but the journey.

Truth 2: There Were Secret German Plans

A vital component of the story's drama is the secret plans that reveal Hitler's intent not to stop with the Sudetenland. These plans come into Hartmann's hands, who is desperately trying to present them to Chamberlain and the British delegation. In doing so, he hopes to reveal Hitler’s true nature to prevent them from handing over the Sudetenland without a fight.

These “plans” actually existed in the Hossbach Memorandum. The document was a summary of a meeting in Berlin the previous year. In this meeting, Adolf Hitler clearly outlined his expansionist vision for Germany, intending to wage war with his neighbors to conquer territory. Furthermore, he believed Germany should not rely on other countries for resources and thought war was the only way to achieve autarky.

Bonus Partial Truth

In the movie, they clearly stated that the Czech delegation was not involved in the Munich Conference—this was only a half-truth. A small Czech delegation was allowed to attend, but they were not allowed anywhere near the negotiations. The Czechs felt that the British and French betrayed them to avert war.

The Lie: Chamberlain Wasn’t Appeasing Hitler to Buy Time For Britain

The movie portrayed Chamberlain in a very revisionist way. Jeremy Irons did a great job portraying Chamberlain as a peace-seeking humanitarian who wanted to avoid war at all costs. In reality, Chamberlain was neither very favorable nor likable. He truly believed he could outsmart Hitler and failed to see Hitler for his true nature.

In the movie, appeasement is portrayed as a tactic Chamberlain uses to buy Britain time to rearm. In 1938, Britain was not ready for war with Germany, and thus appeasement was a way to delay the inevitable. I was not a fan of this revisionism because it ignores Chamberlain's faults and his total misjudgment of Hitler. Peace for our time, the famous declaration made by Chamberlain when he returned to England by plane holding up the agreement Hitler had signed, was probably the most famous last words ever uttered in history.

Tossing aside the bits I did not like historically, the movie did a good job of bringing the Munich Conference to the screen. If you like spy or espionage movies, you’ll probably like this film.

Photo Credit: Reddit