I saw Vansittart after a six-week interval. I found him in a state of great anxiety. The situation in Europe, he believes, is exceptionally dangerous: 1939 is going to be a critical year (I heard the same from Cadogan the other day). Hitler and Mussolini are intoxicated by their success. They have lost their equilibrium and are preparing for crazy adventures. Hitler, in particular, is now setting global domination as his goal. Both dictators think that the time is ripe for action: they are gambling on ‘defects in armaments’ and ‘internal discord’ in Britain and France, as well as on ‘isolationist sentiments’ and ‘domestic weakness’ in the Soviet Union. Growing economic difficulties are also pushing Hitler and Mussolini towards foreign adventures. An explosion is inevitable in the near future, but where? In the west, most likely, but one cannot rule out the east either. If the Spanish government is finally crushed, Mussolini will immediately make heavy demands on France. He will be guaranteed the support of Germany. A decisive moment will then ensue for Britain and France. Vansittart believes that on this occasion the reaction of the two ‘democracies’ will be sharply negative. If the dictators try to resort to force, war will be a firm possibility. In this connection, Vansittart inquired about our position and asserted that the interests of Britain, France and the USSR are identical and that Hitler’s tactics are to crush one country after another, just as an artichoke is eaten one leaf at a time.