GETTY/STEPHEN DAVIS British author Stephen Davis believes he know why Hitler may have stopped at Dunkirk

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Author Stephen Davis while researching the Second World War for his latest novel, I Spy The Wolf, claims he may have uncovered the reason why Hitler infamously and mysteriously stopped advancing his troops at Dunkirk – a decision some say was a crucial break for the Allied Forces. On May 24, 1940, the German army appeared to winning the war as Allied Forces were surrounded by land at Dunkirk. But instead of continuing the invasion, Hitler ordered his army to halt for three days, a decision that has puzzled historians for over 70 years.

GETTY German troops at Dunkirk

Those three days allowed British troops to evacuate across the English Channel to Dover, in Kent before planning their offensive. Now Mr Davis, speaking exclusively to the Express.co.uk, reveals what may have been behind the Nazi dictator’s decision to halt. He said: “When German forces began to trap British troops at Dunkirk, Mussolini, the Italian Dictator, informed Hitler that he intended to declare war against France and Britain.

On the day Hitler stopped the troops advancing his generals reported in their diaries that he was in very good humour and told them the war would be over within days or weeks Stephen Davis

“Hitler asked him to postpone the decision for a few days – why? “Was the information that Hitler believed, but didn’t share with his generals, that Winston Churchill, possibly accompanied by King George VI, were travelling to France to make a peace with Germany? “Records show that there were significant periods when Churchill and the King were not seen in public until the Prime Minister rose in the House of Commons on the June 4, 1940 [last day of the evacuation] to state his resolve ‘to fight on’.” Hitler's attempt at a peace treaty with Britain was rejected by the Prime Minister on October 10, 1939 after the Nazi's invaded Poland, but Mr Davis claims the dictator may have tried again during the Battle of Dunkirk.

GETTY Dunkirk buildings destroyed during the Second World War

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He added: “What is known is that on the day Hitler stopped the troops advancing his generals reported in their diaries that he was in very good humour and told them the war would be over within days or weeks. “Ten days after the German tanks began to attack France, General Jodl wrote in his diary that the Führer was “beside himself with joy” adding that he was “working on the peace treaty”. After which he [Hitler] told them he would make a “just peace” settlement with Britain.” According to Mr Davis a number of British aristocrats, at the time, sympathised with the Nazis and may have urged for a peace treaty with Hitler. He said: “A list of around 300 aristocrats, MPs and other influential people belonged to organisations sympathetic to or which actively co-operated with the Nazis.

STEPHEN DAVIS Stephen Davis researched the Battle of Dunkirk for his novel I Spy The Wolf

“For a few it was to encourage appeasement as a preference to war. “For some the intention was to preserve their property and privilege [if] after Britain had been occupied. “For others it was to realise their own anti-Semitic beliefs. “A number of titled aristocrats, some MPs, two directors of the Bank of England… belonged to these various organisations.” The 2nd Duke of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor, was reportedly a member of the Peace Aims Group and the Anglo-German Fellowship.

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