preference for a strictly-defensive stance, which would leave its eastern allies on their own (That is exactly what happened in 1939 during the Phoney War). From Piłsudski's viewpoint, in the light of France's military plans, a non-aggression agreement with Germany would be the best choice for Poland. One of the most noted of Józef Piłsudski's foreign policies was his rumoured proposal to France to declare war on Germany after Adolf Hitler had come to power, in January 1933. Some historians speculate that Piłsudski may have sounded out France on the possibility of joint military action against Germany, which had been openly rearming in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. France's refusal might have been one of the reasons that Poland signed the declaration. However, the argument that the declaration had been forced on Piłsudski by French refusal to wage a "preventive war" has been disputed by historians, who point out that there is no evidence in French or Polish diplomatic archives that such a proposal was ever advanced.. Under the terms of the Treaty of Locarno, if France invaded Germany, both Italy and Britain would had declared war on France. Historians noted that when in late October 1933, rumours of a Polish "preventive-war" proposal were reported in Paris, their source was the Polish embassy, which had informed French reporters that Poland had proposed a "preventive war" to France and Belgium, but Poland and Germany had already been secretly negotiating. It has been argued that Piłsudski had the Polish embassy start rumours about a "preventive war" to pressure the Germans, who were demanding for Poland to abrogate its 1921 Franco-Polish alliance. The declaration would specifically exclude that alliance. Piłsudski distrusted German intentions on the whole but perceived Hitler's origins as an Austrian, rather than an anti-Polish Prussian, as a mitigating factor. He was quoted by the French military attaché in 1933 as stating that Hitler should stay in power as long as possible. However, he was also quoted by his wife as stating that the pact had only postponed a conflict with Germany and given Poland time to prepare. Negotiations A detente began between Poland and Germany in early 1933. On the Polish side this was promoted by Beck making what Moltke interpreted as "a veiled proposal for direct contact with Germany" in April 1933. Hitler for his part encouraged this by stating on 2 May 1933 by saying to Wysocki