Topic 1.2: Policy of Appeasement
During the 1930s, Britain and France followed a policy of appeasement - they gave Hitler what he wanted in order to keep the peace. So why did Britain and France keep on giving in to Hitler's demands?
During the 1930s, Britain and France followed a policy of appeasement - they gave Hitler what he wanted in order to keep the peace. So why did Britain and France keep on giving in to Hitler's demands?
Why Appeasement?
Chamberlain believed the Munich Agreement would appease Hitler. As the League of Nations crumbled, politicians turned to a new way to keep the peace - appeasement. This was the policy of giving Hitler what he wanted to stop him from going to war. It was based on the idea that what Hitler wanted was reasonable and, when his reasonable demands had been satisfied, he would stop.
Although historians recognize appeasement in the actions of Britain and France before 1938, the Sudeten Crisis of 1938 is the key example of appeasement in action. Neville Chamberlain was the British prime minister who believed in appeasement.
In 1938, Germans living in the border areas of Czechoslovakia (the Sudetenland) started to demand a union with Hitler's Germany. The Czechs refused. Hitler threatened war. On 30 September, in the Munich Agreement - without asking Czechoslovakia - Britain and France gave the Sudetenland to Germany.
Chamberlain believed the Munich Agreement would appease Hitler. As the League of Nations crumbled, politicians turned to a new way to keep the peace - appeasement. This was the policy of giving Hitler what he wanted to stop him from going to war. It was based on the idea that what Hitler wanted was reasonable and, when his reasonable demands had been satisfied, he would stop.
Although historians recognize appeasement in the actions of Britain and France before 1938, the Sudeten Crisis of 1938 is the key example of appeasement in action. Neville Chamberlain was the British prime minister who believed in appeasement.
In 1938, Germans living in the border areas of Czechoslovakia (the Sudetenland) started to demand a union with Hitler's Germany. The Czechs refused. Hitler threatened war. On 30 September, in the Munich Agreement - without asking Czechoslovakia - Britain and France gave the Sudetenland to Germany.
Reasons for appeasement
There were many reasons why Chamberlain appeased Hitler, but here are the main ones:
- The British people wanted peace - they would not have supported a war in 1938.
-Many of Hitler's complaints appeared reasonable at the time - especially about the Treaty of Versailles.
-Chamberlain wanted a strong Germany to serve as a barrier against expansion communist Russia.
-Britain's armed forces were not ready for a war, and they could not have helped Czechoslovakia anyway.
-Many people admired Hitler. In 1938, the American magazine 'Time' declared him 'Man of the Year'.
-Chamberlain remembered the slaughter of the First World War; he thought another war would destroy civilization.
Results of appeasement
Here are the main ones:
-Czechoslovakia was weakened. Poland and Hungary took other land.
- Britain gained a year to build up its armed forces, but so did Hitler.
-Hitler decided that Britain and France were afraid of him, and that they would not stop him whatever he did.
-Russia decided that Britain and France would never stand up to Hitler, and that war with Germany was inevitable.
-The people of Britain realized that they had been duped, and decided that war was inevitable.
-It improved the war morale of the British people, who knew they had done everything possible to avoid war.
Invasion of Czechoslovakia
On 15 March 1939, German troops marched into Czechoslovakia. They took over Bohemia, and established a protectorate over Slovakia. Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia was the end of appeasement. It proved that Hitler had been lying at Munich and it showed that Hitler was not just interested in a 'Greater Germany' (the Czechs were not Germans). On 17th March, Chamberlain gave a speech saying that he could not trust Hitler not to invade other countries. Days later, on 31st March, Chamberlain guaranteed to defend Poland if Germany invaded.
Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/ir1/chamberlainandappeasementrev1.shtml
There were many reasons why Chamberlain appeased Hitler, but here are the main ones:
- The British people wanted peace - they would not have supported a war in 1938.
-Many of Hitler's complaints appeared reasonable at the time - especially about the Treaty of Versailles.
-Chamberlain wanted a strong Germany to serve as a barrier against expansion communist Russia.
-Britain's armed forces were not ready for a war, and they could not have helped Czechoslovakia anyway.
-Many people admired Hitler. In 1938, the American magazine 'Time' declared him 'Man of the Year'.
-Chamberlain remembered the slaughter of the First World War; he thought another war would destroy civilization.
Results of appeasement
Here are the main ones:
-Czechoslovakia was weakened. Poland and Hungary took other land.
- Britain gained a year to build up its armed forces, but so did Hitler.
-Hitler decided that Britain and France were afraid of him, and that they would not stop him whatever he did.
-Russia decided that Britain and France would never stand up to Hitler, and that war with Germany was inevitable.
-The people of Britain realized that they had been duped, and decided that war was inevitable.
-It improved the war morale of the British people, who knew they had done everything possible to avoid war.
Invasion of Czechoslovakia
On 15 March 1939, German troops marched into Czechoslovakia. They took over Bohemia, and established a protectorate over Slovakia. Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia was the end of appeasement. It proved that Hitler had been lying at Munich and it showed that Hitler was not just interested in a 'Greater Germany' (the Czechs were not Germans). On 17th March, Chamberlain gave a speech saying that he could not trust Hitler not to invade other countries. Days later, on 31st March, Chamberlain guaranteed to defend Poland if Germany invaded.
Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/ir1/chamberlainandappeasementrev1.shtml