Examples of Appeasement

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The First Example

No action was taken to check the obvious German rearmament.

Lord Lothian, a Liberal, made this comment after visiting Hitler in January 1935:

"I am convinced Hitler does not want war...what the Germans are after is a strong army which will help them deal with Russia."

The Second Example

The Anglo-German Naval Agreement condoning German rearmament was signed without any consultation with France or Italy.

This broke the Stresa Front.

It shook France's confidence in Britain.

It encouraged Laval to look for understandings with Mussolini and Hitler.

The Third Example

There was only half hearted British action against the Italian invasion of Abyssinia.

The Fourth Example

The French did not mobilize their troops in the Rhineland.

They were deeply cautious

They were also divided

This is due to the lack of backing or response from Britain; Britain was impressed with Hitler's 25-year-peace offer.

Lord Lothian remarked that the Germans had merely entered their own 'back garden.'

The Fifth Example

Neither Britain nor France intervened in the Spanish Civil War.

Italy and Germany sent decisive help to Franco.

Britain tried to make Italy remove her troops by offering to recognize her possession of Abyssinia. (April 1938)

Mussolini however failed to keep his side of the bargain.

The Sixth Example

Britain and France saw the union (Anschluss) of Austria and Hungary as natural. (March 1938)

Though, they did protest strongly.

However, Britain's lack of action encouraged Hitler to make demands on Czechoslovakia - which brought about the biggest appeasement to date: Munich.

The Seventh Example

The Munich Conference, 29 September 1938

Hitler invited Chamberlain and Daladier to a four-power conference

Because war seemed inevitable

It met in Munich

A plan produced by Mussolini, but written by a German Foreign Officer was accepted :

Sudetenland was to be given to Germany immediately.

Poland was given Teschen.

Hungary received South Slovakia

Germany guaranteed Czechoslovakia

Neither the Czechs or the Russians were invited to this conference.

Czechs were told that if they resisted the Munich decision, they would receive no help from either Britain or France.

France had guaranteed Czech borders at Locarno.

This betrayal from France and this unsympathetic attitude from Britain led to Czechs becoming hopeless. They had no choice but go along with it.

Benes resigned.

The morning after, Chamberlain and Hitler had a private meeting at which they both signed a statement, 'a scrap of paper' promising to renounce warlike intentions and will use consultation to deal with any problems that may occur.

Chamberlain was welcomed back with rapture: "I believe it is peace for our time."

But Churchill called it a: "a total and unmitigated defeat." Duff Cooper, the First Lord of the Admiralty resigned from the cabinet, saying Hitler could not be trusted to keep the agreement.

They were right.

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