Appeasement and the First World War

Appeasement and the First World War

1. What is the meaning?

   • It was a policy of avoiding war with aggressive powers, like Germany and Japan, by giving way to their demands

2. two distinct phases

   • Mid 1920s-1937
     • There was a vague feeling that war must be avoided at ALL costs
   • After Neville Chamberlain became PM in 1937
     • Chamberlain believed in meeting reasonable claims by negotiating rather than force

3. IT FAILED MISERABLY

4. JUSTIFICATIONS

   • Many people felt Germany and Italy have genuine grievances
     • Italy had been cheated at Versailles and German had harsh peace; wanted to revise clauses for Anglo-German friendship.
   • Fear of communist Russia
     • Essential to avoid war
       • The British public opinion was strongly pacifist
         • Stanley Baldwin, the PM before Chamberlain, had won Nov 1935 election: "I give you my word that there will be no great armaments."
     • British conservatives were willing to ignore unpleasant Nazi features because Hitler was thought to be a buffer against communist expansion westwards
   • Britain was buying time to rearm because they were unprepared for war
     • Therefore they negotiated and tried to deter aggression through appeasement
   • Economic co-operation would be good for both countries.
     • If German economy recovered, Nazism would die down.
     • Personal contact between leaders encouraged
       • For the LON had failed
         • Chamberlain though he could civilize and control Hiter