Appeasement And The Road To War #17: Britain’s Policy Of Appeasement

Question 1

What were the 8 main reasons that Britain followed a policy of appeasement?

Answer 1

1. “Versailles Guilt”
2. Failure of the LoN
3. Widespread Pacifism
4. Economic Weakness
5. Military Weakness
6. Lack of support from the dominions
7. Lack of reliable allies
8. Greater fear of communism

Question 2

Why did “Versailles Guilt” lead to Britain appeasing?

Answer 2

• Brits saw it as excessively cruel, imposing such terms as Article 231 (the War Guilt Clause) and territorial losses such as the creation of the Polish Corridor
• German action was therefore justifiable by many as a rejection of the ToV was deemed acceptable

Question 3

Why did “Failure of the League of Nations” lead to Britain appeasing?

Answer 3

• After the League failed to help the member state Abyssinia when they were invaded in 1935 (Italy was faced with ineffective sanctions), collective security was deemed dead
• Britain then realised they would not be supported at war

Question 4

Why did “Widespread Pacifism” lead to Britain appeasing?

Answer 4

• 11million Brits signed the 1935 peace ballot which advocated for international disarmament and proved the pacifist mood inside Britain
• To stay liked and in power, politicians followed pacifism to prevent war and keep the public happy

Question 5

Why did “Economic Weakness” lead to Britain appeasing?

Answer 5

• The Jarrow Jobless March of Oct 1936 where 200 men walked to London to present a petition against unemployment showed that the govt were worried by economic problems in the 1930s
• A pacifist public would want spending on welfare, not warfare

Question 6

Why did “Military Weakness” lead to Britain appeasing?

Answer 6

• Military expenditure had decreased from £692mil in 1919/20 to £185mil in March 1936
• Britain would not be able to afford the resources and materials necessary for their military to be prepared for war

Question 7

Why did “Lack of suppport from the Dominions” lead to Britain appeasing?

Answer 7

• In 1937 self governing nations withdrew their automatic support of Britain in the case of a general European war
• Britain were lacking essential diplomatic and military support from these large countries

Question 8

Why did “Lack of reliable allies” lead to Britain appeasing?

Answer 8

• France’s Maginot Mentality meant they were defensively minded and preferred to stay behind the safety of the heavily fortified Maginot Line, and the USA’s policy of isolationism meant that they would not get involved in European affairs
• Britain lacked essential diplomatic and military support from these large countries

Question 9

Why did a “Great Fear of Coumminism” lead to Britain appeasing?

Answer 9

• Chamberlain had “the most profound distrust of Russia” in March 1936
• Many believed that a strong Germany was needed to stop the spread of Communist ideas into the west which posed more of a threat to the industrialist, businessman, and householder than fascism did

Question 10

In what 5 ways was Britain’s policy of appeasement a success?

Answer 10

1. It prevented the outbreak of war multiple times
2. Britain needed to buy time
3. Britain was in a stronger position to fight in 1939
4. Germany deserved a fair deal
5. Greater fear of communism

Question 11

How did the “prevention of the outbreak of war” lead to appeasement being a success?

Answer 11

• Britain chose not to intervene in Anschluss as Germans were uniting with their own people
• Maintained a good Anglo-German relationship + prevented war

Question 12

How did “Britain needing to buy time” lead to appeasement being a success?

Answer 12

• Chief of the General Imperial Staff: “Our defences are so bad that we should go to any length to put off the struggle”
• Britain needed more time to rearm to stand a chance at war

Question 13

How did “Britain was in a stronger position to fight in 1939” lead to appeasement being a success?

Answer 13

• They had 20 more fighter squadrons in 1939 that 1938, and were producing 660 aircraft per month compared to 240 per month in 1938
• By avoiding war, they built up resources well

Question 14

How did “the fear of Communism” lead to appeasement being a success?

Answer 14

• Chamberlain: “Most profound distrust of Russia” (March 36)
• Needed a happy stronger Hitler to defeat communism and prevent its spread into Britain. Communism was feared more than Hitler.

Question 15

How did “Germany needed a fair deal” lead to appeasement being a success?

Answer 15

• Harsh ToV and principal of national self-determination was not applied to them (e.g occupation of the Ruhr in 1923) so they lost large plots of land
• They should be allowed to rearm and rebuild

Question 16

How did “Chamberlain took too long to accept that Hitler could not be appeased” lead to appeasement being a failure?

Answer 16

• He rejected agreed Berchtesgaden concessions and laid down more aggressive ones at Godesberg (22/9) a week later
• He could not be reasoned with and would never stop making aggressive demands

Question 17

How did “Extra years after Munich helped Germany more than Britain” lead to appeasement being a failure?

Answer 17

• The fall of Cz. In March 1939 helped Hitler’s economy and military and destroyed Britain’s militarily strong friend in Europe - Churchill; “Czechoslovakia sacrificed for nothing”
• Hitler felt powerful and free to do what he wanted without intervention of Britain

Question 18

How did “Hitler wanted to expand his territory” lead to appeasement being a failure?

Answer 18

• He saw that Britain and France wouldn’t react to the Anschluss after his invasion of the Rhineland: to Schuschnigg “England will not lift a finger for Austria”
• Appeasement encouraged his expansionism

Question 19

How did “Public Opinion” lead to appeasement being a failure?

Answer 19

• Only 28% felt appeasement would bring peace (Poll, Feb 1939)
• Appeasement wasn’t even effective enough to convince the British public

Question 20

How did “Loss of a potential ally in USSR after Munich” lead to appeasement being a failure?

Answer 20

• USSR were not invited to Munich agreement, showed Britain’s lack of trust of their diplomacy
• sowed the seeds for the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact in Aug 1939, USSR now trusted and supported Germany more

Question 21

How did “Opposition within the government” lead to appeasement being a failure?

Answer 21

• Fellow conservative Duff Cooper resigned after Munich as he was against appeasement and this was all too much
• Even Chamberlain’s party + govt had no faith in his policies

Question 22

How did “Did not guarantee long-term safety for Britain” lead to appeasement being a failure?

Answer 22

• War did eventually break out in Sept 1939
• the key principle of Chamberlain’s appeasement (to give into Hitler’s demands to keep the peace) had failed

Question 23

How did “Disturbing events inside Germany” lead to appeasement being a failure?

Answer 23

• Kristallnacht (Nov. 1938) where German Jews and their businesses were attacked by Nazis
• Public saw that Hitler was aggressive and turned against appeasing him