The document discusses the policy of appeasement towards Nazi Germany in the late 1930s. It outlines the arguments both for and against appeasement, as well as key events like the annexation of Austria, the Munich Agreement over the Sudetenland, and Germany's invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1939. While appeasement aimed to avoid war by allowing some of Hitler's territorial demands, it failed to deter German aggression in the long run and showed that Hitler's promises could not be trusted. By giving in to Hitler at Munich, the allies also betrayed Czechoslovakia but may have bought some time to rearm for the looming war.

1. Appeasement
The argument for and against it!

2. Appeasement
For
• Based on Hitler’s apparent
trustworthyness.
• Fear of communism. Hitler seen as a
buffer against communism.
• Memories of WW1. The people and
governments Britain and France still
had vivid memories of the carnage.
• Britain not militarily ready for war
against Hitler.
• Britain and France could not financially
afford a war now.
• Britain not sure of USA’s support due to
isolationism.
• Britain not guaranteed support from all
its Commonwealth.
• Treaty of Versailles seen as unfair.
Against
• The nations should “Make a
stand” against Hitler.
• Hitler had indicated he would
“tear up the Treaty of Versailles”
• Hitler had open plans to invade
the Soviet Union (USSR). Thus
Appeasement sent a message to
Hitler that he could act with
impunity.
• Hitler had seen how Italy and
Japan got away with armed
aggression.
• Germany was rearming – war
rather now than later.

3. Sudetenland
1938
Czechoslovakian fears:
•Edvard Beneš, leader of
Czechoslovakia was horrified at
Anschluss as he realised his country
was next on Hitler’s list.
•He sought guarantees from Britain
and France to honour their
commitment to prevent an invasion by
Hitler.
•France had a treaty with them and
Britain supported it.
•Hitler guaranteed he had no designs
on Czechoslovakia.
•However, Henlein, the Nazi leader in
Czechoslovakia, stirred up trouble
amongst Sudeten Germans who
demanded to be part of Germany.
•Hitler made it clear that he would
fight Czechoslovakia if needed.
•The news put Europe on full alert.

4. Preparations for war
• Czechoslovakia had a modern army and Britain, France and the USSR had
promised support.
• Beneš was prepared to fight as he knew that without the Sudetenland
forts, railways and industries, they would be defenceless.
• Tensions rose through that summer in Europe.
• People thought that war would bring heavy bombing like in Guernica with
heavy civilian casualties.
• Britain began digging air-raid shelters, magazines carried adverts for gas
masks and for air-raid protection.
• Neville Chamberlain tried to reassure the British public that he would not
allow another war.
• September 1938 the problem reached crisis point. Neville Chamberlain
flew to Germany to meet Adolph Hitler on the 15th.
• Hitler moderated his demands saying that he only wanted the Sudetenland
if a plebiscite showed in his favour of the German speaking areas wanted
union.
• Chamberlain was convinced that this was Hitler’s final demand.
• Hitler then upped his demands to wanting all of the Sudetenland.
• Chamberlain told Hitler his plans were unreasonable.
• The Royal Navy was mobilized.
• War seemed imminent!
• With Mussolini’s help, a final meeting was held in Munich on 29
September. Britain, France, Germany and Italy decided on the fate of
Czechoslovakia.
• Hitler got what he wanted. Czechoslovakia would lose the Sudetenland.
This was the Munich Agreement, Chamberlain’s “Peace in our time”.
• Hitler had gambled that the British would avoid war and won.
• On 21st October 1938, German troops entered the Sudetenland.
• War had been avoided.
• Chamberlain received a hero’s welcome home in Britain. Beneš had been
betrayed. And so he resigned.
• The ‘Piece of paper’ had been signed, but Hitler only saw it as a piece of
paper.
• The British people were not convinced and secretly, Chamberlain approved
massive spending on armaments for war.

5. The end of
Appeasement
•The British people were not
convinced and 93% did not trust Hitler.
•On 15 March 1939, German troops
occupied a chaotic Czechoslovakia.
•There was no resistance from the
Czechs. Britain and France did nothing.
•It was now patently clear that Herr
Hitler could not be trusted.
•This was an invasion of Czech
territory.
•Hitler now had his eye on Poland.
•Britain and France now guaranteed
Polish sovereignty and threatened
Hitler with war if he attempted this.
•The policy of Appeasement had
ended.
•Hitler, however, was convinced that
Britain and France would back off and
not resist him.
•War was imminent.

6. Was Appeasement justified
• Chamberlain believed in
Appeasement.
• When the choice came for war in
September 1939, he stood by his
convictions and declared war against
Hitler’s Germany.
• In 1938 the balance of politicians
agreed with Chamberlain.
• When Hitler broke his promises and
war was imminent, many politicians
abandoned Appeasement.
• Churchill and his followers had been
against Appeasement from the
outset.
• The failure of Appeasement has had
a profound influence on Allied
foreign policy since WW2 in standing
up against dictators.
There are 2 checkpoints to consider:
1. If Chamberlain had stood up to Hitler over the
Sudetenland in 1938, what could have
happened?
• Confronting Hitler would have been to
stop him as he was not prepared for a two
front (France – West and USSR-East) war
yet.
2. Did Appeasement buy time for the allies to
rearm (both Britain and France)?
• In 1938 Britain was not prepared for war.
• Chamberlain had been informed by his
military and intelligence forces that they
were not prepared for war and that it
would take many months to get there.
• Britain also had an exaggerated estimate of
German preparedness as they only had
45% of what Britain thought they had
according to intelligence reports.
• Appeasement allowed Britain time to
rearm, but not as fast as Hitler’s Germany.