Chamberlain's Policy of Appeasement

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  • Created by: Vader26
  • Created on: 15-04-22 11:43

Chamberlain's Policy of Appeasement

Advantages

  • It made Germany feel 'listened to' about its grievances regarding the Treaty of Versailles
  • It could avoid war via negotiation, not action
  • The horrors of WWI were fresh in people's minds and appeasement seemed a good way to avoid repeating them
  • It was cheaper than war, and the British economy was still recovering from the Depression in the 1930s
  • Didn't have to rely on the League of Nations
  • Communism (under Joseph Stalin) was considered by some to be more threatening than Hitler. Keeping him 'happy' would leave Germany as a barrier between the USSR and Allies

Disadvantages

  • It made Britain look weak, which in turn made Hitler more confident
  • It suggested that Britain was prepared to betray othe cuntries, or reverse other decisions made previously (ToV) to make Hitler happy
  • It seemed to undermine Britain's key role in the League of Nations
  • Every act of appeasement (Rhineland, Austria, Czechoslovakia) made Hitler stronger politically, economically and territorially, which would be seen as encouragement of war

Evaluation

Ultimately, Britain went to war with Germany in 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland. This policy clearly did not work as it had to be abandoned. Furthermore, while war had been avoided in the past, had Britain declared war on Germany a few years earlier before he had expanded his Reich so much he may have been easier to topple. The policy eventually just allowed Hitler to gain confidence and make his Reich stronger.

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