Reasons & Acts of Appeasement
History: Cambridge International GCSE The Twentieth Century (Option B), topic 3.3.5
Reasons for Appeasement
Appeasement was pursued by France and Britain. Politicians made concessions to Hitler to avoid war. There were several reasons for appeasement:
Pacifism
- After the destruction of WW1, the British and French public did not want another war.
- This was furthered by the impact of the Great Depression.
Memory of Versailles
- In Britain, many thought Versailles had been too punitive.
- They believed Hitler should be allowed to overturn Versailles.
Not ready for war
- Both Britain and France had not re-armed. They needed more time to prepare for a possible war.
Crisis in France
- France was absorbed in a domestic crisis.
- The government did not feel strong enough to act by itself against Germany.
Acts of Appeasement
There are several examples of the policy of appeasement. The most memorable is the Munich Agreement.
Remilitarising the Rhineland
- Britain and France followed appeasement when Hitler remilitarised the Rhineland.
- The British argued that "Germany was only marching into its own back yard".
Anschluss
- Britain and France did not stop Germany after annexing Austria.
- a direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles
The Munich Agreement
- Following Hitler’s invasion of the Sudetenland (1938), he met with Britain’s Prime Minister, Chamberlain.
- Following the Munich Agreement, Hitler promised he would not invade any more of the Sudetenland.
- Chamberlain came away with his “piece of paper”.
- Hitler would invade the rest of Czechoslovakia months later.
Test yourself on Reasons & Acts of Appeasement
When did Hitler invade the Sudetenland?
What did Chamberlain come away with after the Munich Agreement?