Why did the British Government appease Germany?

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Why did the British Government appease Germany?
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• Many in the British Government believed that the
  demands of the Nazis was reasonable.
• On 8th April 1938 Chamberlain said
• we should take any and every opportunity to try
  to remove any genuine and legitimate grievance
  that may exist
• BUT
• By February 1939 it was understood that Hitlers
  ultimate aim was the domination of Europe.

3

• Many in the British Government believed that
  Hitler could be trusted. They were placated by
  Hitlers words

Chamberlain said after Berchtesgaden I got the
impression that here was a man who could be
relied on when he had given his word.
"I have no further interest in the
Czecho-Slovakian State, that is guaranteed. We
want no Czechs..." Adolf Hitler, 26th September
1938
BUT by late 1938/9 Chamberlain commented that
Hitler was the nastiest piece of work I ever
met.
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• Britain was militarily unprepared
• General Ironside said we have not got the means
  of defending ourselveswe cannot expose ourselves
  now to German attack.
• BUT
• Our past experience has shown us only too
  clearly that weakness in armed strength means
  weakness in diplomacy, and if we want to secure a
  lasting peacebehind the diplomacy must be the
  strength to give effect to it. Chamberlain, 6th
  October 1938

IMPROVING 1 Squadron of Spitfires by Sept 1938 9
Squadrons of Spitfires by Sept 1939 19 Squadrons
of Spitfires by 1940
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British public opinion was divided

• August 1938 46 believed the Czech crisis would
  not lead to war.

5000 people cheered Chamberlain at Downing Street
on his return from Munich. He received 40,000
letters of support.

• August 1938 36 of people thought the Czech
  crisis would lead to war.

16,000 demonstrated against the Munich Agreement
at Trafalgar Square.
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• The British still fear communism.
• Despite being as ally of Czechoslovakia, Russia
  was excluded from the Munich discussion.
• Chamberlain stated
• I must confess to the most profound distrust of
  Russia.
• 26th March 1939
• But by the Summer of 1939 France and Britain
  approached Russia to form an alliance against
  Germany but were knocked back.

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• British economy was supporting social welfare
  programmes
• I became a politician to help my people. I want
  better homes,schools and hospitals. Must all
  these good things be destroyed by the madness of
  more and more weapons.
• Neville Chamberlain, August 1938

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Chamberlain was clearly displaying a fear of
warHow horrible and unbelievable that we
should be getting ready for war, trying on gas
masks and digging air raid shelters in Britain
because of a faraway quarrel between people that
we know nothing about. 27th September 1938,
Neville Chamberlain
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Criticisms of Government Policy
On the 5th October 1938, Churchill said We
have suffered a total and unmitigated defeatthis
is only the beginningCzechoslovakia will be
engulfed in the Nazi regime. 25th January 1939
Lord Halifax urged a tougher policy towards
Germany. He warned Hitler may attack in the
West. Graham Darby historian The Munich
Agreement turned out to be the limit of the
policy of concession appeasement. The British
Government would not accept German domination of
Europe.
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• Two views emerged after the Munich Agreement
• War had been avoided. Hitler had been satisfied
  and there was peace. Some historians state that
  Chamberlain genuinely thought this.

• OR
• Munich was a stall, it bought time. Time was
  needed to plan, prepare and rearm. Britain could
  not go to war in 1938 and Chamberlain realised
  this. He played Hitler at his own game. This
  idea was reinforced when the Nazis took Prague in
  March 1938.

There was a change in British policy and in
diplomatic relations with Germany. Britain was
no longer willing to negotiate with Hitler.
Appeasement had failed.
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How useful is the following source for
investigating attitudes towards the Sudeten
Crisis, September 1938?
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Cartoon by Gabriel, London Illustrated News
September 1938.
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Cartoon by Gabriel, London Illustrated News
September 1938.
Think about the usefulness of this source in
terms of Origin Possible Purpose Context of the
source Content Balance
Origin Published in response to Chamberlain
broadcast on BBC radio, 27th Sept, assume it was
28th. Gabriel, cartoonist, anti-appeasement,
concerned with Nazi power. Newspaper had a large
readership, mainly London, but throughout
Britain.
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Cartoon by Gabriel, London Illustrated News
September 1938.
Possible Purpose To inform and influence the
readership about events in concerning
Czechoslovakia. To highlight the threat of Nazi
Germany to the balance of power across Europe.
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Cartoon by Gabriel, London Illustrated News
September 1938.
Content Chamberlain is talking about the horrors
of war. Czechoslovakia shows it could stand firm
against the Nazis. Nazis are armed and ready to
take on the Czechs, possibility of
war. Highlighting how allowing the Nazis to
dominate in Czechoslovakia would allow domination
of other areas of Europe and ultimately Britain.
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Cartoon by Gabriel, London Illustrated News
September 1938.
Context Speech delivered between Godesberg 22nd
and Munich 29th meetings. Godesberg, demands
for immediate granting of Sudeten present
condition. At Munich, hurried, agreed handover on
1st October ... No Czech representation. Hitler
said The Czech problem is the last territorial
demand I have to make in Europe
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Cartoon by Gabriel, London Illustrated News
September 1938.
Balance This should focus on the reasons why the
British Government chose to appease.
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What did Hitler and the Nazis gain from the
annexation of Czechoslovakia?

• Germany gained a lot, at almost no cost.
• Gained 11,000 square miles of territory 30 of
  Czechoslovakia
• 30 of the population of Czechoslovakia 800,000
  Czech people
• 50 of Czech industry, 55 of Czech coal, 46 of
  electrical energy
• Lost strong natural defence line, became
  vulnerable to attack.

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What did Hitler and the Nazis gain from the
annexation of the Sudetenland?

• Czech arms industry, including Skoda Arms work.
• Balance of power in Eastern Europe shifted in
  Germanys favour.
• Poland became vulnerable, Germany commanded the
  air routes into Poland.
• Adapted from A Hunt, The Road to War, Hodder and
  Stoughton

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'Rendezvous. The text reads Hitler to Stalin
'The scum of the earth I believe?' Stalin to
Hitler 'The bloody assassin of the workers, I
presume?'David Low, September 1939