John M. Kennedy, 1983

Appeasement: Diplomatic policy aimed at settling international quarrels by admitting and satisfying grievances of another state through rational negotiation and compromise, thereby avoiding the resort to an armed conflict

Background• Versailles Treaty; Eastern question unresolved

• Resentment in Germany; war guilt clause, reparations

• Efforts to enforce peace treaty (France); Ruhr

• The revision of the peace (Britain); Locarno, Manchuria, Rhineland, Abyssinia, Anschluss, Munich

• The road to war; rearmament, military guarantees

When?

• Rearmament?

• Military guarantees?

• Start of war?

Why?

• Practical reasons• Domestic politics• Economy• Military

• Ideological reasons• Fascism v. Socialism• German buffer

British public now in favour of ending appeasement?• British public were in favour of appeasement for the large majority of the

1930s.

• Hard for any government that wants to get re-elected to elect into another, possibly devastating, war with Germany especially so soon after the Great War.

• Public thought Germany had been hard done by and were suspicious of French ambitions in Europe.

• Mood changed as British position of leadership in Europe became endangered and Hitler pursued territory after territory.

British and French economic difficulties resolved?• Britain and France’s ability to do anything with respect to Germany was

hindered by their economic difficulties

• Britain and France’s economies picked up significantly as the process of rearmament began

British and French militaries restored to strength?• During the inter-war period the British and French militaries were reduced

significantly, the British army lost 5 regiments alone to the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922.

• Rearmament started , albeit slowly, in 1932 with the creation of T.A. Anti-Aircraft units

• Britain and France not equipped to deal with large scale war.

Germany now more threatening than Soviet Union?• Fascism was the lesser of two evils, but nonetheless desirable to combat

Socialism in the East.

• Revolutions were spreading across Europe and elsewhere – there was serious concern throughout the 1930s that communism would threaten the ‘stability’ of the international community.

• Germany was a buffer against communism.

• Power in Europe was not balanced, instead of France now Germany had undue power throughout the continent.

So when was appeasement abandoned and why?• As rearmament started, the balance in Europe was upset, the international

community became concerned and the British public changed their opinion of Germany, Britain became gradually more assertive in response to German aggression and started to abandon appeasement – appeasement was not abandoned overnight.

• If you had to pin point when, it would be the declaration of war against Germany in August 1939

Thank You