What was the aim of the policy of appeasement?

Answer 1

After the fantastic loss of life in World War I the free peoples were willing to accept almost anything in order to avaoid another war. Since they did not realize just how evil and megalomaniacal Hitler was, they thought (or at least hoped) that by giving in to his various demands, each of which, taken by itself was not wholly unreasonable, that he would eventually be appeased and would not make further demands. Michael Montagne To prevent Hitler from taking over Europe Britain and France adopted the appeasement policy which gave Hitler a little of what he wanted in the hope of appeasing him.

Answer 2

On the first day of World War II in 1939, the British poet and leftist W.H. Auden critiqued the behavior of Western governments and called the 1930s "a low, dishonest decade". The object of Auden's condemnation was the policy of "appeasement" pursued by Western governments in the face of German, Italian, and Japanese aggression. Appeasement was based on three assumptions:

1. Doing anything to provoke further war was unthinkable. With the memory of the slaughter of World War I fresh in their minds, many embraced pacifism.
2. Many British and Americans argued that Germany had been mistreated by the Versailles treaty and harbored grievances that should be acknowledged.
3. Many appeasers were firm anticommunists. They thought the fascist states in Germany and Italy were a bulwark against the spread of Soviet communism and that the division among the major European states only played into the hands of the USSR. (Note: appeasers were divided on this point. One group thought the Soviets posed a greater threat and that accommodating Hitler might create a common interest against a common enemy. The other group thought that Nazi Germany presented a greater threat.

What do these assumptions add up to? A fear of resorting to any sort of violence or armed conflict. This policy is most closely related to British prime minister Neville Chamberlain about his ignorance towards Nazi Germany. in 1933, Hitler removed Germany from the League of Nations. In 1935, he defied the disarmament provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. Germany reoccupied the Rhineland in 1936. In March 1938, Hitler annexed Austria (further proving that he wanted to bring all Germans into his Reich). The Nazis' next target was Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia, a region with a large ethnic German population. The Czechs did not want to give way, and the French and Polish governments were willing to come to their aid. But Neville Chamberlain still obliged Hitler. Chamberlain agreed to Hitler's terms thinking that if Hitler unified all Germans into one state, then German ambitions would be satisfied. This was a clear example of the policy of appeasement. In fear of sustained war and in hopes of maintaining a balanced, peaceful power structured in Europe, Chamberlain let Hitler go on. (Chamberlain was soon proved dead wrong on September 29, 1938 when Hitler requested non-German territory and shocked Europe).

Answer 3

The term has become derogatory ('negative'). It's NOT a neutral word for a policy of the inter-war period. In the early 1920s (probably 1921-23) the British government came to take the view that the Versailles Treaty of 1919 had beentoo harsh, and it was willing in principle to make changes in order to meet some of the German grievances. By about 1924-25 even the French government took a similar view of some aspects. In the 1920s German reparations payments were adjusted twice (1924 and 1929), the occupation of the Rhineland ended early, and in 1926 Germany was admitted to the League of Nations instead of being excluded as an 'outcast' nation. At that stage there was no question of altering any borders in favour of Germany. All these earlyconcessions were made to a democratic Germany. When Hitler came to power he set about undoing the Versailles Treaty as fast as he could. From late 1933 he managed to set the agenda (until 1940-41, in fact). As a result, Britain and France found themselves always caught unprepared by new demands made by Hitler. At just about every point Hitler took the initiative, often amid bullying and threats. Britain and France tolerated or accepted the following major breaches of the Treaty of Versailles from 1935 onwards:

• 1935: German re-introduction of conscription (the draft) and establishment of an air force.

• 1936: German remilitarization of the Rhineland.

• 1938 (March): Annexation of Austria.

• 1938 (September, Munich Conference): Annexation of the Sudetenland (the areas of Czechoslovakia adjoining Germany and what has previously been Austria).

• 1939 (March): Annexation of the rest of Bohemia and Moravia by Germany, and also of Memel.

The policy is particularly closely associated with Neville Chamberlain (British Prime Minister, 1937-40). However, the policy (if that's the right word for it) of accepting German demands had begun under his predecessor, Stanley Baldwin, an avuncular man whowanted a quiet lifeand was one of the worst prime ministers in British history. By March 1939 it was clear that appeasement had failed, and it was at this point that Chamberlain gave Poland the assurances that led to Britain's declaration of war in September of that year - despite the fact Britain was in no position to do anything practical to help Poland ... I've stressed the British role because France was seething with internal discord (left versus right) from 1934 onwards and was too deeply divided to undertake any decisive moves. Please remember that in a democracy, the government needs to have the majority of the electorate behind it if it embarks on a major war. This isbrief, but I hope it's some help. Joncey

Answer 4

The main advantage of the appeasement policy before WW2, was that it prevented Britain and France from going through another War. For obvious reasons this didnt work, but because of the damage that had been caused from WW1, the Allied leaders wanted to stop it happening again.

Answer 5

Appeasement was, in hindsight it appears ill conceived, an attempt by Britain, largely supported by the French, to avoid a repitition of the first World War.

Given that the politicians at the time had lived through WW1 it had a very noble attribute of avoiding the deaths of millions of people.

Unfortunately it was seen by Hitler as a show of weakness on the part of the Allies.

Answer 6

Not having to go to war and avoid the terrible loss of life sustained in World War 1

Answer 7

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