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Describe how Britain and France appeased Hitler inthe period 19331938.

Summary

Appeasement is giving a bully what he wants.

Hitler built up his army. After 1936, he reintroduced conscription, and war-tested hisarmed forces in the Spanish Civil War. Britain and France turned a blind eye to thesebreaches of the Treaty of Versailles. This looked like appeasement. In 1936, Hitler moved

his troops into the Rhineland. The appeasement here, again, was that France did nothing

to stop this breach of the Versailles Treaty.In 1938 Hitler went further. He invaded Austria and declared Anschluss. This, too

broke the Treaty of Versailles. Again, France and Britain did nothing. Also in 1938, Hitlergot the Sudeten Nazis to cause trouble, then he demanded union. At Munich (29

September), Britain and France gave the Sudetenland to Germany. They gave the bullywhat he wanted. This was appeasement at its worst.

These actions of Britain are called appeasement, but other factors were important some people agreed with the Germans, some felt it wasnt Britains business, and it gave

Britain time to prepare for war.

Appeasement can be defined as giving a bully what he wants. It describes

animal behaviour, where a weaker animal adopts a submissive posturetowards a more powerful animal. It is claimed that this is what Britain and

France did with Hitler in the 1930s.

Hitler built up his army. After 1936, he reintroduced conscription, andby 1939 Germany had 95 warships, 8,250 airplanes and an army of 1m..

Hitler even war-tested his armed forces in the Spanish Civil War. Britain

and France turned a blind eye to these breaches of the Treaty of Versailles

Britain even made a naval agreement with Germany, accepting Germanysright to a navy 35% of the British navy. This looked like appeasement. In1936, Hitler moved his troops into the Rhineland. The appeasement here,

again, was that France did nothing to stop this open breach of Versailles.

In 1938 Hitler went further. He invaded Austria and declaredAnschluss. This, too broke the Treaty of Versailles. Again, France and

Britain did nothing even though the Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg askedBritain and France to help. This (and the wests ignoring of human rights

violations such as Kristallnacht, 1938) might be regarded as appeasement

failing to confront the bully.

Up to 1938, however, France and Britain were not wholly appeasing

Hitler. Some people sympathised with Hitlers aims their inaction was not

the result of fear alone. Wasnt it reasonable that Germany have an army?The Rhineland belonged to Germany, shouldnt German troops be stationed

there? Versailles had given other countries self-determination, why notAustria and Germany? This was not appeasement, it was agreement.

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It is the 1938 crisis that is usually presented as appeasement. In1938, Hitler got the Sudeten Nazis, led by Henlein, to cause trouble, then he

demanded union. But then Chamberlain intervened. On 15 September hemet Hitler at Berchtesgaden. Hitler threatened war, but promised that this

was the last problem to be solved. Chamberlain decided that Hitler was aman who can be relied upon, and persuaded the Czechs to hand over the

Sudetenland. But when he met Hitler again, at Bad Godesberg (22September), there were more demands, and Chamberlain refused. Warseemed near, and Chamberlain was not sure Czechoslovakia was a greatissue which needed war. Instead, he decided that it was a quarrel in a far-

away country between people of whom we know nothing and, at Munich (29

September), Britain and France gave the Sudetenland to Germany. Theygave the bully what he wanted.

These actions of Britain and France are called appeasement, and

Chamberlain did want to avoid war. But it can be argued that it was notappeasement only, and that other factors were important such as agreeing

with the Germans, a feeling that this wasnt Britains business, and playingfor time to build up Britains armed forces.