Final answer:
The correct answer is option a) Appeasement was the policy of giving in to aggressive nations' demands to avoid conflict.
Step-by-step explanation:
Appeasement was the policy of giving in to aggressive nations' demands to avoid conflict. This approach was primarily used by the British and French governments with the hope that satisfying the grievances of Nazi Germany would prevent further expansion and avoid another devastating war like World War I. However, this policy allowed Hitler to expand his territory without facing significant international opposition, which in turn emboldened his regime and increased the likelihood of war. Appeasement demonstrated to totalitarian governments that the Western democracies would not immediately challenge territorial aggressions or military build-ups, thereby making them more confident in pursuing their aggressive aims.
In March of 1938, when Hitler annexed Austria in the Anschluss and later demanded parts of Czechoslovakia, he was met with a policy of appeasement, highlighted by the Munich Agreement where Britain and France conceded the Sudetenland to Germany. This failure of diplomacy is often criticized as allowing Hitler to gain strength and giving him the green light to pursue further expansionist policies. The results of appeasement ultimately contributed to the outbreak of World War II, as the concessions did not satiate Hitler's ambitions but rather encouraged them.
The policy culminated in Hitler's invasion of Poland in 1939, which was the final act that led Britain and France to declare war on Germany, marking the start of World War II.