Question

One cause of WWII is what your Alabama History Standards calls “unanswered aggression.” It’s really more of a complicated thing than it sounds. But, then again, it’s not. Hitler began to bully his way around Europe. Demanding land, posturing for war, etc etc etc.

And Europe just kinda laid down and let him. Obviously part of why is because they weren’t but a handful of years removed from WWI and the massive bloodshed and destruction. Europe didn’t have the stomach for another war and Hitler knew it. The actual “history term” for what happened was called “appeasement.”



Your assignment, you need to explore what “appeasement” was in regard to Hitler’s actions in the 1930s and discuss a couple of examples. Make sure to include the response of the leaders from France and Great Britain at the time and why you believe they acted as they did. This is hypothetical…but how should the world have possibly reacted instead?

Answer 1

Appeasement was a foreign policy strategy that was used by the leaders of France and Britain in the aftermath of World War I. The belief was that if Germany was given some of the territories it had lost during the Treaty of Versailles, it would be satisfied and not seek further territorial expansion. The policy of appeasement was mainly aimed at preventing the outbreak of another war in Europe.

When Hitler began to demand land and pose for war in the 1930s, Britain and France's initial response was to accept his demands in the hope that this would prevent the outbreak of another world war. An example of this appeasement policy was the Munich Agreement of 1938. At this conference, representatives from Germany, Britain, Italy, and France agreed to allow Hitler to take over the Sudetenland, a region of Czechoslovakia with a German-speaking population. In exchange, Hitler agreed to stop his territorial expansion in Europe. This policy of appeasement has been criticized as giving in to Hitler's aggressive expansionist policies and encouraging future aggressive behaviour.

The leaders of France and Great Britain at the time, Edouard Daladier, Neville Chamberlain, and Stanley Baldwin, believed that the policy of appeasement was the best way to prevent another world war. They acted as they did for several reasons. One reason was that many people in Britain and France, including some politicians, believed that the terms of the Treaty of Versailles were too harsh and that Germany had legitimate grievances. Another reason was that Britain and France were not militarily prepared to confront Germany, and they did not want to risk another war.

In hindsight, the world should have reacted differently to Hitler's aggression. The policy of appeasement led to the annexation of Austria and Czechoslovakia, the invasion of Poland, and eventually, World War II. If Britain and France had responded more strongly and decisively to Hitler's aggression, he might have been deterred from invading other countries. Moreover, the Allies should have recognized the danger Hitler posed to the world and taken steps to prevent his further expansion. This could have included strengthening alliances, increasing military spending, or imposing economic sanctions.