Appeasement interpretations Flashcards
When was the popular majority view popular?
1937-1938
What was the popular majority view?
Well done Chamberlain, he gave peace a chance
Extra detail of popular majority view.
Public assumed Chamberlain’s ‘Peace in our time’ would be true, with support from Parliament, Joseph Kennedy.
Churchill always against it.
When was the Popular and Political View popular?
1938-1948
What was the Popular and Political View?
Appeasement was foolish and cowardly.
Extra detail for Popular and Political View.
CATO - published ‘Guilty Men’ in 1940.
They felt ashamed about the Munich Conference and was a personal attack against Chamberlain.
Used to help Churchill become P.M.
Made Chamberlain the scapegoat for causing WWII.
When was Churchill’s Orthodox View popular?
1948 - 1960s
What was Churchill’s Orthodox View?
Appeasement was a terrible misjudgement and miscalculation.
Extra detail for Churchill’s Orthodox View.
Churchill publish ‘The Gathering Storm’ in 1948.
He criticised Chamberlain’s policy but said that he had good intentions.
Good intentions were reflected by the Truman Doctrine and JFK’s actions during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
When was the Academic Revisionist View popular?
1960s - 1990s
What was the Academic Revisionist View?
Rehabilitating Chamberlain.
Impossible situation - did the best he could.
Extra detail for the Academic Revisionist View.
Few other options were open to Chamberlain, given difficult economic issues, the state of the British Empire and that Britain was not ready for war yet.
Appeasement would give Britain time to prepare for a war.
This view reflected the Vietnam War that was going on at the time, which made historians see the difficulty that politicians were facing about how to solve the crisis.
When was the Academic Counter-Revisionist View popular?
1990s - 2000s
What was the Academic Counter-Revisionist View?
Chamberlain back on Trial.
He was part of the problem, was unable to deal successfully with the situation.
Extra detail for the Academic Counter-Revisionist View.
Chamberlain was overly confident in his abilities and was not able to take anyone else’s advice - still using 1920s ideas against new dictators.
New Soviet files were released following the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
