British Foreign Policy (Appeasement)

Question 1

Five reasons for appeasement.

Answer 1

1. Chamberlain agreed with Germany that the ToV was harsh against them.
2. Britain remember WW1 and wanted to avoid the repeat of this.
3. Britain couldn’t afford another war.
4. The collapse of the League showed a different method was needed.
5. Britain feared communist USSR more than Germany and hoped they would be a barrier to protect them.

Question 2

Three reasons against appeasement.

Answer 2

1. Hitler was hard to trust (broken promises) so wouldn’t work.
2. Policy made Britain look weak and gave Hitler confidence.
3. Betrayal of lands which should be protected by ToV.

Question 3

What is the Sudetenland ?

Answer 3

On the western part of Czechoslovakia and borders with Germany was inhabited by over 3 million German speaking people . Formed by treaties in 1919.

Question 4

The Sudetenland Crisis and Munich Agreement ;

12 - 13 September 1938

Answer 4

Hitler encourages Nazi leader in Sudetenland Henlein to campaign for independence and riot break out. Hitler promises Nazi support. Chamberlain intervenes to prevent war over Czechoslovakia.

Question 5

The Sudetenland Crisis and Munich Agreement ;

15 September 1938

Answer 5

Chamberlain goes to see Hitler at Berchtesgaden.
Hitler tells him the wants all the areas where more than 50 per cent of the population is German after plebiscites. He persuades France to agree, then they force Czech President to agree.

Question 6

The Sudetenland Crisis and Munich Agreement ;

22 September 1938

Answer 6

Hitler now demands all the Sudetenland. Chamberlain refuses and returns to Britain to prepare for war.
Hitler then invites Chamberlain to a conference in Munich.

Question 7

The Sudetenland Crisis and Munich Agreement ;

30 September 1938 ( Munich Conference)

Answer 7

At Munich, France and Britain agree to give Hitler the Sudetenland and protect the rest of Czech. Chamberlain waves ‘a piece of paper’ with Hitler’s statement that he does not want to go to war. Appeasement was achieved.

Question 8

Three results of appeasement.

Answer 8

1. Britain gained a year to build up its armed forces, but so did Hitler.
2. Hitler decided that Britain and France were afraid of him, and that they would not stop him whatever he did.
3. Russia decided that Britain and France would never stand up to Hitler, and that war with Germany was inevitable.

Question 9

What happened in the Collapse of Czechoslovakia ?

Answer 9

15th March 1939, German troops marched into Czechoslovakia. Hitler’s invasion of Czechoslovakia was the end of appeasement.

Question 10

Why did Chamberlain abandoned appeasement ?

Answer 10

November 1938: Kristallnacht - attacks on the Jews in Germany.
Churchill’s speeches: attacked appeasement as “a defeat without a war”.
March 1939: Czechoslovakia - Hitler invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia. Which meant they couldn’t trust him.

Question 11

What was the Nazi-Soviet Pact ?

Answer 11

In April 1939, Russia, Britain and France met to form an alliance to defend Poland. By August 1939, Russia had swapped sides and made a pact with Germany, Through the Nazi-Soviet Pact Stalin and Hitler agreed not to go to war with each other and to split Poland between them.

Question 12

Why did Russia choose to make an agreement with Germany?

Answer 12

Hitler’s next target was Poland, Chamberlain promised to defend Poland but Britain was too far away to help and only had a small army. April 1938 Stalin suggested an alliance of Russia, France and Britain but negotiations dragged on into August because:

• Chamberlain did not like communist Russia.
• Poland would not let Russian troops go into Poland.
• Stalin did not trust that France and Britain would resist Germany.