Churchill's Wilderness Years: Appeasement and Rearmament

Question 1

What is appeasement?

Answer 1

A policy of trying to placate or pacify a country by accepting their demands

Question 2

What were the terms of the Treaty of Versailles 1919?

Answer 2

• Germany had to take 100% of the blame for WW1.
• Demilitarization of the Rhineland.
• restricted to 100,000 men, 6 ships, 0 submarines, tanks or aircraft.
• £6.6 billion to be paid to France and Belgium
• 10% of land lost.

Question 3

What were Hitler’s key policies?

Answer 3

A - Abolish the Treat of Versailles
R - Rearm Germany
E - Expand (Lebenstraum)
A - Abolish Communism

Question 4

What was the British ‘Ten-Year Rule’?

Answer 4

That there would be no prospect of War for 10 years following WW1 to allow for cuts in military spending and a focus on social spending.
- British armed forces reduced to 350,000 men.

Question 5

Why was the British army deemed weak by Churchill in the 1930s?

Answer 5

• Defense spending in 1930 was lower than 1910
• Britain put faith in weaker international organisations such as the League of Nations
• Only £100 million spend on defense in 1933.
• British defense grew to £700 million but was still behind Germany.
• Between 1932-1936, German soldiers increased from 100,000 to 1 million. British only had 897,000 men.
• Anglo-German Naval treaty allowed German navy to grow to 35% of the British Navy.

Question 6

What are Key features of appeasement to Germany in the 1930s?

Answer 6

1933: Germany begins rearming. Britain remains diplomatic.
1935: Anglo-German Naval Treaty allowed Germany to expand its Navy to 35% of Britain’s Naval strength.
1936: Germany remilitarises the Rhineland. Britain avoid intervention.
1938: The Munich Agreement - permits Germany’s annexation of the Sudetenland, in return for not invading Czechoslovakia.
1939: Britain begins to rearm as Germany invades Czechoslovakia and Poland.

Question 7

What is the significance of the Munich Agreement in 1938?

Answer 7

Highlights Chamberlain’s weakness. Declares this a success - ‘peace in our time.’ but is humiliated by Germany’s later invasion of Czechoslovakia.
Proves Appeasement to be a failure.

Question 8

What was Churchill’s view on appeasement?

Answer 8

Anti-appeasement.
- Rearmament was necessary as Britain lagged behind Germany.
- A Grand Alliance would deter Germany from further invasion as Britain wasn’t strong enough alone.
- War in 1938 was necessary to support France when Czechoslovakia fell.

Question 9

How did Churchill’s view of the appeasement contribute to his ‘Wilderness Years’?

Answer 9

• Rearmament - prioritising social spending, Ten-Year rule. Baldwin believed rearmament would lose the election.
• Grand Alliance - all countries had different war mindsets. The Great Depression made US too weak to support Britain.
• War in 1938 - maintaining the Ten-Year rule. No official break of ToV until Poland.

Question 10

What were Churchill’s main aims for Britain’s military in the 1930s?

Answer 10

• Rearmament
• Grand Alliance
• War in 1938