Interpretations Flashcards
Dates of popular majority view , summary and context? (3)
1937-1938
‘WELL DONE CHAMBERLAIN’ - supported for APPEASEMENT AFTER MUNICH CONFERENCE
- public assumed ‘PEACE OF OUR TIME’ would be true (Lord Halifax/JFK supported ), but realised there was only A CHANCE
- received 40,000 letters/telegrams as support
- BEFORE WAR - wanted to avoid war so thought appeasement was only possible way as ppl were desperate
Dates of popular and political view , summary and context? (3)
1939-1948
1940, CATO (3 journalists) wrote book ‘GUILTY MEN’
accused appeasement for being cowardly and foolish policy
- ignored dictators’ plans/failed to prepare Britain for war - left it weak and defenceless
CATO felt ashamed abt Munich conference - personal attack against CHAMBERLAIN
- ‘guilty men’ helped promote Churchill’s case for trying to become PRIME MINISTER, ,making CHAMBERLAIN A SCAPEGOAT for world war 2.
- Guilty men written at time when hitler invaded CZECH, so British scared what happens if invaded UK
Dates of Churchill orthodox view , summary and context? (3)
1948-1960s
Churchill lost election and wrote ‘GATHERING STORM’ - 1945
-claimed chamberlain made a TERRIBLE MISJUDGEMENT/MISCALCULATION
- but said he had GOOD INTENTIONS
Churchill was sad to lose election/didn’t want historical reputation to suffer
- at time, USA/USSR was threat to Europe in Churchill’s eyes, so believed USA/ALLIES should stand against STALIN (UUSR) to not repeat mistakes of past
- Truman doctrine/JKF’S actions in Cuban Missile Crisis shows how they stood up instead of appeasement
- JFK showed how there was a 3rd option so shows how chamberlain think strategically
Dates of academic revisionist view , summary and context? (3)
1960s-1990s
REHABILITATING CHAMBERLAIN - did best he could AJP Taylor :chamberlain shouldn’t be entirely blamed for not knowing HITLER’S PLAN
- Donald Cameron : Chamberlain had limited resources/options
- very few options for Chamberlain bc of difficult economic issues - APPEASEMENT GIVES BRITAIN TIME TO PREPARE FOR WAR
- VIETNAM WAR : made historians realise difficulty politicians face when in war, so understood chamberlain’s situation
- official government paper were able to be seen to understand chamberlain’s action better
Dates of academic COUNTER revisionist view, summary and context? (3)
1990s-2000s
robert parker - didn’t think chamberlain was at mercy of the problems he faced
he was part of the problem, unable to deal successfully with situation
Chamberlain had overrated his own abilities/didn’t listen to others, still using 1920s ideas of diplomacy against dictators
new soviet files related at end of Cold War