interpretations: APPEASEMENT Flashcards
when was the popular majority view?
1937-8
what was the popular majority view?
Chamberlain was a hero and his actions had prevented war
how many letters of support did Chamberlain receive (pop majority view)
40,000
did the USA support appeasement?
yes. the US ambassador to britain was also a strong supporter of Chamberlain’s policies
why was the popular majority view fair?
britain didn’t go to war in 1938
give 2 examples of why the popular majority view was unfair
- March 1939, the invasion of the rest of Czechoslovakia
- Germany attacks poland
which people disagreed with the popular majority view?
- Churchill
- David Lowe (cartoonist)
why did the popular majority view develop?
- people were haunted by the memory of WW1
- British people were not united about war over Czechoslovakia and a democracy needs the people’s support to go to war
was the guilty men view widely accepted?
yes, it was a popular and political view
when was the guilty men interpretation?
1939-1948
what was the guilty men view?
appeasement was a foolish, cowardly and immoral policy that strengthened dictators and weakened britain.
who was the Guilty Men book written by and when
Cato in 1940
who did the Guilty Men authors work for
Beaverbrook, who supported Churchill
what happened in 1931?
british leaders made concessions to Japan, italy then germany. this strengthened dictators and weakened britain
what did ignoring dictator’s plans do to britain?
failed to prepare britain for war, leaving it defenceless
how were appeasers portrayed in the guilty men view?
as almost being in league with the dictators
give 2 reasons why the Guilty Men interpretation was fair
- march 1939, the invasion of the rest of Czech
- Germany attacks poland
- Hitler, Italy and Japan all got stronger in the 1930s
give 2 reasons why the Guilty Men interpretation was unfair
- there were no challenges of the Guilty Men view AT THE TIME
- since, historians (eg. Derek Dutton) have been very critical of the Guilty Men view
Why did the guilty men view develop?
many felt guilty about what happened at Munich. when hitler invaded the rest of Czech, attitudes began to change. after war broke out many wanted chamberlain replaced. by may 1940 there was fear of german invasion and chamberlain resigned. Churchill became PM and Beaverbrook published Guilty Men to help him
why did the Guilty Men view backfire on Churchill?
it had been conservatives who promoted appeasement. Labour used Churchill’s own condemnation of Appeasement to condemn his party.
give examples of historians who argued the Guilty Men view
-‘Cato’: Michael Foot, Frank Owen and Peter Howard
-Beaverbrook
(-Churchill)
