Interpretations of appeasement Flashcards
Which interpretation was set in 1937-1938?
The popular majority view”Well Done Chamberlain”
Which interpretation was set in 1939-48?
The popular and political view “The Guilty Men”
Which interpretation was set in 1948-1960s?
The orthodox view Churchills view
Which interpretation was in the 1960s-90s?
The Academic revisionist view Rehabilitating Chamberlain
Which interpretation was in the 1990s-2000s?
The counter revisionistNeville Chamberlain back on trial
Explain the popular majority view/”Well done NC” interpretation.
Some opposition to Neville Chamberlain
Majority approved and supported his decision, seen as a hero and received 40,000 letters and telegrams of support.
Who disagreed with the popular majority view / “Well Done NC”? What did they say?
Winston Churchill as he addressed appeasement as “the beginning of our reckoning” implying appeasement would just make things worse.
Explain the Revisionist view / “Rehabilitating NC”.
NC did the best he could at the time considering the circumstances and that there was little else he could have done in 1937-38.
Some historians suggested that appeasement earned Britain the time it needed to build up its military forces.
Who was the first historian to question Churchills view?
A.J.P Taylor
What did A.J.P Taylor argue?
He argued that Hitler himself didn’t know what his plan was so how would Chamberlain know?
Explain Churchills view interpretation.
1948 - 1960s
Impacted the most people as Churchill announced it was a “terrible misjudgment and a miscalculation”.
Opposite to other views as it believes appeasement was the worst choice at the time, not the best.
Explain the popular and political View / “Guilty Men” view.
How the break out of WW2 proved appeasement didn’t keep the peace and that it was a foolish, cowardly and immoral policy.
Also suggested that since 1931 Britain had given in to Japan, Italy and Germany which only strengthened the dictators in those countries as well as failing to predict the correct plans of these dictators.
Explain the NC back on trial / counter revisionist interpretation.
Historian Donald Cameron Watt believed NC thought he had the best idea at the time and didn’t care to listen to his party or ministers as he announce he was “unwilling to listen to anyone but himself”.
