Reasons for Policy of Appeasement 1936-38

Question 1

ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES KU

Answer 1

• WW1 cost $35 bil, gov cut military spending.
• Britain affected by economic crisis. Unemployment rose as businesses struggled.

Question 2

ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES ANALYSIS

Answer 2

• Difficult to finance any large scale rearmament project as Britain was recovering. At a time when many were anti-war, difficult to justify military spending.

Question 3

ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES ANALYSIS+

Answer 3

• Rearmament revitalised industry, by 37’ unemployment dropped 2 mil to 1.5 mil. Appeasement hindered economy.

Question 4

PUBLIC OPINION KU

Answer 4

• Amount of casualties meant everyone knew someone who died & visible reminders.
• Many sympathetic towards Germany, believed Treaty of Versailles too harsh & felt Britain shouldn’t interfere as Germany simply taking back what was there’s.

Question 5

PUBLIC OPINION ANALYSIS

Answer 5

• Peace Ballot 1934-35, 90% in favour of disarmament.

Question 6

PUBLIC OPINION ANALYSIS+

Answer 6

• Historians (Louise Shaw) believe Chamberlain used public opinion to push through own ideas of appeasement.

Question 7

LACK OF RELIABLE ALLIES KU

Answer 7

• France unreliable due to political divisions. France keen to take defensive approach & still trying to rebuild.
• US isolationism after WW1 & Wall Street Crash meant they were unreliable.

Question 8

LACK OF RELIABLE ALLIES ANALYSIS

Answer 8

• League of Nations weak & couldn’t be depended upon, triple alliance from WW1 no longer option as Britain sus of Russia for communist ideas.

Question 9

LACK OF RELIABLE ALLIES ANALYSIS+

Answer 9

• France showed signs she was keen to take action when Hitler marched into Rhineland but not supported by Britain.

Question 10

MILITARY WEAKNESSES KU

Answer 10

• Run down army. Conscription ended. Lack of investment in military technology.

Question 11

MILITARY WEAKNESSES ANALYSIS

Answer 11

• Improvements like radar needed time, appeasement afforded them this.

Question 12

MILITARY WEAKNESSES ANALYSIS+

Answer 12

• Germany army who reoccupied Rhineland underprepared. Hitler himself was nervous.

Question 13

BELIEFS OF CHAMBERLAIN KU

Answer 13

• Norman Chamberlain died 1917.

Question 14

BELIEFS OF CHAMBERLAIN ANALYSIS

Answer 14

• Chamberlain wanted to avoid conflict with negotiation rather than aggression. Eg, Munich Agreement giving parts of Czechoslovakia to Hitler.

Question 15

BELIEFS OF CHAMBERLAIN ANALYSIS+

Answer 15

• Reflecting views of the public.