APPEASEMENTAPPEASEMENT

A Political Education or a A Political Education or a Detrimental Implication in Detrimental Implication in

the Post-War Ear?the Post-War Ear?

OverviewOverview

What is Appeasement?What is Appeasement? Sections of Research and AnalysisSections of Research and Analysis Impact of AppeasementImpact of Appeasement Why is this Topic Important to Why is this Topic Important to

Study?Study? Project FormProject Form

What is Appeasement?What is Appeasement?

Appeasement has been defined as:Appeasement has been defined as:

““Giving in to the demands of aggressive Giving in to the demands of aggressive powers to avoid war”powers to avoid war”

““The policy of pacifying an aggressive The policy of pacifying an aggressive nation in the hopes of avoiding further nation in the hopes of avoiding further conflict”conflict”

““A policy of making concessions to an A policy of making concessions to an aggressor in hopes of avoiding war”aggressor in hopes of avoiding war”

What is Appeasement?What is Appeasement? During the 1930’s, Britain and During the 1930’s, Britain and

France adopted a policy of France adopted a policy of appeasement towards Adolf Hitler appeasement towards Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany, offering the and Nazi Germany, offering the menacing dictator numerous menacing dictator numerous concessions in the hope of avoiding concessions in the hope of avoiding a conflict reminiscent of WW1a conflict reminiscent of WW1

The climax of appeasement The climax of appeasement occurred at the Munich Conference occurred at the Munich Conference in 1938 when Britain and France in 1938 when Britain and France granted the Germans permission to granted the Germans permission to occupy portions of Czechoslovakia. occupy portions of Czechoslovakia.

What is Appeasement?What is Appeasement? Allowed Hitler the Allowed Hitler the

opportunity to transform opportunity to transform Germany into a war Germany into a war machine and gain machine and gain control over Central control over Central Europe without a fightEurope without a fight

Appeasement failed, Appeasement failed, eventually leading to eventually leading to World War 2, the most World War 2, the most devastating conflict of devastating conflict of our time, which resulted our time, which resulted in an estimated 56 – 61 in an estimated 56 – 61 million deathsmillion deaths

What is Appeasement?What is Appeasement?

•The Legacy of appeasement

•The leaders during this timer period, such as Neville Chamberlain, have been scorned and ridiculed throughout history, receiving considerable blame for the outbreak of war. Is this fair?

•The west openly sacrificed nations in Eastern Europe to avoid war with Hitler. Did this influence the attitudes and actions of the Soviet Union at the end of the war?

Sections of ResearchSections of Research

Historiography and general theories Historiography and general theories regarding the policy of appeasementregarding the policy of appeasement

An analysis and description of the An analysis and description of the policy of appeasement in Britain and policy of appeasement in Britain and France throughout the 1930’sFrance throughout the 1930’s

The role of the Soviet Union during The role of the Soviet Union during this time period, analyzing their this time period, analyzing their reactions to the appeasement of reactions to the appeasement of Nazi Germany Nazi Germany

HistoriographyHistoriography Traditional Theory – belief that the policy of Traditional Theory – belief that the policy of

appeasement was merely an attempt on appeasement was merely an attempt on behalf of Britain and France to save behalf of Britain and France to save themselves by offering other nations to themselves by offering other nations to GermanyGermany

““How horrible, fantastic, incredible it is that How horrible, fantastic, incredible it is that we should be digging trenches and trying on we should be digging trenches and trying on gas-masks here because of a quarrel in a gas-masks here because of a quarrel in a far-away country between people of whom far-away country between people of whom we know nothing!” – Neville Chamberlain, we know nothing!” – Neville Chamberlain, 19381938

HistoriographyHistoriography

Revisionist Theory – more Revisionist Theory – more sympathetic towards Britain and sympathetic towards Britain and France, arguing that they were France, arguing that they were fighting to maintain their dieing fighting to maintain their dieing empires while simultaneously empires while simultaneously attempting to reinstate a “balance-attempting to reinstate a “balance-of-power” system throughout of-power” system throughout Europe, excluding the Soviet UnionEurope, excluding the Soviet Union

Analysis and DescriptionAnalysis and DescriptionBritain and FranceBritain and France

An in-depth analysis and description of the An in-depth analysis and description of the causes, motivations, political actions and causes, motivations, political actions and reactions, discussions, debates and political reactions, discussions, debates and political policies of Britain and France during policies of Britain and France during appeasementappeasement

Includes heads of state, government officials, Includes heads of state, government officials, ambassadors, foreign ministers, politicians, ambassadors, foreign ministers, politicians, and most importantly, ordinary citizensand most importantly, ordinary citizens

Inability of the capitalist west and communist Inability of the capitalist west and communist east to cast aside their differences and come east to cast aside their differences and come to an agreement to in order to counter Hitler to an agreement to in order to counter Hitler

Role of the Soviet UnionRole of the Soviet Union

Hitler’s regime was fanatically anti-communist, anti-Slavic, and anti-Semitic. His plans for world domination were oriented towards the east, something the Soviet Union was well aware of during his ascendancy to power

Role of the Soviet UnionRole of the Soviet Union

•What was the Soviet Union’s response to the West’s policy of appeasement towards Hitler’s Nazi Germany?

•Did the attitudes maintained by Western European nations during this time period influence the Cold War?

Impact of AppeasementImpact of Appeasement Following the end of World War 2, the United Following the end of World War 2, the United

States formulated its foreign policy based in States formulated its foreign policy based in accordance with the lessons the world had accordance with the lessons the world had learned from the policy of appeasement during learned from the policy of appeasement during the 1930’s. As a result, the U.S. adapted an the 1930’s. As a result, the U.S. adapted an aggressive policy of action to prevent the aggressive policy of action to prevent the failures of appeasement from reoccurringfailures of appeasement from reoccurring

The effects of appeasement on U.S. foreign The effects of appeasement on U.S. foreign policy has been apparent for several decades, policy has been apparent for several decades, and is still influencing diplomatic decisions in and is still influencing diplomatic decisions in today’s worldtoday’s world

An example of the U.S. anti-appeasement policy An example of the U.S. anti-appeasement policy is the Vietnam War is the Vietnam War

Why is this Subject Why is this Subject Important to Study?Important to Study?

Prior to the outbreak of war with Iraq in 2002, politicians, government officials, and numerous TV analysts compared Saddam Hussein with Adolf Hitler, warning against the dangers of “appeasing” him

Why is this Subject so Why is this Subject so Important to Study?Important to Study?

““History proved that Churchill was right. History proved that Churchill was right. If the appeasers of our own day are If the appeasers of our own day are wrong, then Saddam Hussein continues wrong, then Saddam Hussein continues Hitler’s quest to eradicate the world of Hitler’s quest to eradicate the world of Jews and terrorize the planet with the Jews and terrorize the planet with the threat of, now, nuclear annihilation. The threat of, now, nuclear annihilation. The United States is the only country that United States is the only country that CAN stop Saddam Hussein before that CAN stop Saddam Hussein before that terrifying possibility becomes a horrific, terrifying possibility becomes a horrific, unstoppable reality.”unstoppable reality.”

Why is this Subject so Why is this Subject so Important to Study?Important to Study?

““Hussein is the brute that threatens not only his Hussein is the brute that threatens not only his continent, but the entire civilized world. And continent, but the entire civilized world. And after two world wars, one would expect the after two world wars, one would expect the public’s reaction to [the] unprovoked attacks on public’s reaction to [the] unprovoked attacks on New York and Washington to elicit an New York and Washington to elicit an appropriately autonomic response of no less than appropriately autonomic response of no less than pre-emptive self-defense against the source of pre-emptive self-defense against the source of those attacks. But, quite the contrary, there is a those attacks. But, quite the contrary, there is a growing growing peacepeace movement in Europe, Canada and movement in Europe, Canada and the United States calling for ‘temperance,’ the United States calling for ‘temperance,’ ‘patience’ and yes, even ‘patience’ and yes, even appeasementappeasement of Saddam of Saddam Hussein. Hussein.

Why is this Subject Why is this Subject Important to Study?Important to Study?

Studying appeasement is essential to the Studying appeasement is essential to the problems that will inevitably arise in the problems that will inevitably arise in the futurefuture

History teaches us lessons, providing us History teaches us lessons, providing us with the opportunity to analyze certain with the opportunity to analyze certain scenarios that have presented themselvesscenarios that have presented themselves

Does the legacy of appeasement still impact Does the legacy of appeasement still impact the diplomacy, foreign policy and the diplomacy, foreign policy and international relations of the United States? international relations of the United States?

Is the policy of appeasement justifiably Is the policy of appeasement justifiably comparable to the events in today’s world?comparable to the events in today’s world?

What Will This Project Look What Will This Project Look Like? Like?

After a period of extensive research and After a period of extensive research and detailed analysis, this project will take the form detailed analysis, this project will take the form of a polished and in-depth research paperof a polished and in-depth research paper

This project can be accomplished at UNCWThis project can be accomplished at UNCW A wealth of primary and secondary source A wealth of primary and secondary source

material pertaining to this subject is available material pertaining to this subject is available at Randall Library. This includes memoirs, at Randall Library. This includes memoirs, microfilm, personal letters, testimonies, diaries, microfilm, personal letters, testimonies, diaries, official correspondences, state and government official correspondences, state and government documents documents