CHAMBERLAIN’S POLICY OF APPEASEMENT Is it wrong to negotiate with a madman?
Feb 22, 2016
CHAMBERLAIN’S POLICY OF APPEASEMENT
Is it wrong to negotiate with a madman?
The World of the 1930s
Still in the grip of a worldwide depression. Countries have resorted to isolationism. (Not
concerning themselves with the problems of others)
Hitler and Mussolini have risen to power and established fascist dictatorships.
Canada and the World Nobody wanted another war. The
memories of WWI were still fresh. Hitler had begun his attack on the
Jews but few countries cared, having anti-Semitic views of their own.
Our Great Shame
We refused to allow Jews fleeing persecution to come to Canada and at the Berlin Olympic games in 1936, Canada even gave the Nazi Salute.Our Prime Minister Mackenzie King called
Hitler “..a man of deep sincerity..” and “…no danger to anyone.”
Other Reasons
Leaders of Democratic countries were still afraid of communism and hoped Hitler would be an ally against Russia.
Joseph Stalin
Neville Chamberlain
PM of Britain Believed that the
Treaty of Versailles had been too harsh.
Decided that appeasement was the best method.
Hitler’s broken promises. Hitler promised to respect Austria’s
independence. He marched into Austria in 1938.
In 1938 – The Munich Pact – Hitler signs an agreement with Britain and France to allow the takeover of the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia. He promises to stop further invasions.
One man can see what is happening.
Winston Churchill (the future PM of Britain)
Student of History“We have been
given a choice between shame and war…
…We have chosen shame and will get war.”
1939 Hitler waited a few months and then
marched through the rest of Czechoslovakia.
The World was stunned and prepared for the inevitable...war.
One final move On August 23rd, 1939, Hitler shocked
the world again by signing the Nazi-Soviet Pact with his sworn enemy, Joseph Stalin of Russia. The two countries agreed to peace and to split up Polish territory.
September 1st - 1939 Hitler invades Poland. September 3rd – Britain and France
declare war on Germany. September 9th – Canada declares
war.
Why appeasement was a bad choice. In 1935 – Hitler gave orders to send troops
back into the Rhineland which was forbidden under the Treaty of Versailles.
He secretly ordered his men to retreat if met with ANY resistance.
4 years later by the time War broke out, Hitler had added 9 million people to his territory, rebuilt his army, navy and air force to the strongest they had ever been and made a peace agreement with a former ally of the Triple Entente: Russia.
By the time we said “No More”, Hitler had the strongest fighting force in the world.
Read pages 129 - 133
Summarize ‘The Treaty of Versailles’ and ‘The Failure of the League of Nations’
Produce a rough draft of your thesis and begin the body of the essay.