5 Appeasement Historical Interpretations

1937-38

Well done Chamberlain! - When?

popular majority view of the time

Well done Chamberlain! - Who?

most approved of his actions, even USA supported Chamberlain, still it was a 'sticking plaster'

Well done Chamberlain! - What?

not create lasting peace, delay of inevitable war that was coming

sticking plaster

GB people avoid war at all costs, haunted by recent WW1, GB was unprepared for war

Well done Chamberlain! - Why?

Chamberlain cheered and applauded on return from Munich, almost all MPs agreed

Well done Chamberlain! - Examples

GB, France, Italy + Germany appease Hitler by allowing Germany to annex certain areas of Czechoslovakia

Munich Conference, late September 1938

1939-48

The Guilty Men - When?

popular and political view of the time, Cato

The Guilty Men - Who?

Michael Foot, Frank Owen, Peter Howard - 3 journalists, writer in ancient Rome who tried to improve life in city

Cato

Appeasement was foolish cowardly + immoral policy that strengthened dictators and weakened GB

The Guilty Men - What?

WW2 start badly for GB so Chamberlain is scapegoat, blame him for the start of WW2

The Guilty Men - Why?

After Neville Chamberlain resigned, Winston Churchill became PM of GB

10 May 1940

Churchill's friend Lord Beaverbrook (initially agreed with appeasement but disagreed when war broke out) published book in 1940 - personal attack on Chamberlain + his policies

The Guilty Men - Examples

1948-60s

The appeasers misjudged Hitler - When?

Orthodox view - Churchill

The appeasers misjudged Hitler - Who?

Appeasement was terrible calculation but based on good motives, did not expect Holocaust, Chamberlain's upbringing

The appeasers misjudged Hitler - What?

society where leaders make sensible choices, avoid reckless behaviour, rules + conventions are observed

Chamberlain's upbringing

Churchill lost election to Labour (1945) and then wrote book "The Gathering Storm" (publ 1948) with this view - wrote book to make sure himself remembered with good rep

The appeasers misjudged Hitler - Why?

The Gathering Storm, Churchill thought USSR was threat to Europe so GB should always stand up to enemy and not repeat Appeasement mistake

The appeasers misjudged Hitler - Examples

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

USSR 1922-1991

1960s-90s

Rehabilitating Chamberlain - When?

Academic Revisionist view: AJP Taylor, Donald Cameron Watt

Rehabilitating Chamberlain - Who?

Chamberlain was in impossible position and did the best he could under difficult circumstances

Rehabilitating Chamberlain - What?

USA's dislike of Appeasement drew them into Vietnam War in 1955 which was going bad for USA in 1960s, Radical Thinking

Rehabilitating Chamberlain - Why?

in the 1960s many traditional views were questioned + challenged, new ideas emerged

Radical Thinking

The Public Records Act 1958 released new GB sources for past 30yrs so historians had more evidence to base their judgement on

Rehabilitating Chamberlain - Examples

1990s-2000s

Chamberlain back on trial - When?

Academic Counter-Revisionist view

Chamberlain back on trial - Who?

Chamberlain's personality + assumptions was problem: arrogant, couldn't understand Hitler, ignored advice of colleagues

Chamberlain back on trial - What?

When USSR fell, new Soviet sources became available like conversations between Hitler + Chamberlain

Chamberlain back on trial - Why?

"Chamberlain and Appeasement: British Policy and the Coming of the Second World War" 1993 book by GB historian Robert Parker said Chamberlain had other options but refused to consider them

Chamberlain back on trial - Examples

For Appeasement (WDC)

Well done Chamberlain!

Against Appeasement (TGM)

The Guilty Men

Against Appeasement (but not Chamberlain's fault)

The appeasers misjudged Hitler

For Appeasement (RC)

Rehabilitating Chamberlain

Against Appeasement (CBOT)

Chamberlain back on trial