history 1b: appeasement

when did neville chamberlain become prime minister?

1937

what is appeasement?

negotiating with hitler, giving him what he wanted to avoid another war

when did Winston Churchill become prime minister?

1940

how did the failure of the League of Nations relate to the appeasement policy?

• clear after events in 1935 that collective security wouldn't work

• appeasement seemed to be a solution to maintaining peace

how did lack of support from french relate to the appeasement policy?

france wouldn't act without britain so they too followed appeasement

how did the fear of communism relate to the appeasement policy?

• many realised dictators were dangerous but still preferred them to communism

• beloved communism would take away their wealth and property

how did guilt about the treaty of versailles relate to the appeasement policy?

• many brits felt treaty of versailles was too harsh, some felt guilty

• many believed germans had a right to reverse actions

how did concerns about the spanish civil war relate to the appeasement policy?

• desire to avoid feasts on the scale of WW1

• fear of aerial bombardment suggested death toll could be high

how did hitlers charm relate to the appeasement policy?

hitler was able to convince the british that his demands were legitimate and limited to reversing the treaty of versailles

who was the leader of czechoslovakia in 1937?

edvard benes

when was the hossbach conference?

1937

what happened at the hossbach conference?

hitler secretly told his generals about his plans to take over austria and czechoslovakia

why did hitler want to gain control of czechoslovakia?

• valuable mineral resources

• contained 3 million germans (wanted greater germany)

• feared russia could invade germany through czechoslovakia

• didn't want to fight a war on 2 fronts

who was the leader of the sudeten nazi party?

henlien

what did hitler want from the sudetenland?

• wanted separation of sudetenland from czechoslovakia

• used german population of sudetenland to claim czechoslovakia

when was the berchetesgaden meeting?

15th september 1939

what happened at the berchetesgaden meeting?

• hitler insisted he would risk war to bring sudeten germans to his greater germany

• chamberlain agreed areas with more than half german population would be given to germany

when was the godesberg meeting?

22nd september 1938

what happened at Godesberg meeting?

• realised how desperate britain and france was to avoid war

• increased his demands

• wanted all of the sudetenland by the 28th september or he would invade

• wanted czech areas to go to hungary and poland

• britain refused and prepared for war

when was the munich conference?

29th-30th September 1938

what happened at the munich conference?

• russians and czechs weren't invited

• agreed that hitlers demands would be met (would be given all of the sudetenland)

• czechs were not consulted and were told arrangements

• britain, france, germany and italy guaranteed safety of remainder of czechoslovakia

• britain and germany agreed to never go to war

which countries weren't invited to the munich conference?

russia and czechoslovakia

what were the results of the munich conference?

• chamberlain achieved "peace in our time"

• appeasement would delay a war, not stop it

• bought time for britain to prepare for war

• czechs deserted by britain and france

• benes resigned

• hitler gained sudetenland without aggression, gained popularity at home

• hitler gained military advantage from czechoslovakia britain and france not likely to oppose hitler

what was the strategic advantage of hitler gaining the sudetenland?

he could obtain rest of the country because of weakest defences

what territory did hitler force lithuania to give him?

memel

did britain and france help czechoslovakia from hitler?

no

when did germany invade czechoslovakia?

15th march 1938

why was poland one of hitlers targets?

• because danzig contained germans speaking people -polish corridor cut off east prussia from rest of germany

what did hitler demand between east prussia and the rest of germany?

extra territorial links (poland refused)

what pact did hitler make with mussolini?

pact of steel

what countries did hitler make non aggression pacts with?

latvia, estonia, denmark

what was hitler convinced about british, france and poland

britain and france wouldn't fight for poland

why did negotiations between britain and the USSR fail?

• britain sent low ranking officials by boat which offended stalin

• ideological differences between britain and russia

• russia didn't trust britain after munich

• poles feared stalin and wouldn't accept aid from russia

why did stalin fear nazism?

• if hitler gained poland he would continue to get lebensraum towards russia

• hitler hated communism, ideological and economic differences

when was the nazi-soviet pact signed?

august 1939