Chamberlain's policy of appeasement and the outbreak of WWII Quiz

Appeasement is the name often given to British foreign policy in the years 1919 to 1939, but it is particularly associated with Neville Chamberlain who became Prime Minister in 1937.

What did Chamberlain want to achieve through appeasement?

What risks were involved in appeasement?

Why did Hitler want to take over the Sudetenland?

Hitler encouraged [blank_start]Henlein[blank_end], the leader of the Nazis in the Sudetenland, to campaign for [blank_start]independence[blank_end] and riots broke out. Hitler promised Henlein that he could depend on the support of [blank_start]Germany[blank_end]. On [blank_start]15[blank_end] September 1938, Chamberlain flew to Germany to find out what Hitler wanted and met him at Berchtesgaden. There Hitler told Chamberlain that he wanted all the German-speaking parts of the Sudetenland to join Germany, but only after [blank_start]plebiscites[blank_end]. Chamberlain then got the [blank_start]support[blank_end] of France of this and Britain and France forced President [blank_start]Benes[blank_end] of Czechoslovakia to accept the deal. Bene realised that he could not depend on the support of Britain and France if Hitler invaded; only [blank_start]Soviet[blank_end] Russia promised to help Czechoslovakia. Chamberlain then returned to Germany and, on [blank_start]22[blank_end] September, met Hitler at [blank_start]Godesberg[blank_end]. Hitler was taken by surprise; he did not expect Chamberlain to persuade France and Czechoslovakia to accept his demands. So he asked for more: the [blank_start]immediate[blank_end] occupation of the Sudetenland by Germany. There would be no plebiscites. Chamberlain, disappointed, returned to London and Britain prepared for war. In London, preparations were made for defence against [blank_start]air raids[blank_end]: trenches were dug, children were evacuated and gas masks given out. It was at this moment that Chamberlain received a note from Hitler inviting him to a conference of four powers to be held in [blank_start]Munich[blank_end].

Which four powers were invited to Munich?

At Munich on [blank_start]30[blank_end] September it was agreed that the Sudetenland would become [blank_start]German[blank_end]. Britain and France guaranteed the remaining part of Czechoslovakia. The Czechs were [blank_start]forced[blank_end] to accept this. Chamberlain then met Hitler [blank_start]privately[blank_end] and Hitler agreed to a declaration that Britain and Germany would never go to war again and that [blank_start]consultation[blank_end] not war would solve all future [blank_start]disagreements[blank_end] between them. This is the piece of paper that Chamberlain had in his hand when he returned to Britain on [blank_start]1[blank_end] October.

The importance of the Munich Agreement • Hitler had gained the Sudetenland without fighting. • Czechoslovakia had been betrayed. • Peace had been maintained by Chamberlain. • Czechoslovakia had lost its defensive frontier and became vulnerable to invasion. • Germany had gained the armaments and mineral resources of the Sudetenland. • Britain speeded up rearmament. • The USSR had been left out and felt betrayed.

How much of its heavy industry did Czechoslovakia lose at Munich?

Which countries, other than Germany, also began to take land from Czechoslovakia?

In 1939, encouraged by Hitler, the Slovaks began to press for independence and, in March 1939, the Czech President, Hacha, was forced to hand Czechoslovakia over to Hitler. Hitler marched in, claiming to be restoring order. Most of Czechoslovakia came under German rule.

The effect of Hitler’s takeover of Czechoslovakia • It marked the end of [blank_start]appeasement[blank_end]: Hitler could not justify taking Czechoslovakia. There were no German speakers living there and there was no [blank_start]demand[blank_end] from the people to join Germany. Hitler could not argue that he was [blank_start]reversing[blank_end] the wrongs of the Treaty of Versailles. • Hitler had proved to [blank_start]Chamberlain[blank_end] that he could not be trusted. Chamberlain felt personally upset with Hitler as he had not only broken the Munich agreement but had also broken the promise he made personally with Chamberlain to [blank_start]consult[blank_end] Britain before taking action that could lead to war. • Lithuania was forced to surrender the province of [blank_start]Memel[blank_end], which had a mostly German population, to Germany. Hitler made it clear that he wanted the [blank_start]restoration[blank_end] of Danzig. • Britain did not help Czechoslovakia but, supported by France, signed an [blank_start]agreement[blank_end] with Poland promising to help if [blank_start]Poland[blank_end] was invaded. • Mussolini, Hitler’s ally, conquered Albania. • Britain guaranteed the [blank_start]independence[blank_end] of Romania and Greece. • [blank_start]Conscription[blank_end] was introduced into Britain during peace time. • Hitler strengthened his relationship with Mussolini by signing the [blank_start]Pact of Steel[blank_end]. • Hitler withdrew Germany’s [blank_start]non-aggression[blank_end] pact of [blank_start]1934[blank_end] with Poland and the Anglo-German Naval Agreement of [blank_start]1935[blank_end].

Britain and France guaranteed the frontiers of Poland against any attack however....

Which was the only country actually able to defend Poland from attack?

What problem did Britain and France face during their talks with the USSR?

Throughout the [blank_start]1930[blank_end]s the USSR had felt Britain had been trying to direct Hitler to the East and it is true that there were many in Britain who feared [blank_start]Communism[blank_end] more than Fascism. Evidence of this was the USSR’s [blank_start]exclusion[blank_end] from the [blank_start]Munich[blank_end] Conference when clearly the future of Czechoslovakia was important to it. In 1939 [blank_start]Britain[blank_end] and France showed no urgency in making and agreement with the USSR. This made [blank_start]Stalin[blank_end], the Soviet leader, more [blank_start]suspicious[blank_end] of their aims and led him to signing the [blank_start]Nazi-Soviet[blank_end] Pact with Hitler in August [blank_start]1939[blank_end].

Why did the Nazi-Soviet Pact come as a surprise?

The Nazi-Soviet Pact meant that Hitler’s attack on Poland was inevitable. Hitler had prevented the danger of a war on two fronts, which had been the downfall of Germany in the First World War.

Hitler had long wanted [blank_start]Danzig[blank_end] as its population was over [blank_start]90[blank_end] per cent German. As early as April 1939 he demanded that the Poles handed it over. Hitler believed that if he kept the [blank_start]pressure[blank_end] on Poland, Britain and France would come to a similar agreement with him as they had at [blank_start]Munich[blank_end] over the Sudetenland. He still believed that Britain and France were so [blank_start]afraid[blank_end] of war that they would back down, especially as his claim to Danzig was far more [blank_start]justified[blank_end] than any claim he had to [blank_start]Czechoslovakia[blank_end], and they had not opposed him over that. Poland, strengthened by the guarantee of [blank_start]independence[blank_end] given to them by Britain and France after the collapse of Czechoslovakia earlier in 19[blank_start]39[blank_end], refused to give in to Hitler’s demands. Much to Hitler’s surprise, Britain warned him that it would join the war if [blank_start]Germany[blank_end] invaded Poland. There was no hope of another Munich. Hitler had gone too far. The collapse of Czechoslovakia in [blank_start]March[blank_end] 1939 proved to be the last straw for the appeasers. [blank_start]Public opinion[blank_end] in Britain was in favour of opposing Hitler. On 1 [blank_start]September[blank_end] 1939 German troops invaded Poland. On 3 September Britain [blank_start]declared[blank_end] war on Germany. Britain was unable to defend Poland, which was overrun by Germany and the [blank_start]USSR[blank_end] within four weeks. Hitler was convinced even then that Britain would accept his gains in [blank_start]Poland[blank_end] and not continue the war. He was [blank_start]mistaken[blank_end].