WHY DID BRITAIN FOLLOW A POLICY OF APPEASEMENT?

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WHY DID BRITAIN FOLLOW A POLICY OF APPEASEMENT?
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Impact of First World War

• Hardly a family had escaped a loss or injury of a
  loved one
• Had been fought as a moral crusade a war for
  democracy and a war to end all wars
• Britains policy in the 1920s and 30s was a
  continuation of this mood

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Membership of the League of Nations

• A policy of conciliation, negotiation, and
  concession seemed to be consistent with
  membership.
• Collective security would deter aggressors
• Appeasement was a way of reinforcing the League
• When league was discredited appeasement become
  the alternative to the League

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The fear of financial cost of a war

• A strong economy was essential for a strong
  defence
• Military people worried that the nation could not
  rearm
• Politicians argued the Br. Could not afford to
  rearm

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The political cost

• Oxford University Debate in Feb. 1933 This House
  will in no circumstance fight for King and
  Country
• East- Fulham by-election Oct. 1933
• So called Peace Ballot of 1934/5 millions of
  pupil signed a petition stressing the use of
  non-violent methods to solve disputes

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Political Cost

• All of these would appear to demonstrate strong
  anti-war feelings and possible (certain?) defeat
  facing any government trying to introduce
  re-armament

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Feelings over the Treaty of Versailles

• Policy of appeasement also arose out of feelings
  of guilt
• The reparations and the punitive treatment of
  Germany
• The widespread belief that much of the
  territorial clauses were unjust
• Br. Was ready to admit German grievances and was
  prepared to something about them

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Stronger Germany necessarily a bad thing?

• Might bring about political and economical
  stability to Central Europe
• A valuable trading partner and in the 1930s Br.
  Needed this
• A prosperous and contented Germany less likely to
  veer towards political extremism
• Would also ,therefore, be a defence against
  Communist Russia, which seemed more of a threat
  than a Nazi Germany

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Similarly in the Far East

• Japan could contain Russian expansion
• Invasion of Manchuria was reprehensible BUT, the
  Chinese were weak, decadent, corrupt,and too
  internally divided to be worth supporting

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Britain not strong enough?

• No real alternative since the country was not
  strong enough to face dictators alone and had no
  reliable allies
• Overextended navy
• Cuts in all the armed forces
• Believed that Germany and Italy were too strong
  and modern

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The Bomber would always get through

• Governmental figures suggested huge civilian
  casualties would result
• Britain ill-prepared for air defences
• RAF had until later no effective fighters or
  longer range bombers
• Shelters, radar etc still to be developed
• Images of Guernica