Essay Sample on Policy of Appeasement in the 1930s: Britain and France

Appeasement was the right policy for England in 1938. This is because It was based on the idea that what Hitler wanted was reasonable and, when his reasonable demands had been satisfied, he would stop. Appeasement was the only practical action that could be held during that time. England and France were not ready to get into another war. They already had severe damages that they couldn’t afford to get into another war. This gave them time to prepare for war since it is inevitable anyways. It also gave them time to prepare for old and broken equipment. Alliances needed to be made and through this, that was all possible. Also, through this policy, they were able to get public support. Appeasement also allowed Britain time to retool factories for war. Many Britons during that time saw Hitler as a defence against Russian Communism. This all happened because they thought that Hitler would soon be satisfied after remilitarizing the Rhineland, annexation of Austria and czechoslovakia. Wanted to please Hitler this way. The empire was already overstretched and its financial resources quite limited. The U.S. was isolationist. Soviet communism was feared, France was weak. This was all done to prevent war and preventing war is something needed to be done. Their objective was for the collaboration of all nations in building up a lasting peace for Europe. The Czechs, left themselves and told they were going to get no help from the Western Powers, would have been able to make better terms than they have got. This also gave the greatest chance of securing protection for the country. Czechoslovak State would’ve not been able to be an independent entity without this. Chamberlain remembered the slaughter of the First World War and all the damages it cause. He thought that having another war would destroy civilisation and thus came up with the appeasement. Because of the appeasement, the war morale of the British people, who knew they had done everything possible to avoid war was improved. They felt like the already did everything they could to stop this and so their morale was developed. This also gave Chamberlain that he couldn’t trust Hitler. Appeasement rested upon both a traditional perspective on foreign interests and a rational assessment of military means and political will. Appeasement gave time for everyone and it started as an idea for peace and not war and violence and to keep from good men dying for no reason. Appeasement was just trying to give Germany justice. Appeasement was moral cowardice which meant that it was a necessary consequence of discarding morality as inconsequential. Appeasement was a reversion to and an extension of traditional British foreign policy and diplomacy. So in conclusion, appeasement was something worth trying and something that was good to have been accomplished.