The Origins and the Causes of the First World War - What were the main mid-term causes? - British and French Appeasement

6 important questions on The Origins and the Causes of the First World War - What were the main mid-term causes? - British and French Appeasement

What was the aim of Appeasement?

That concessions would satisfy Germany's revisionist demands and encourage Germany to act once again as a responsible member of the international community without disaster of military confrontation

What is A.J.P Taylor's key argument about Appeasement?

The Second World War came about through "misunderstanding and miscalculation"

Meaning that:
  • Britain and France misunderstood Hitler
  • Hitler miscalculated Britain and France's reaction to his invasion of Poland


Principally:
  1. Hitler didn't intend war from the moment he entered government (counter 'masterplan' theory)
  2. Hitler was encouraged to develop an expansionist policy through British and French weakness

Who first criticised appeasement?

Winston Churchill criticised appeasement as showing weakness and making war more likely; he argued this in his post-war book History of the Second World War
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What was another detrimental affect of Appeasement apart from encouraging Hitler?

In Stalin's view appeasement as hostile towards the USSR and that made it easier for Hitler to gain a pact with the Soviet Union in 1939; allowing him to conquer Poland attack the West without fear of a 'war on two fronts'

What was the significance of the Munich Conference for Czechoslovakia?

MILITARILY:
No longer had a defensible frontier
ECONOMICALLY:
  • Lost 70% of its iron and steel resources; alongside the Skoda works

SEPARATISM:
German success had encouraged other separatist movements:

  1. Hungary and Poland revived claims; Poland would receive Tesin decided in Munich Conference
  2. March 1939; Hitler caused new crisis over Slovak demands; and forced Czechs to accept a German 'protectorate' over Bohemia and Moravia; also seize Prague

What was the significance of the Munich Conference on French and British foreign policy?

  1. Military co-ordination between Britain and France
  2. March-April 1939 Renewal of guarantees to Poland, Greece and Romania

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