The Munich Agreement was signed on 29 September 1938, by Britain, France, Italy and Germany. It was an agreement that allowed Hitler to annexe the Sudetenland, which was part of Czechoslovakia. Hitler had demanded the Sudetenland as it was home to 3 million ethnic Germans. It is seen as a failure of the policy of appeasement. Neville Chamberlain aimed to achieve european peace by appeasing Hitler. By appeasement he meant negotiating with Hitler's reasonable demands in return for concessions. In September 1938 Hitler had claimed "The Sudetenland is the last problem that must be solved in Europe and it will be solved. It is the last territorial claim which I have to make in Europe." Was this the bait that lured Chamberlain to Munich? The Munich conference to discuss the future of the Sudetenland was not attended by Czechoslovakia nor the USSR. Hitler's view of the Munich Agreement was that it was "an undreamt-of triumph, so great that you can scarcely imagine it." Chamberlain told cheering crowds, "My good friends.....there has come back from Germany to Downing Street peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time". He believed that the peace of Europe would be guaranted by a peice of paper, signed by Hitler and himself, promising the two countries would not resort to war in the future." His views were echoed by the Daily Express who opined, "People of Britain, your children are safe. Your husbands and your sons will not march to war. Peace is a victory for all mankind. if we must have a victor let us choose Chamberlain, for the Prime Minister's conquests are mighty and enduring - millions of happy homes and hearts relieved of their burden." Daily Express Sept 30 1938 However there were rumblings of dissent in Britain. In October 1938 Churchill offered his appraisal of Munich, "We have suffered a total defeat....I think that you will find that in a period of time Czechoslovakia will be engulfed in the Nazi regime. We have passed an awful milestone in our history. This is only the beginning of the reckoning." In December 1938 the Yorkshire Post offered this assessment of the policy of appeasement, "By repeatedly surrendering to force Chamberlain has encouraged aggression.......Our central contention, therefore, is that Mr Chamberlain's policy has throughout been based on a fatal misunderstanding of the psychology of dictatorship." Was the Yorkshire Post right? Had Chamberlain underestimated Hitler. This is the view of the Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, he is predicting how Hitler will treat Chamberlain at Munich. "As soon as Hitler sees that old man he will know that he has won the battle. Chamberlain is not aware that to present himself to Hitler in the uniform of a bourgeois pacifist and British parliamentarian is the equivalent of giving a wild beast a taste of blood." Mussolini, Sept. 1938 You need to think about the following
Was Chamberlain right to support British public opinion and to try to avoid war?
What arguments can be used to support Chamberlain's actions?
What arguments can be used to oppose Chamberlain's action?
Did everyone in Britain support Appeasement?
Was Britain wrong not to try and stop Hitler earlier?
Could the betrayal of the Czechoslovakia at Munich, September 1938, be justified?
Look at the following information; http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/churchill_gathering_storm_01.shtml http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWmunich.htm http://www.johndclare.net/RoadtoWWII4.htm http://www.johndclare.net/RoadtoWWII1_BBCnotes.htm#q2 http://www.johndclare.net/RoadtoWWII1_BBCnotes.htm#q2 Watch this video http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/ir1/chamberlainandappeasement_video.shtml
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