What is Appeasement?
Appeasement, in a political context, is the process of maintaining peace to avoid conflict with an enemy power. Appeasement can be anything from ignoring restrictions or regulations that a certain person or group of people break, or giving in to that group's demands whatever they may be. Appeasement is a temporary solution to soothe aggressors and bring peace, but it is never able to last because it feeds into and empowers the group or person trying to be appeased. Appeasement in the end is a futile effort because it will inevitably end up failing in what it set out to do.
"My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour.
I believe it is peace for our time...
Go home and get a nice quiet sleep." -Neville Chamberlain, British Prime Minister
Appeasement During WWII
The practice of appeasement emerged from the lack of power The League of Nations possessed. After the Great War the Allied Powers wanted to prevent a repeat war from occurring. The League of Nations duty was maintain peace throughout all Europe. Since the League of Nations did not have a military to stop Hitler, the only way to prevent war was for Nations, like Britain and France, to appease Hitler. The Prime Minister of Britain (1937-1939) Neville Chamberlain postponed the outbreak of the European war was based on the idea that what Hitler wanted was reasonable and, when his reasonable demands had been satisfied, he would stop. Adolf Hitler demanded that Britain give up Czechoslovakia to German control. On September 30th, Chamberlain along with Premier Eduardo Dallier signed the Munich Agreement which granted Germany's demands. In returning to England Chamberlain spoke about the "peace of our time" believing he'd avoided war. That is until Hitler seized all of Czechoslovakia, betraying the Munich Agreement, this enraged Britain forcing the nation to abandon the practice of appeasement. This marked the conclusion of peace, creating tension within Europe. Appeasement during World War II, was unable to prevent the war from occurring. During this time Germany was able to gain momentum, giving it an advantage over the Allied Powers. This pattern of appeasement is shown throughout pre-World War II.