Appeasement - Interpretations

• Well Done Chamberlain: 1937-38 They saw appeasement as a good thing, and celebrated Chamberlain’s actions. e.g. Chamberlain
• The Guilty Men: 1939-1948 - They saw appeasement as weak and cowardly. They bitterly resented Chamberlain for leading them into war. They condemned the British government of the 1930s. e.g. CATO, Lord Beaverbrook
• Churchill’s Orthodox View: 1948- 1960s This interpretation largely condemned appeasement as being wrong or (at best) misguided. However, it was less critical of Chamberlain. e.g. Churchill, Truman, Tony Blair
• Rehabilitating Chamberlain: 1960s-1990s - This view argues that appeasement was necessary, and therefore Chamberlain (and others) were in an impossible position. They say that nobody wanted to give in to Hitler – but they had no choice. They needed to buy time to build British forces up. e.g. Donald Cameron Watt, AJP Taylor
• Chamberlain Back on Trial: 1990s+ - Chamberlain’s personality comes under criticism as part of the problem. These historians argue that appeasement was (perhaps) necessary, but Chamberlain made the problem worse by thinking he could control Hitler. e.g. Robert Parker, Donald Cameron Watt