depression, war and recovery

• Foreign policy followed by Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain between 1935 and 1937


  Purpose was to avoid war by appeasing Hitler through: discussion, negotiation, compromise
• Peace settlement: June 1919

  Aims: to weaken Germany, prevent war
• Germany couldn't have a navy, had 100,000 armed forces
• Rhineland was demilitarised
• League of Nations: 1910 ✓ 1930 x
• War guilt clause, Germany to blame
• People in Britain and Europe thought the peace settlement was too harsh
• Britain and Europe were for-peace, weren't prepared for war
• Communism was a threat, Hitler was anti-communism, so he was seen as an ally
• There were sympathisers for Hitler
• Winston Churchill was against appeasement, missed opportunities
• Britain was seen as weak, cowardice, Austria and Czechoslovakia felt abandoned
• Appeasement didn't stop the war
• Hitler's first steps to war


  • Conscription and Rearmament
  • Rhineland
  • Austria
  • Munich conference
  • Czechoslovakia
  • USSR and Nazi-Soviet pact
  • Poland
• Hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles by calling up 100,000 soldiers, Britain and France did not respond
• Hitler remilitarised the Rhineland on 7 March 1936, only had 22,000 soldiers, told to retreat but met with no resistance
• Attempt made to unite Germany and Austria


  1934
• Hitler invaded Austria


  12th March 1938
• Britain still did nothing
• Hitler tried to take over Sudetenland


  1938
• 3 million German speakers in Sudetenland
• Hitler met with Neville Chamberlain and was allowed to have Sudetenland

  28 September 1938
• Attempt to avoid war
• Agreed not to fight