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Reasons for Britain to sign the appeasement, from, as a result, evidence,…
Reasons for Britain to sign the appeasement
Public opinion
Franchise act (1918) had increased the numer of voters in Britain
8 million to 21 million
This made politicians were more likely to take notice of public opinion
Women over the age of 30 were allowed to vote
Most of them didn't want war and wanted collective security
WWI had created fear in people
In February 1933, when the Oxford Union debating society voted that "This House would not fight for King and country"
The bombing of Guernica, Spain from the German
the vulnerability of London to attack from the air
that they needed to prevent a war
The British public put faith in the League of Nation that they will mantain peace through collective security
about 400, 000 supporters in 1935
"Peace ballot" in 1935
appeared to show that the British public fully supported the League of Nations and its principles
The lack of alternative policy
support for appeasement was found in all politician parties
the Labour Party supported collective security, but not rearmament
Demands of the dictators seen as justified
Many British politicians thought that the Treaty of Versailles was too harsh and that Hitler had grievances relating to WWI
saw the threat of communism as more dangerous than the threat of fascism.
They believed that WWI was caused by all powers and not only Germany
there was support for the idea of revising the more punitive clauses of the treaty
Chamberlain believed that it was possible to do business with Mussolini and Hitler (mistakenly belief)
to sort out the the grievances of these countries rationally and without war
Economic pressure
Great Depression worsened Britain's economic situation further still.
By the 1930s, Britain was facing competition from other countries that were overtaking
its industrial production.
It faced high unemployment: 3 million people were unemployed in the early 1930s.
These economic difficulties
Made it hard to spend money on armaments
No government would be able to maintain support if it cut welfare benefits in order to finance rearmament.
Feared that rearming too quickly would cause a balance of payments crisis, with too many imports of machinery and raw materials
Global commitments and defense priority
British interests were global and they had obligations regarding European countries and the L.N, as most politicians considered British interests to be more global than European.
The preservation and defence of the empire was essential for Britain in order to remain as a great power,which was its priority.
Their defence was getting weaker, since Britain's imperial commitments were now so vast that they were becoming increasingly difficult to administer and defend.
The Dominions (self-governing parts of the British Empire) would not support Britain in another European war. They made it clear at the 1937 Imperial Conference that they were not prepared to help Britain in another European war.
Britain's priorities to defend were also the preservation of trade routes for the supply of food and raw materials and military preparation sufficient to repulse air attack
Impact of Chamberlain
Chamberlain wanted to satisfy the British public, which was greatly opposed to war, in order to pursue his reelection
He looked to rob Germany of her allies by looking to align with Italy and the USSR
He wasn't even sure if Britain could beat Germany in a war
Personally, he detested war and prefered to resolve international tensions through negotiation
Chamberlain ran Britain’s foreign policies almost alone, without having to consult with his Cabinet
Chamberlain believed Britain should take the lead in negotiating with Hitler
He had little faith in the League or in Britain's allies, France and the USA; he distrusted the Soviet Union
Financial pressures, the commitments of Empire and the comments from the Chiefs of Staff
Chamberlain to have little choice but to follow a policy that looked for conciliation rather than confrontation with Germany and Italy
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