Final Acts of Appeasement
Anchluss:
The Appeaser's reaction:
The Sudentenland:
- Versailles forbade the unification of Germany with Austria.
- In 1934, Dolfuss affair saw the Nazis assassination of Austrian chancellor.
- Hitler called on new Chancellor Schuschnigg to resign.
- Leader of Austria Nazi party becomes new Chancellor.
- In 1938 German troops roll into Austria.
- Plebiscite saw 99.75% of people in favour of unifying with Germany.
- Here people appeased a distinct act of defiance of the Treaty of Versailles.
The Appeaser's reaction:
- British do nothing and warn Schuschnigg not to cause trouble.
- French won't do anything with British support.
- Italy raised objection, but later gave their approval.
The Sudentenland:
- Ethnic German area of Czechoslovakia.
- British P.M. Neville Chamberlain asked Czech leader to give up part of his country.
- The Munich agreement: The four power conference saw Benes (the previous Czech leader) resigning, and the institution of Emil Hacha, a Nazi sympathizer, who signs over part of the country.
- Neville Chamberlain thought this was a great act of peace keeping. He returned to Britain saying he "secured peace in our time."
- Now, Germany had a large portion of Europe without firing a shot.
Subjunctive Question: At this point, Hitler had already acquired territorial and military power in Europe far greater than the Treaty of Versailles would have allowed. Would Declaring war before these last acts of appeasement have made a great difference in the course of the war? Or was it the early acts of appeasement that gave Hitler his greatest advantage?
"How horrible, fantastic, incredible it is that we should be digging trenches and trying on gas masks here because of a quarrel in a far-away country between people of whom we know nothing."
- Neville Chamberlain |