Appeasement Facts for Kids

Appeasement is a way of dealing with a powerful country that is acting aggressively. It means trying to avoid a fight or war by giving in to some of their demands. This idea was used by British leaders, especially Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, in the years before World War II (between 1935 and 1939). They hoped that by giving in to the demands of countries like Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, they could prevent another big war.

British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain greeted by Adolf Hitler at the beginning of the Bad Godesberg meeting on 24 September 1938, where Hitler wanted annexation of Czech border areas without delay

Why Did Britain Use Appeasement?
Key Moments of Appeasement
The Failure of Appeasement
- Invasion of Czechoslovakia (1939)
- Invasion of Poland (1939)
Why Appeasement is Criticized
Images for kids
See also

Why Did Britain Use Appeasement?

After World War I, many people in Britain and other countries wanted to avoid another terrible war. They remembered how many lives were lost and how much damage was done.

Memories of World War I

The First World War had been very costly in terms of lives and money.
People were still recovering from its effects.
Leaders wanted to prevent such a disaster from happening again.

Economic Problems

Britain was facing economic difficulties during the 1930s.
Spending a lot of money on weapons and preparing for war was not popular.
Leaders hoped that avoiding war would help the economy recover.

Fear of Communism

Some leaders in Britain were also worried about the spread of Communism from the Soviet Union.
They saw Adolf Hitler's Germany as a strong country that could stand against Communism.
They hoped Germany might act as a barrier against the Soviet Union.

Belief in Limited Goals

Many believed that Hitler's goals were limited.
They thought he only wanted to unite German-speaking people.
They hoped that once these goals were met, he would stop being aggressive.

Key Moments of Appeasement

Several events show how Britain and other countries tried to use appeasement.

Rhineland Remilitarization (1936)

The Treaty of Versailles after World War I said that Germany could not have soldiers in the Rhineland, an area near France.
In 1936, Hitler sent German troops into the Rhineland.
This was a clear violation of the treaty.
Britain and France did not take strong action to stop him. They hoped to avoid conflict.

Anschluss (1938)

Anschluss is a German word meaning "connection" or "union."
In March 1938, Germany took over Austria.
Hitler wanted to unite Germany and Austria, as many Austrians were German-speaking.
Again, Britain and France did not intervene. They saw it as Hitler uniting German people.

The Munich Agreement (1938)

This was a very important moment for appeasement.
Hitler demanded control of the Sudetenland, a part of Czechoslovakia where many Germans lived.
Czechoslovakia had a strong army and alliances, but Britain and France did not want to fight for it.
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier, Adolf Hitler, and Italian leader Benito Mussolini met in Munich.
They agreed to give the Sudetenland to Germany.
Chamberlain returned to Britain, saying he had brought "peace for our time."

The Failure of Appeasement

Despite the hopes, appeasement did not work.

Invasion of Czechoslovakia (1939)

Just a few months after the Munich Agreement, in March 1939, Hitler broke his promise.
He invaded and took over the rest of Czechoslovakia.
This showed that Hitler's goals were not limited. He wanted to expand Germany's power.

Invasion of Poland (1939)

After Czechoslovakia, Britain and France realized appeasement had failed.
They promised to protect Poland if Germany attacked it.
On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland.
Two days later, Britain and France declared war on Germany. This marked the beginning of World War II.

Why Appeasement is Criticized

Many people now believe that appeasement was a mistake.

It made Hitler bolder and more confident.
It gave Germany more time to build up its military.
It showed Hitler that other countries were unwilling to fight.
Instead of preventing war, it might have made the war even bigger and more difficult to win.

Images for kids

Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, circa 1942
UK Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin
Seyss-Inquart and Hitler in Vienna, March 1938
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, landing at Heston Aerodrome on 30 September 1938 after his meeting with Hitler at Munich. In his hand he holds the peace agreement between Britain and Germany.