European foreign policy of the Chamberlain ministry facts for kids

Neville Chamberlain shows a paper he signed with Hitler in 1938, promising peaceful ways to solve problems. He is at Heston Aerodrome after returning from Munich.

The European foreign policy of Neville Chamberlain was about how the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, handled relationships with other countries in Europe from 1937 to 1940. He really wanted to keep peace, so he tried to make agreements with Nazi Germany. This approach was called "appeasement". At the same time, he worked to make Britain's armed forces stronger. However, in September 1939, after Germany invaded Poland, Chamberlain declared war on Germany.

Why Chamberlain Wanted Peace

Many people in Europe, including Chamberlain, had seen the terrible effects of the First World War. Because of this, they were determined to avoid another war. The idea was that dictatorships, like Hitler's Germany, became aggressive because their people had complaints. If these complaints were fixed, the dictatorships might become less aggressive.

Many believed that the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I, had created problems for Germany. Chamberlain was an honest man who believed in solving problems through talking. He tried to use diplomacy to deal with Nazi Germany. He called this approach "the general policy of appeasement".

Making Britain Stronger

When Chamberlain became Prime Minister, Britain had many defense duties around the world. However, it didn't have enough money or resources to support all of them. Chamberlain worried about fighting a war on three fronts at once: in Europe, the Far East, and possibly in Spain. He knew Britain couldn't afford to fight everyone.

So, Chamberlain had two main plans. First, he would try to reduce the number of enemies by listening to their complaints and making fair agreements. Second, he would make Britain stronger by forming alliances with other countries. In 1937 and 1938, he focused more on making agreements. In 1939 and 1940, he focused more on alliances.

A key part of his plan was to rearm Britain. This meant building up the military. He wanted Britain to be strong enough to negotiate from a position of power. He also hoped it would stop enemies from wanting to fight. If war did break out, he wanted Britain to be ready.

Chamberlain put a lot of importance on the Royal Air Force (RAF). He believed that air power was the best way to prevent war. As Prime Minister, he greatly increased the RAF's budget. The RAF's budget grew from about £16.78 million in 1933 to over £105 million in 1939. It even became larger than the budgets for the British Army and Navy.

Britain's economy had been struggling, especially after the Great Depression. There weren't enough factories or skilled workers to build up all parts of the military at once. So, Chamberlain decided to focus on the RAF, even if it meant cutting back on the Army and Navy.

In 1937, Chamberlain introduced a plan called "limited liability." This meant Britain would focus on fighting at sea and in the air, not sending a huge army to Europe like in the First World War. This led to big cuts for the British Army.

Rearmament was expensive for Britain. Buying steel, aircraft, and tools from other countries cost a lot. Also, making military equipment meant fewer factories could make goods for export. This caused problems with Britain's balance of payments. Increased taxes to pay for rearmament also slowed down economic growth. By 1939, Chamberlain's government was spending more than half of its income on defense.

Many people in the Labour Party disagreed with Chamberlain's rearmament policy. They wanted disarmament and often voted against increasing the defense budget. Some even thought Britain should disarm completely, hoping other countries would follow.

Talking with Other Countries

Chamberlain knew Britain couldn't win an arms race against Germany, Italy, and Japan all at once. He hoped to separate Italy from Germany or Germany from Italy. He thought Japan was too difficult to deal with. If he could split the other two, Britain could win the arms race against the remaining enemy. He wrote in 1937, "If only we could get on terms with the Germans I wouldn't care a rap for Musso [Benito Mussolini]".

Potential Friends

Chamberlain wasn't very hopeful about Britain's potential allies. Military experts thought the Soviet Union's army wasn't very strong. The US Congress had passed "Neutrality Acts," which made Chamberlain believe the United States wouldn't help in a war. He even told British negotiators to agree to almost anything to get a trade deal with the US, hoping it would draw them into world affairs. France was also seen as a weak ally.

Germany

One of Chamberlain's main goals was to find a "general settlement" with Germany. He wanted to solve all the problems he thought were fair complaints from Germany. In 1937, Britain suggested Germany rejoin the League of Nations, sign a peace agreement for Western Europe, and limit weapons. Most importantly, Germany had to promise to respect the borders of countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Chamberlain wanted to finish rearming Britain before these talks, so Britain could negotiate from a position of strength.

Chamberlain didn't like Germans personally. He wrote in 1930, "On the whole I hate Germans." But he focused on Germany because military reports said it was the biggest threat.

Italy

Chamberlain also tried to improve relations with Italy. He believed Italy and Germany were only close because of the Spanish Civil War. He thought if Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini pulled his troops out of Spain, Italy would become friends with Britain again.

In 1937, Italian submarines attacked neutral ships carrying supplies for the Spanish Republic. Britain and France then agreed to patrol the Mediterranean Sea to stop these "pirate" attacks. This helped end the attacks.

United States

In December 1937, a British gunboat and an American gunboat were attacked by Japanese planes in China. Chamberlain hoped to use this "Panay incident" to get the United States to stop being neutral. He offered to send British warships to Singapore if the US did the same, to threaten Japan. But the US refused and accepted Japan's apology instead. This made Chamberlain realize he couldn't count on American help in a major war.

1938: Early Talks and Austria

By 1937, Chamberlain thought Germany's biggest complaint was about getting its former colonies in Africa back. In January 1938, he suggested an international group of European powers manage a large area of central Africa. In return, Hitler would promise not to use violence to change Germany's borders. But Hitler rejected this idea, saying Germany should get its colonies back without negotiating. This made Chamberlain's plan for peaceful talks much harder.

Talks with Italy about pulling troops from Spain started again in March 1938. In April, the Easter Agreement was signed, which seemed to solve problems between Britain and Italy. However, Mussolini sent more troops to Spain, which made the agreement difficult to put into action.

Austria Joins Germany

The first big crisis for Chamberlain was when Germany took over Austria. Austrian Nazis had been putting pressure on the Austrian government. Chamberlain's government decided it couldn't stop Germany, so it allowed Austria to become part of Germany in March 1938. This event is known as the Anschluss.

1938: Crisis Over Czechoslovakia

The next crisis was about the Sudetenland region of western Czechoslovakia. Many ethnic German people lived there. Hitler planned to invade Czechoslovakia on October 1, 1938, claiming he was helping these Germans. Britain had no defense agreement with Czechoslovakia. However, France had an alliance with Czechoslovakia. If Germany attacked Czechoslovakia, France would go to war with Germany. Britain would then have to help France to prevent Germany from winning.

Chamberlain with Mussolini at the Munich Conference.

Chamberlain tried two things to stop the crisis. He pressured Czechoslovakia to give in to some of the ethnic Germans' demands. He also warned Germany about the dangers of war. He wrote that he would tell Hitler, "The best thing you can do is tell us exactly what you want for your Sudeten Germans. If it is reasonable we will urge the Czechs to accept."

Getting Ready for War

As a precaution, Chamberlain ordered the RAF to prepare a list of targets in Germany. He also prepared a small army force to send to France.

Chamberlain was also worried about how German bombing might affect British cities. Experts told him that a German air attack could kill half a million civilians in the first three weeks. This fear greatly influenced his decisions in 1938. Military leaders also advised that Britain would be better prepared for war in 6-12 months.

British Commonwealth Opposes War

Another factor was the attitude of the dominions (countries like Canada and South Africa that were part of the British Empire). They did not want to fight a war in Central Europe, which they felt didn't concern them. They wanted Britain to make concessions to avoid war. Chamberlain believed Britain couldn't fight a war without the support of the entire Empire.

German Opposition Plans

During the summer of 1938, some anti-Nazi Germans contacted the British government. They wanted Britain to take a strong stand for Czechoslovakia, hoping it would lead to a revolt against Hitler. Chamberlain didn't give them much support, partly because these groups seemed disorganized.

Plan Z

In August 1938, Britain learned that Germany was preparing its army. Information from anti-war Germans suggested an invasion of Czechoslovakia was planned for September.

To try and solve the crisis, Chamberlain came up with "Plan Z." He decided to fly to Germany to meet Hitler and work out an agreement. This was seen as a very bold move.

Hitler greets Chamberlain at the Berghof on September 15, 1938.

At a meeting in Germany, Chamberlain promised to pressure Czechoslovakia to let the Sudetenland join Germany. In return, Hitler reluctantly agreed to delay any military action.

Under heavy pressure from Britain and France, Czechoslovakia agreed to give the Sudetenland to Germany. Hitler had agreed to the delay but was reportedly disappointed that Czechoslovakia gave in. Chamberlain had agreed that areas with at least 50% ethnic Germans should be transferred, which made the area given to Germany much larger.

Bad Godesberg Talks

After his first meeting with Hitler, Chamberlain believed Hitler's goals were "strictly limited" to the Sudetenland. He thought war could be avoided. However, when Chamberlain met Hitler again on September 22, 1938, Hitler rejected the plan they had discussed earlier.

Hitler now demanded that the Sudetenland be given to Germany by September 28, 1938, with no negotiations or international oversight. He also said Germany would not stop fighting until Poland and Hungary's claims against Czechoslovakia were also met. Chamberlain protested, calling it an ultimatum.

Most of Chamberlain's government thought Hitler's new demands were unacceptable. Britain formally rejected them on September 25, 1938. Britain also warned Hitler that if Germany attacked Czechoslovakia, France would help, and Britain would then feel obligated to help France.

Munich Agreement

The Munich Conference: Chamberlain, Daladier, Hitler, Mussolini.

Hitler had planned to attack Czechoslovakia on October 1, 1938. But on September 27-28, he changed his mind. He asked for a conference in Munich on September 30, with himself, Chamberlain, Mussolini, and French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier.

At the Munich Conference, they discussed how the Sudetenland would be transferred. Hitler made small concessions: the transfer would happen over ten days in October and be overseen by an international group. He also agreed to wait for Hungarian and Polish claims to be settled. At the end, Chamberlain had Hitler sign a declaration of Anglo-German friendship.

The Munich Agreement allowed Hitler to take over Czechoslovakia's border defenses. This left the rest of Czechoslovakia's industrial and economic areas vulnerable. When Chamberlain returned to Britain on September 30, 1938, he was greeted with great excitement. At Heston Aerodrome, he gave his famous "peace for our time" speech, waving the Anglo-German Declaration. Later, when Hitler invited troops to protect Czechs from a Hungarian invasion, Chamberlain was criticized. He then took a much tougher stance against Germany and eventually declared war after Germany invaded Poland.

1938: Appeasement and Other Choices

Some people blame Chamberlain for the final collapse of peace. However, dealing with Germany under Chamberlain was much harder than before. Germany had started drafting soldiers and had built a strong air force. Chamberlain was caught between Britain's financial problems, his dislike of war, and Hitler, who seemed determined to have a war.

The policy of keeping peace had wide support in Britain. If people had wanted a more aggressive leader, Winston Churchill would have been the obvious choice. Many historians believe Chamberlain continued appeasement for too long. But it's not clear if any other approach would have stopped the war, or if starting it earlier would have been better. France was also unwilling to fight. Other potential allies were not available: Italy joined Germany, the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact with Germany, and the United States remained neutral.

Chamberlain's foreign policies are still debated today. Some criticize him for letting Germany become too strong. Others argue that Germany was already so strong that delaying the war was in Britain's best interest.

Late 1938: Changing Attitudes

In November 1938, Chamberlain tried again to separate Italy from Germany. He announced that the Easter Agreement with Italy would soon take effect. This happened after Italy pulled 10,000 troops out of Spain. Britain then recognized the King of Italy as Emperor of Ethiopia.

However, during the winter of 1938–1939, Chamberlain's view of Germany hardened. This was partly because Hitler started a strong anti-British propaganda campaign. Also, information suggested that Germany was preparing for a war with Britain. Chamberlain was especially worried that Hitler saw the Munich Agreement as a personal defeat. He also heard that Germany planned to cancel a naval agreement with Britain.

In response, Chamberlain decided Britain could not let the Balkans become an exclusive German economic zone. He ordered a British "economic offensive" to buy products from Balkan countries that Germany would otherwise buy. This even included buying Greek tobacco, which British smokers didn't like, just to keep Greece out of Germany's influence.

Britain also made loans to China, even though it could barely afford them. This was to keep China fighting against Japan. As long as Japan was busy fighting China, it would be less likely to attack Britain's Asian colonies. Britain wanted the United States to join them in stopping Japan, but the US refused to risk war for British interests.

In December 1938, Chamberlain gave a speech warning against "ambition" that leads to "domination." The German ambassador walked out in protest. Also, British military experts reported that by 1939, Britain's air defenses would be strong enough to resist a German air attack. This greatly influenced Chamberlain's policy change in 1939.

1939: "Dutch War Scare" and Czechoslovakia

In January 1939, Britain became very worried about a "Dutch War Scare." False information suggested Germany planned to invade the Netherlands to use its airfields to bomb Britain. France was the only country that could stop this, but France said it wouldn't act unless Britain made a major commitment. This forced Chamberlain to agree to send a large army to Europe if needed.

Chamberlain ordered full military talks with France. He publicly declared that any German move into the Low Countries (Netherlands, Belgium) would mean an immediate declaration of war. He also ordered a major expansion of the British Army. In April 1939, Britain started drafting people for the army in peacetime for the first time in its history.

The German takeover of the rest of Czechoslovakia on March 15, 1939, was another reason for Chamberlain's policy change. On March 17, he gave a speech saying Britain would oppose, by war if necessary, any German attempt to dominate Europe.

1939: Guaranteeing Poland

In mid-March 1939, a "Romanian War Scare" (also known as the "Tilea Affair") shook Chamberlain's government. The Romanian minister in London reported that Germany was about to attack his country. This made Britain change its policy of avoiding commitments in Eastern Europe. (In reality, no German attack was planned on Romania at that time.)

Chamberlain wanted to keep Romania and its oil out of German hands because Germany had little oil of its own. Britain's navy could block oil supplies, which was a strong advantage in war. On March 31, 1939, Britain guaranteed Poland's independence. This was meant to connect Poland to the West and ensure Poland would help protect Romania from a German attack.

Different Views on the Polish Guarantee

Historians have debated why Chamberlain guaranteed Poland. Some argue it was to stop Germany from getting a "free hand" in Europe. Others say it was because Britain was militarily weak and had economic problems.

One historian, Simon K. Newman, controversially claimed that the guarantee was meant to cause a war with Germany. He argued that German-Polish talks about returning the city of Danzig were going well until Britain's guarantee. Newman believed Chamberlain wanted to sabotage these talks to start an Anglo-German war. He saw World War II not as German aggression, but as a fight for power between Britain and Germany.

Other historians disagree. They say the guarantee was a response to public anger after Germany invaded Czechoslovakia. Some believe it was a way to pressure Poland to give Danzig back to Germany. Others see it as a weak attempt to stop Hitler.

Another view is that Chamberlain was increasingly convinced war was coming. He needed American economic support, and US President Franklin Roosevelt hinted he would only help if Britain took a tougher stance. France also seemed to need a stronger British commitment. The guarantee also tied France to opposing Germany, giving Chamberlain more freedom to pressure France to make concessions to Italy.

Finally, rumors of an imminent German move in Eastern Europe, combined with fears that Germany would seize oil-rich Romania, led to the need for a strong British countermove. British military experts also advised that Poland had the strongest army in Eastern Europe and could threaten German expansion.

1939: Containment Policy

Chamberlain's "containment" policy in 1939 was also influenced by information that the German economy was about to collapse due to heavy military spending. This information suggested that Hitler could be stopped by a strong British stance, and his regime would then fall apart.

The "containment" strategy involved building a "peace front" of alliances between Western and Eastern European countries. This front would act as a "tripwire" to stop German aggression. The main countries in this "peace front" were supposed to be Britain, France, Poland, the Soviet Union, and Turkey. The idea was to warn Germany against aggression and create a network of alliances to block German expansion in any direction.

Britain and France invited Poland to join this group, as Poland was seen as the best country to help Romania. The guarantee to Poland was specifically for its independence, not its borders. This left open the possibility of some border changes in Germany's favor. Even though Britain couldn't send much direct aid to Poland, the main goals were to deter a German attack and, if an attack happened, to tie down German troops.

By the summer of 1939, the British economy was struggling under the cost of rearmament. Financial experts warned that Britain might not be able to fight a long war. Chamberlain wanted to end the crises in Europe before Britain went bankrupt from the arms race.

Summer 1939: Tientsin Incident

A major crisis in the summer of 1939 was the Tientsin Incident in China. The British refused to hand over four Chinese nationalists accused of murder to the Japanese. In response, the Japanese army blockaded the British area in Tianjin, China. British newspapers reported that Japanese soldiers were mistreating British citizens, including publicly strip-searching British women. This angered the British public.

Chamberlain considered this crisis so important that he ordered the Royal Navy to focus more on a possible war with Japan than with Germany. However, the Navy said the only way to end the blockade was to send the main British fleet to the Far East, which was not wise given the crisis in Europe with Germany threatening Poland. France also pressured Britain not to weaken its naval strength in the Mediterranean.

After failing to get American support, Chamberlain ordered the British ambassador to find a way to end the crisis without losing too much British prestige. The crisis ended with Britain handing over the Chinese suspects, who were executed by the Japanese.

Summer 1939: Last Attempts at Peace

By the summer of 1939, there was a feeling that if war was unavoidable, it was the best time to fight due to Britain's economic problems from rearmament. However, Chamberlain still hoped for a peaceful solution. Talks were held with German officials, where Britain offered to discuss returning Danzig and the Polish Corridor, colonial restoration, economic deals, and disarmament, if Hitler stopped his aggressive actions against Poland. But Hitler was determined to have a war with Poland.

There were desperate attempts to avoid war by various people, including German officials who had doubts about Hitler's plans. But all these efforts failed because Chamberlain insisted Hitler abandon war against Poland, and Hitler refused. For Chamberlain, war was the worst outcome, but he was determined to take a strong stand for Poland, hoping it would lead to a negotiated settlement and a British diplomatic victory.

After Germany took over Prague in March 1939, Britain sought support from the Soviet Union and France for a "Peace Front." The goal was to stop further German aggression by guaranteeing Poland and Romania's independence. However, Joseph Stalin refused to help unless Britain and France first formed a military alliance with the Soviet Union. Talks were slow and poorly handled. Stalin also demanded guarantees for Finland, the Baltic states, Poland, and Romania against indirect German aggression. These countries feared Moscow wanted to control them. Poland refused to let Soviet troops cross its borders.

While Chamberlain tried to find a compromise between Germany and Poland, he kept warning Hitler that Britain would declare war if he attacked Poland. On August 27, 1939, Chamberlain sent a letter to Hitler, stating that Britain would fulfill its obligation to Poland, no matter what agreement Germany had with the Soviet Union. He warned that if war started, it would not end quickly.

Chamberlain hoped that a British blockade would cause the German economy and regime to collapse, leading to peace. This policy has been criticized, but the French army was determined not to attack Germany. So, it's unclear what other choices Chamberlain had. He did use the early months of the war to improve Britain's air defenses, which later helped in the Battle of Britain.

War Begins

On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. Once it was clear it was a full invasion, Chamberlain wanted to declare war immediately. He wanted Britain and France to declare war together. However, there was a struggle within the French government about whether to go to war.

Because France's intentions were unclear, Britain first gave Germany an ultimatum: if Hitler withdrew his troops within two days, Britain would help start talks between Germany and Poland. When Chamberlain announced this on September 2, there was a huge outcry in the British Parliament. Many believed Chamberlain had failed. His chief whip told him the government would fall if war wasn't declared. After more pressure on the French, Britain declared war on September 3, 1939.

Chamberlain then reorganized his government, forming the Chamberlain war ministry. He brought Winston Churchill into the War Cabinet as First Lord of the Admiralty. Churchill's return was popular, especially since the Labour and Liberal parties refused to join the government.

War Leadership

The first eight months of the war were called the "Phoney War" because there was little fighting on land. Most conflicts were at sea, which raised Churchill's importance.

The Soviet invasion of Poland and then the Winter War with Finland led to calls for military action against the Soviets. But Chamberlain believed this was impossible unless the war with Germany ended peacefully.

Problems arose in the War Office. The Secretary of State for War, Leslie Hore-Belisha, was a controversial figure. He and the army chief, Lord Gort, lost trust in each other. Chamberlain tried to move Hore-Belisha to a different role, but he refused and resigned. This made it seem like Chamberlain was giving in to traditional generals who didn't like Hore-Belisha's changes.

In April 1940, Germany invaded Norway. An Allied force was sent but had to withdraw. This campaign was difficult and caused problems for Chamberlain's government.

Fall and Resignation

After the failure in Norway, Chamberlain faced strong criticism in Parliament. On May 7, during a debate, a former minister and friend, Leo Amery, strongly criticized Chamberlain's handling of the war.

The next day, over 40 members of Chamberlain's own party voted against his government, and many more didn't vote at all. Although the government won, it was clear Chamberlain had to act. He tried to strengthen his government, but calls for an all-party government grew louder.

Two possible successors emerged: Lord Halifax (Foreign Minister) and Winston Churchill. Halifax was acceptable to most but didn't want the job, arguing that a member of the House of Lords couldn't lead effectively.

Chamberlain met with Halifax, Churchill, and his chief whip. They decided that if the Labour Party wouldn't serve under Chamberlain, Churchill would try to form a government. Labour leaders said they wouldn't serve with Chamberlain but would serve with someone else.

The next day, May 10, 1940, Germany invaded the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. At first, Chamberlain thought he should stay in office during the crisis. But opposition to him was too strong. That evening, Chamberlain resigned and formally recommended Churchill as his successor.

See also

• Causes of World War II
• Diplomatic history of World War II
• Invasion of Poland
• International relations (1919–1939)

Images for kids

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  Chamberlain with Mussolini at the Munich Conference.

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  Hitler greets Chamberlain at the Berghof on September 15, 1938.

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  The Munich Conference: Chamberlain, Daladier, Hitler, Mussolini.