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In 1937 Guernica, in Spain, was bombed by German aeroplanes.

World War One Aftermath: 1933-1938 The Policy Of Appeasement

Explore how Britain and France tried to avoid another world war by appeasing Hitler between 1933 and 1938, making concessions they hoped would keep the peace.

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Fascinating Fact:

The Sudeten Crisis of 1938 tested appeasement more seriously. Hitler demanded the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia, claiming to protect German speakers there.

In GCSE History, the policy of appeasement covers how Britain and France dealt with Hitler from 1933 to 1938. Students examine key crises, negotiations and how far appeasement encouraged further aggression.

Key Terms

Appeasement: A policy where Britain and France made concessions to Hitler in the 1930s, hoping that agreeing to some demands would prevent another major war.
Rearmament: The rebuilding and expansion of a country’s armed forces. In this period it usually refers to Germany secretly and then openly increasing its army, navy and air force.
Rhineland: A demilitarised border region of western Germany. Hitler’s decision to send troops there in 1936 was a direct challenge to the Treaty of Versailles.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What was the policy of appeasement in the 1930s?

The policy of appeasement was Britain and France’s approach of giving in to some of Hitler’s demands, such as rearmament and territorial changes, in the hope of avoiding another European war.

Why did Britain follow a policy of appeasement towards Hitler?

Britain followed appeasement because many people feared another war, believed the Treaty of Versailles had been too harsh and hoped negotiation, not confrontation, would solve disputes in the 1930s.

How did the Sudeten crisis affect support for appeasement?

During the Sudeten crisis, Britain helped negotiate the Munich Agreement, but later events made it clear that Hitler wanted more. This led more politicians and voters to doubt appeasement could ever work.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

In 1934 Hitler failed to seize a nearby country by force. Which state was this?

Poland

Czechoslovakia

Hungary

Austria

In 1934 Hitler was relatively weak - rearmament had hardly begun, and his power over Germany was nothing like what it was later to become

2 .

In July 1936 General Franco unleashed a military rebellion against the elected government of Spain. Mussolini's Italy and Hitler's Germany gave the rising strong military support. The Spanish government received some arms from France and the Soviet Union. Britain backed an international commission with the intention of preventing arms from reaching either side. What was the name of this body?

The Non-Intervention Committee

The Neutrality Pact

The Non-Intervention Commission

The Spanish Disarmament Agency

The attempt to keep weapons out of Spain was well-intentioned, but destined to fail, as the arms suppliers took no notice of regular appeals to desist from interference in what was, in essence, a civil war

3 .

In the spring of 1936 Hitler sent German forces into the demilitarised Rhineland in clear breach of the Versailles Treaty. What action did the British government take?

Britain imposed economic sanctions on Germany

Britain mobilised her armed forces, and issued an ultimatum to Hitler: withdraw from the Rhineland within 48 hours or face military action

Britain sent a retired diplomat to the Rhineland to report on the situation there

No action at all

This was a blatant infringement of Versailles., and possibly the last occasion when Hitler could have been successfully resisted. However, there were those who felt that Germany's treatment in 1919 had been too harsh, and that Hitler's aims were in any event limited. Others looked to the League of Nations for action, of which Britain was one of the leading members

4 .

In 1938 the Czechoslovak Republic bent over backwards to accommodate the demands of the German-speaking minority for greater autonomy. What was the name of the Czech leader who looked to Britain and France to guarantee his country from aggression?

Eduard Benes

Tomas Masaryk

Jan Masaryk

Klement Gottwald

The Czech government was elected democratically, but they faced a terrible dilemma when Czech territorial integrity was threatened by German aggression. Czechoslovakia did have a treaty of alliance with France and Russia from 1935, but Russia was excused from taking any action, unless France did so as well

5 .

In April 1937 a market town in the Basque Provinces of Northern Spain was attacked by German aeroplanes, forming part of the Condor Legion, and showing the failure of outside attempts to prevent arms supplies from reaching either side in Spain. What was the name of the devastated town?

Irun

Amorebieta

Bilbao

Guernica

Franco loathed the Basques, who were devout Catholics but also supporters of the Spanish Republic. He therefore authorised this raid, which outraged international opinion

6 .

Who was the French prime minister who represented his country at Munich where the treaty to dismember the Czech state was signed?

Pierre Laval

Paul Reynaud

Edouard Daladier

Leon Blum

The French hoped that they would not need to honour their treaty with Czechoslovakia, and that Britain would assist them in this

7 .

Hitler insisted at a late stage in the crisis that large parts of Southern Slovakia would have to be given to a neighbouring power. What was the name of this power?

Romania

Yugoslavia

Russia

Hungary

Hitler intensified the crisis when he insisted that the claims of other states on Czech territory should be accommodated. Mussolini suggested an international conference to work out a compromise, and thus war was postponed until 1939. Italy was worried that she might be dragged into a war before she was ready

8 .

The British prime minister, Neville Chamberlain, flew three times within roughly a week in September 1938 to meet Hitler to discuss the Czech crisis. Where did the first of these meetings take place?

Berchtesgaden

Bad Godesberg

Prague

Berlin

Chamberlain had to travel to wherever Hitler happened to be at any given time

9 .

The area of Czechoslovakia inhabited by ethnic Germans coincided with the country's western border, that formed a mountainous U shape. What name was given to this vital region?

Bohemia

Silesia

The Sudetenland

Moravia

This area had never been part of Germany before - until 1919 it had formed part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. However, there were strong economic and strategic reasons why it should remain Czech

10 .

In 1935 Hitler announced a vast increase in naval construction, in clear breach of the disarmament clauses in the Treaty of Versailles. Britain's response was to sign a separate agreement with Hitler to allow him to build warships up to a certain proportion of the Royal Navy's tonnage. What was the name of this deal?

The Anglo-German Naval Pact

The Anglo-German Naval Agreement

The Anglo-German Naval Accords

The Anglo-German Naval Treaty

The British were faced with a choice: either confront Hitler by force to comply with the 1919 treaty, or do a compromise deal with him. Britain, as a great naval power, was anxious to limit German naval building to the point where it did not challenge British naval supremacy. However, Britain could expect little support from other states in pursuing this agenda

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Life in Nazi Germany, 1933-45

Author: Edward Towne