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British and French appeasement, to 1938Lack of reliable allies

During the 1930s, Britain followed a policy of appeasement - giving Hitler what he wanted in order to keep the peace. There are a variety of reasons for this policy and debate around its effectiveness. Use this Higher History guide to learn about The Spanish Civil War, attitudes to the Paris Peace Settlement, and the effectiveness of appeasement.

Part of HistoryAppeasement and the Road to War

Lack of reliable allies

France

There were question marks over France's ability to be an effective ally. The country was politically unstable during the 1930s with violent clashes in the streets between supporters of right and left-wing parties.

France also appeared unlikely to assist any attempt to act against Germany. They had not done so over the Rhineland in 1936. They preferred to take a defensive strategy behind the . This was also due to the Great War. France had lost around 1,150,000 men during 1914-1918.

USA

The USA was following a policy of isolation and was inclined to stay out of European affairs.

Italy

After 1935, Italy under Mussolini had gradually moved away from Britain and France and closer to Germany. This led to Italy dropping its opposition to German demands over Austria.

USSR

The was a bitter opponent of Nazi Germany. However, relations between Stalin and the British and French were clouded with suspicion.

Chamberlain was not convinced that the would be effective. As a Conservative he was also opposed to their political views. Chamberlains failure to involve the Soviets over Munich only increased the suspicion.

British Empire

At the Imperial Conference in London in 1937, member states of the British Empire, such as Canada, Australia and South Africa, made it clear that they would not take part in another war in Europe.

League of Nations

The , established after WWI to help prevent future conflicts, had proved ineffective over both Manchuria and Abyssinia. The member states could not reach agreements or enforce their decisions.

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