The History of Current Events

The Origin of Appeasement

May 04, 2022 Hayden Season 3 Episode 4
The History of Current Events
The Origin of Appeasement
Show Notes Transcript

From Putin's Russia to fundamentalist Iran, appeasement is a word often used disparagingly in the media to describe an unconfrontational, cowardly way of avoiding international bullies. Appeasement became famous before World War II when the Western allies Britian and France did everything possible to avoid a second great war with Nazi Germany. This is the story of Arthur Neville Chamberlain and his attempt to bring peace at any cost.

Topics Covered

The Great War
Arthur Neville Chamberlain
Anschluss with Austria
Czechoslovakia
The Sudetenland
Nuremberg Rally
Adolf Hitler
The Start of World War II

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The Origin of Appeasement

Appeasement is a word that if you turn on YouTube or the TV, for my older folks out there, you often hear associated with evil tyrannical regimes, such as Iran, China or most recently Putin’s Russia.
-Inser clip on USA Politicians talking about appeasement-

The Name Chamberlain has become synonymous with appeasement and giving into bullies. The famous British World War 2 Prime minister has had his reputation tarnished, in large part thanks to his “larger than life successor, Winston Chruchill”. Neville Chamberlain was actually a great domestic reformer who had to divert his main focus of restoring the destroyed post WW1 economy of Britain, into Rearmament for another traumatic Great War

To Understand the world these people lived in try to imagine the USA and the images we get of the great depression. People unemployed, hungry and standing in bread lines, now multiply that by 10X, add a World War and a Corona Virus outbreak.






BRITIAN 1920s-1930s
Britain and Europe were traumatized by the first world war, a war that dragged on for 4 years, in disgusting, brutal Trench warfare.
Over the course of the war, 880,000 British forces died, almost 13% of the enlisted population. On the first day of the Somme offensive in 1916 almost 20,000 soldiers were killed and another 38,000 were wounded. In just one day alone, it was the bloodiest day in British History. For comparison the Napoleonic wars which were massive for the time, over the course of 11 years a little over 25,000 were killed.
This pales in comparison to some countries like Serbia, who lost over half of their civilian population, including women and children.
These are just deaths from the war, there was also a global pandemic, the Spanish Flu killing millions

Although the Great Depression is listed as having happened between the years 1929-33. Britain and much of Europe never really recovered from the first world war. Some have argued the United Kingdom suffered an over 20 year great depression beginning with one Great War and Ending with Another

Arthur Neville Chamberlain came from a well established political family, his father Joseph Chamberlain always had his goals set on the prime minister ship, he suffered a stroke later in life and was never able to achieve this.
His older half brother Sir Joseph Chamberlain was always being groomed for the Prime Minister ship
Chamberlain studied Metallurgy and had little interest in politics, he spent most of his life as a businessman. He decided to enter politics late in his life in order to improve the life of the average working man.
 eventually Chamberlain achieved the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer, The British equivalent of the American Secretary of Treasury. 
Chamberlain was a large contributor to the British Welfare state which was claimed to be "the most advanced in the world by 1939"



Chamberlain, in his early days was a shy soft spoken man, he was not expected to achieve the rank of Prime Minister. But the British 1936 Abdication crisis threw a curveball at the British.

King Edward the 8th had arisen to the throne earlier in the year upon the death of his beloved father King George the 5th. Edward was dating an American Socialite Wallis Simpson who had been married before and was in the process of getting a 2nd divorce. 

Chamberlain wrote in his diary that Wallis Simpson, Edward VIII's intended wife, was "an entirely unscrupulous woman who is not in love with the King but is exploiting him for her own purposes. She has already ruined him in money and jewels ..."
The King of Great Britain, marrying an unscrupulous woman, who himself was a known lecher was under pressure from Chamberlain and the British Parliament. 

Edward was given an ultimatum from Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin and Chamberlain, stop seeing Simpson or Abdicate.

- INSERT KING ABDICATION SPEECH

 The King abdicated on 10 December, four days later.
Stanly Baldwin, who had served 3 non consecutive terms as prime minister had been plagued with a series of crises in foreign affairs, including the public uproar over the Italian Invasion of Ethiopia, the German  remilitarisation of the Rhineland, and the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.
After this final scandal he decided it would be best to retire.
On 28 May, two weeks after the Coronation of King George the 6th, Baldwin resigned, advising the King to send for Chamberlain.
Chamberlain was seen as a stand in man to finish former prime Minister Baldwin’s term. At 68 he was the second-oldest person in the 20th century to become prime minister for the first time. 
Austen Chamberlain. Neville’s older brother died 2 just 2 months before not able to live to see his borthers appointment as prime Minister. 

Chamberlain who had spent most of his political career cutting defense spending in order to restore the failing economy soon reneged on this, as Hitler was building his Wehrmacht, he realized there was little time. he was convinced of the need for rearmament.
 Chamberlain especially urged the strengthening of the Royal Air Force, realising that Britain's historical bulwark, the English Channel, was no defence against air power. 

During the 1935 campaign, deputy Labour leader Arthur Greenwood had attacked Chamberlain for spending money on rearmament, saying that the rearmament policy was "the merest scaremongering; disgraceful in a statesman of Mr Chamberlain's responsible position, to suggest that more millions of money needed to be spent on armaments."

Early days (May 1937 – March 1938)[edit]
Chamberlain knew caution needed to be taken with Hitler, he wrote in private to his sister “Is it not positively horrible to think that the fate of 100s of millions depends on a man Half-mad”
Chamberlain knew the British Army was not ready, and he thought Italy could be brought into an Anglo-Italian alliance opposing Nazi Germany if need be.
Chamberlain turned to Italy in an attempted Anglo-Italian Alliance, he began talks of recognition of Italia’s annexation of Ethiopia. on 16 April 1938. In exchange for de jure recognition of Italy's Ethiopian conquest, Italy agreed to withdraw some Italian "volunteers" from the Nationalist (pro-Franco) side of the Spanish Civil War. By this point, the Nationalists strongly had the upper hand in that conflict, and they completed their victory the following year
At a Cabinet meeting on 8 September 1937, Chamberlain indicated that he saw "the lessening of the tension between this country and Italy as a very valuable contribution toward the pacification and appeasement of Europe" which would "weaken the Rome–Berlin axis.”
The appeasement of Mussolini needs to be taken with a grain of salt, Today we like to think of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy as best friends but this wasn’t the case at all. Mussolini hated Hitler and his Racist doctrine. 
Mussolini stated earlier 
“Race? It is a feeling, not a reality. Ninety-five per cent, at least. Nothing will ever make me believe that biologically pure races can be shown to exist today.”
Hitler in his warped race based views saw Italians and the other Mediterranean people’s as lazy and inferior to the French and the British, especially inferior to the Germanic Aryans.
Mussolini had actually deterred Hitler in 1934 from a coup Austria by sending troops to the border

ANSCHLUSS
Austria had been one of the great powers of the pre world war 1 world. They had probably the most famous European royal family ruling them, the Hapsburgs. However the Hapsburgs were dethroned and the Austria of post WW1 Europe was a mere shadow of its former self. Facing a massive depression, Nazi-German Sympathies were high and rising. 
In 1934 Hitler’s Wermacht was not ready however by 1938 it had built up massively. German soldiers crossed the border of Austria unopposed. A referendum was to be given to the people of Austria, 
The options were a largely oversides JA* option for reunification of Germany and a much smaller and to the side Nein* option for being opposed.
The official result was reported as 99.73% in favour,[3] with a 99.71% turnout.
Sounds fair right? 
Communists, Jews among other minority groups were not allowed to vote.

This is known as Anschluss German for Joining or connecting. It was among the first major steps in Austrian-born Hitler's desire to create a Greater German Reich that was to include all ethnic Germans and all the lands and territories that the German Empire had lost after the First World War.

The “”less than”” .3% of those who said Nein Requested help from Britain, Britain responded with a strongly worded letter of protest.
 In addressing the Cabinet shortly after German forces crossed the border, Chamberlain placed blame on both Germany and Austria.[95] Chamberlain noted,
It is perfectly evident now that force is the only argument Germany understands and that "collective security" cannot offer any prospect of preventing such events until it can show a visible force of overwhelming strength backed by the determination to use it. ... Heaven knows I don't want to get back to alliances but if Germany continues to behave as she has done lately she may drive us to it.[95]
On 14 March, the day after the Anschluss, Chamberlain addressed the House of Commons and strongly condemned the methods used by the Germans in the takeover of Austria. Chamberlain's address met with the approval of the House.

Austria was now incorporated into the German Reich without resistance. The attention of the world turned to Czechoslovakia, Austria and Germany’s neighbor which after Anschluss was almost encircled by the 3rd Reich.
CZECHSLOVAKIA


Czechoslovakia was born out of the ashes of the German dominated Austro-Hungarian Empire, Germany’s main ally during the Great War. 
Everyone talks about how the treaty of Versailles was so harsh on Germany and inevitably pathed the way towards WW2 however the real victim of the first world war was Austria-Hungary. 
After its defeat The German dominated, dual throne of Austria-Hungary was dismantled into the modern nations of Austria, Hungary, parts of Poland, Yugoslavia and for the first time the new country, Czechoslovakia.

Britain had no military obligations toward Czechoslovakia,[99] but France and Czechoslovakia had a mutual assistance pact[95] and both the French and Czechoslovaks also had an alliance with the Soviet Union.

Much like its predecessor, Czechoslovakia was a combination of its two largest ethnic groups, the Czechs and the Slovaks, with a substantial minority of Germans, called the Sudeten Germans. the Sudetenland represented the largest German population outside of Hitler’s "Reich" about 3 million Germans.
The Sudeten Germans inhabited the mountainous resource Rich regions surrounding the historic heartland of the Czechs, the plains regions of Bohemia and Greater Moravia. Virtually all of the Czechs defenses were placed in the Sudetenland and the loss of these territories would render Czechoslovakia unable to defend itself.

The Arms manufacturer Skoda was also located in Czechoslovakia, they were one of the largest armament manufacturers in Europe.
The production volume of Skoda between August 1938 and September 1939 was nearly equal to all British arsenal factories during that period

During the Austro-Hungarian times, Czechs and Slovaks were 2nd class citizens to the Germans, Czechslovakia returned the favor, and upon its creation the Sudeten Germans were treated the same.

Czechoslovakia had the world's 7th largest economy and Czechoslovakia had easily the most modern, developed, and industrialized economy in Eastern Europe The Czech Military was also formidable
Czechoslovakia was the only nation in Eastern Europe besides the Soviet Union that manufactured its own weapons instead of importing them, and Czechoslovakia was the world's 7th largest manufacturer of arms, making Czechoslovakia an important player in the global arms trade.

 the Great Depression beginning in 1929 impacted the highly-industrialized and export-oriented Sudeten Germans more than it did the Czech and Slovak populations. By 1936, 60 percent of the unemployed people in Czechoslovakia were Germans.[11]
This just like the other German populations of Nazi Germany and Austria radicalized the Sudeten Germans
A large percentage of the Sudeten Germans joined the SdP Sudeten German Party (A Nazi party), led by Konrad Henlein.
A little over a month after Anschluss, the Sudeten German Party, SdP issued the Karlsbader Programm demanding autonomy for the Sudetenland and the freedom to profess National Socialist ideology. If Henlein's demands were granted, the Sudetenland would be an autonomous state aligned with Nazi Germany. This would have torn Czechoslovakia apart and was rejected outright.

Tensions flared in May when two Sudeten German Farmers were shot illegally crossing the border by Czech border guards. Germany responded by moving troops to the Sudeten border and Czechoslovakia responded with the same. British foreign secretary Lord Halifax sent a note to Germany warning that if France intervened in the crisis on Czechoslovakia's behalf, Britain might support France.  Strong emphasis on the might.
Tensions appeared to calm, and Chamberlain and Halifax were applauded for their "masterly" handling of the crisis. 
This however was not the case, less than 3 weeks later Hitler authorized a secret future invasion of Czechoslovakia that was fated to happen by early October. 
The British and French thought their threats had placated the Germans, they were gravely mistaken
Tensions arose again in the following months as Henleins SdP began enforcing its Karlsbader Programm upon the czech government

2nd Czechslovakian president Edvard Benes(SH) Rejected the German demands and began a mobilization for war against Germany. Germany had been amassing troops on the Czech border in support of Henlein.
-INSERT HITLER NUREMBER RALLY SPEECH-

On September 5th 1938 Hitler began his 10th Nuremberg Rally to celebrate the German annexation of Austria earlier in the year. The weeklong rally ended with a speech by Hitler…
”The condition of the Sudeten Germans is indescribable. It is sought to annihilate them. As human beings they are oppressed and scandalously treated in an intolerable fashion ... The depriving of these people of their rights must come to an end. ... I have stated that the "Reich" would not tolerate any further oppression of these three and a half million Germans, and I would ask the statesmen of foreign countries to be convinced that this is no mere form of words. “

There was tremendous tension in the final days before Hitler's speech on the last day of the Rally, as Britain, France, and Czechoslovakia all mobilized their troops. Thousands gathered outside 10 Downing Street on the night of the speech. At last Hitler addressed his wildly enthusiastic followers:

I am asking neither that Germany be allowed to oppress three and a half million Frenchmen, nor am I asking that three and a half million Englishmen be placed at our mercy. Rather I am simply demanding that the oppression of three and a half million Germans in Czechoslovakia cease and that the inalienable right to self-determination take its place.

Chamberlain could See the writing on the wall and quickly flew to Berlin to meet Hitler.  this was the first time, excepting a short jaunt at an industrial fair, that Chamberlain had ever flown and one of the first times a head of state had flown, the tense situation demanded quick action.
 on 15 September at Hitler's residence in Berchtesgaden the two heads of state met face to face for a meeting that lasted about three hours. Hitler demanded the annexation of the Sudetenland. Hitler repeatedly falsely claimed that the Czechoslovak government had killed 300 Sudeten Germans.
Hitler also demanded Britain stop threatening Germany. Chamberlain responded that It had not issued "threats" and in frustration asked Hitler "Why did I come over here to waste my time?"
Hitler didn’t think much of Chamberlain calling him in private “Ein Arschloch”
Chamberlain returned to Britain and met with French Prime Minister Edouard Daladier to discuss a course of action and consideration of Hitler’s terms
The discussions ended with a firm British-French plan in place.[34] Britain and France demanded that Czechoslovakia cede to Germany all territories in which the German population represented over 50% of the Sudetenland's total population.[34] In exchange for that concession, Britain and France would guarantee the independence of Czechoslovakia.[34] The proposed solution was rejected by both Czechoslovakia and opponents of it in Britain and France.
Tensions arose again when Czechoslovakia issued a warrant for arrest of Henlein.
Hitler authorized the Sudetendeutsches Freikorps A German Paramilitary group to begin terrorist operations in Czechoslovakia
 
 On 18 September, Italy's Duce Benito Mussolini made a speech in Trieste, where he declared "If there are two camps, for and against Prague, let it be known that Italy has chosen its side", with the clear implication being that Mussolini supported Germany in the crisis.

On 22 September, Chamberlain, about to board his plane to go to Germany for further talks at Bad Godesberg, told the press who met him there that "My objective is peace in Europe, I trust this trip is the way to that peace."[34] Chamberlain arrived in Cologne, where he received a lavish grand welcome with a German band playing "God Save the King" and Germans giving Chamberlain flowers and gifts.[34] Chamberlain had calculated that fully accepting German annexation of all of the Sudetenland with no reductions would force Hitler to accept the agreement.[34] Upon being told of this, Hitler responded "Does this mean that the Allies have agreed with Prague's approval to the transfer of the Sudetenland to Germany?", Chamberlain responded "Precisely",
Hitler brushed aside the proposals of the previous meeting, saying "that won't do any more” Shaking his head
 saying that the Allied offer was insufficient. He told Chamberlain that he wanted Czechoslovakia to be completely dissolved and its territories redistributed to Germany, Poland, and Hungary, and told Chamberlain to take it or leave it.[34] Chamberlain was shaken by this statement.[34] Hitler went on to tell Chamberlain that since their last meeting on the 15th, Czechoslovakia's actions, which Hitler claimed included killings of Germans, had made the situation unbearable for Germany.
Chamberlain objected strenuously, telling Hitler that he had worked to bring the French and Czechoslovaks into line with Germany's demands, so much so that he had been accused of giving in to dictators and had been booed on his departure that morning. Hitler was unmoved.[117]
Later in the meeting, a deception was undertaken to influence and put pressure on Chamberlain: one of Hitler's aides entered the room to inform Hitler of more Germans being killed in Czechoslovakia, to which Hitler screamed in response "I will avenge every one of them. The Czechs must be destroyed."[34] The meeting ended with Hitler refusing to make any concessions to the Allies' demands.
Later that evening, Hitler grew worried that he had gone too far in pressuring Chamberlain, and telephoned Chamberlain's hotel suite, saying that he would accept annexing only the Sudetenland, with no designs on other territories, provided that Czechoslovakia begin the evacuation of ethnic Czechs from the German majority territories by 26 September at 8:00am. After being pressed by Chamberlain, Hitler agreed to have the ultimatum set for 1 October (the same date for the secret Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia) Hitler then said to Chamberlain that this was one concession that he was willing to make to the Prime Minister as a "gift" out of respect for the fact that Chamberlain had been willing to back down somewhat on his earlier position.[39] Hitler went on to say that upon annexing the Sudetenland, Germany would hold no further territorial claims upon Czechoslovakia and would enter into a collective agreement to guarantee the borders of Germany and Czechoslovakia.
The Czech government began collapsing from the pressure,  A new Czechoslovak cabinet, under General Jan Syrový, was installed and on 23 September a decree of general mobilization was issued which was accepted by the public with a strong enthusiasm – within 24 hours, one million men joined the army to defend the country. The Czechoslovak Army, modern, experienced and possessing an excellent system of frontier fortifications, was prepared to fight. The Soviet Union announced its willingness to come to Czechoslovakia's assistance, provided that the Red Army would be able to cross Polish and Romanian territory. Both countries refused to allow the Soviet army to use their territories.[40]

That evening, Chamberlain told Lord Halifax that the "meeting with Herr Hitler had been most unsatisfactory".  

When Chamberlain protested The Godesberg Memorandum about being presented with an ultimatum, to which Hitler replied that the document was entitled "Memorandum", so could not be called an ultimatum

On 25 September, Czechoslovakia agreed to the conditions previously agreed upon by Britain, France, and Germany. The next day, however, Hitler added new demands, insisting that the claims of ethnic Germans in Poland and Hungary also be satisfied.

On 26 Septemberv Hitler gave a speech he claimed that the Sudetenland was "the last territorial demand I have to make in Europe"[41] and gave Czechoslovakia a deadline of 28 September at 2:00 pm to cede the Sudetenland to Germany or face war.[39] At this point the British government began to make war preparations, and the House of Commons was reconvened from a parliamentary recess

On the evening of 27 September, Chamberlain addressed the nation by radio, and after thanking those who wrote to him, stated:
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. It seems still more impossible that a quarrel that has already been settled in principle should be the subject of war.
There was no response from Czechoslovakia and the deadline of September 28th was nearing. The British urgently contacted the Italians and requested Mussolini enter negotiations and urge Hitler to delay the Ultimatum. Mussolini telephoning Italy's ambassador to Germany and told him "Go to the Fuhrer at once, and tell him that whatever happens, I will be at his side, but that I request a twenty-four-hour delay before hostilities begin. In the meantime, I will study what can be done to solve the problem.”
The Request worked. And  On the morning of 29 September Chamberlain left Heston Aerodrome (to the east of today's Heathrow Airport) for his third and final visit to Germany.[126] On arrival in Munich the British delegation was taken directly to the Führerbau, where French Prime Minister Daladier, Mussolini, and Hitler soon arrived.
The four leaders and their translators held an informal meeting; Hitler said that he intended to invade Czechoslovakia on 1 October. Mussolini distributed a proposal similar to Hitler's Bad Godesberg terms, whereby the Sudetenland as well as territories claimed by Hungary and Poland be seeded.
 In reality, the proposal had been drafted by German officials and transmitted to Rome the previous day. The four leaders debated the draft and Chamberlain raised the question of compensation for the Czechoslovak government and citizens, but Hitler refused to consider this. 


The leaders were joined by advisors after lunch, and hours were spent on long discussions of each clause of the "Italian" draft agreement. The Italian draft was nearly identical to Hitler’s original terms
the German army was to complete the occupation of the Sudetenland by 10 October, and an international commission would decide the future of other disputed areas.[47]

The allies turned their back on their former ally
Czechoslovakia was informed by Britain and France that it could either resist Nazi Germany alone or submit to the prescribed annexations. The Czechoslovak government, realizing the hopelessness of fighting the Nazis alone, reluctantly capitulated (30 September) and agreed to abide by the agreement.

Chamberlain and Daladier returned to their hotel and informed the Czechoslovaks of the agreement. The two prime ministers urged quick acceptance by the Czechoslovaks of the agreement, since the evacuation by the Czechs was to begin the following day. At 12:30 pm the Czechoslovak government in Prague objected to the decision but agreed to its terms.


Later in the day (the paper)

Before leaving the "Führerbau," Chamberlain requested a private conference with Hitler. Hitler agreed, and the two met at Hitler's apartment in the city later that morning. Chamberlain urged restraint in the implementation of the agreement and requested that the Germans not bomb Prague if the Czechs resisted, to which Hitler seemed agreeable. Chamberlain took from his pocket a paper headed "Anglo–German Agreement", which contained three paragraphs, including a statement that the two nations considered the Munich Agreement "symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war again." According to Chamberlain, Hitler interjected "Ja! Ja!" ("Yes! Yes!").[131] The two men signed the paper then and there. When, later that day, German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop remonstrated with Hitler for signing it, the Führer replied, "Oh, don't take it so seriously. That piece of paper is of no further significance whatever."[132] Chamberlain, on the other hand, patted his breast pocket when he returned to his hotel for lunch and said, "I've got it!"[133] Word leaked of the outcome of the meetings before Chamberlain's return, causing delight among many in London but gloom for Churchill and his supporters.

Chamberlain returned to London in triumph. Large crowds mobbed Heston airport.
-INSERT CHAMBERLAIN PAPER SPEECH-



Chamberlain made his way to the palace of King George 6th to report. The streets were so packed with cheering people that it took Chamberlain an hour and a half to journey the nine miles (14 km) from Heston to the Palace. After reporting to the King, Chamberlain and his wife appeared on the Palace balcony with the King and Queen. He said to the crowd.
“My good friends, this is the second time there has come back from Germany to Downing Street peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Now I recommend you go home, and sleep quietly in your beds.” 
The Commons discussed the Munich Agreement on 3 October. Churchill spoke harshly against the pact, no Conservative voted against the government. Only between 20 and 30 abstained, including Future Prime ministers Churchill, Antony Eden, and Harold Macmillan.[141]
On 5 October 1938, Beneš resigned as president since he realized that the fall of Czechoslovakia was a fait accompli. 
With its defenses now in German hands, Czechoslovakia was now a puppet state to the Germans, 

THEN THE MUNICH AGREEMENT
Little over a month later, the pogrom known as KristallNacht or the night of broken glass occurred. German authorities looked on as Jewish homes, hospitals and schools were ransacked as attackers demolished buildings with sledgehammers.[5] Rioters destroyed 267 synagogues throughout Germany, Austria and the Sudetenland.[6] Over 7,000 Jewish businesses were damaged or destroyed,[7][8] and 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and incarcerated in concentration camps.

Public revulsion over the pogrom of Kristallnacht on 9 November 1938 made any attempt at a "rapprochement" with Hitler unacceptable, though Chamberlain did not abandon his hopes.

Hitler completely ignored what was agreed to at Munich and scheduled a German invasion of Bohemia and Moravia for the morning of 15 March. 1939
On 15 March 1939, during a visit to Berlin, the new Czechoslovak president Emil Hácha was bullied into signing away his country's independence. On 16 March 1939, Hitler proclaimed the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia from Prague Castle, leaving Hácha as technical head of state with the title of State President. However, he was rendered all but powerless
According to Joachim Fest, President Hacha suffered a heart attack when Hermann Göring's threatened to bomb Prague, should he not accept Germany’s new demands, effectively "signing Czechoslovakia away" to Germany.

German troops entered Czechoslovakia, taking it without firing a shot, Poland and Hungary occupied regions neighboring them. a Slovak puppet state was proclaimed in the east. 
After Munich 8 Million pounds was given to Czechoslovakia by the British and French to compensate them for German aggressions, this gold found its way to Hitler pockets
The gold and hard currency seized was as a British Historian put it "invaluable in staving off Germany's foreign exchange crisis".

 Hitler told his secretaries, "It is the greatest triumph of my life! I shall enter history as the greatest German of them all."

Chamberlain had been lied to and manipulated over and over again. He fought so hard for peace. Having lost his cousin and best friend on the Western front in World War 1 it must have been a difficult realization for him that war was now inevitable.

Chamberlain approached the remaining powers of Europe for a hard alliance. France, The USSR and Poland. All agreed but Polish mistrust of the USSR kicked the Soviets out of the agreement.
The French and British agreed, a guarantee to Poland
Chamberlain doubled the size of the reserve army, and instated peacetime conscription.

While the allies mustered together Hitler instructed his generals to prepare for an invasion of Poland, telling them, "Our enemies are men below average, not men of action, not masters. They are little worms. I saw them at Munich."


WW2 starts

“The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves and wiser people so full of doubts” Bertrand Russel




On September 1st 1939 Hitler invaded Poland, 
Chamberlain's last peacetime Cabinet met at 11:30 that night, with a thunderstorm raging outside, and determined that the ultimatum would be presented in Berlin
Chamberlain addressed the nation by radio, 
-INSERT CHAMBERLAIN SPEECH-


As described by one descendant
“When my mum heard the message she began wailing “not again! Not again!”



That afternoon Chamberlain addressed the House of Commons' first Sunday session in over 120 years. He spoke to a quiet House in a statement which even opponents termed "restrained and therefore effective":
Everything that I have worked for, everything that I have hoped for, everything that I have believed in during my public life has crashed into ruins. There is only one thing left for me to do: that is devote what strength and power I have to forwarding the victory of the cause for which we have sacrificed so much.

Months later Norway was invaded by Nazi Germany, The British flubbed coming to the defense of neutral and vitally important for shipping Norway. This led to a debate in the British parliament  where a Vote of No confidence was given. The liberal and labour parties would no longer support Chamberlain 
The debate quickly brought to a head widespread dissatisfaction with the overall conduct of the war by Chamberlain's government.
They refused to serve under him, though they were willing to accept a different Conservative as prime minister. After Chamberlain resignation they agreed to serve under Churchill.



Insert Chamberlain Resignation

Queen Elizabeth wept as she heard the broadcast, Churchill wrote to express his gratitude for Chamberlain's willingness to stand by him in the nation's hour of need, and Baldwin wrote, "You have passed through fire since we were talking together only a fortnight ago, and you have come out pure gold."

Chamberlain continued to work in Churchills government as a close war advisor 
His health rapidly deteriorated and by July 1940 he was in almost constant pain. He sought treatment, and later that month entered hospital for surgery. Surgeons discovered that he was suffering from terminal bowel cancer.
The Surgeons kept the discovery from him, only telling him he wouldn’t need surgery anymore
Chamberlain offered his resignation to Churchill on 22 September 1940. The Prime Minister was initially reluctant to accept, but as both men realised that Chamberlain would never return to work, Churchill finally allowed him to resign. The Prime Minister asked if Chamberlain would accept the highest order of British chivalry, the Order of the Garter, of which his brother Austen had been a member. Chamberlain refused, saying he would "prefer to die plain 'Mr Chamberlain' like my father before me, unadorned by any title."

 Chamberlain in his last days wrote to one of his advisors
[I]t was the hope of doing something to improve the conditions of life for the poorer people that brought me at past middle life into politics, and it is some satisfaction to me that I was able to carry out some part of my ambition even though its permanency may be challenged by the destruction of war. For the rest I regret nothing that I have done & I can see nothing undone that I ought to have done. I am therefore content to accept the fate that has so suddenly overtaken me.[

Arthur Neville Chamberlain died aged 71 on 9 November 1940 six months after leaving the premiership.



“Let it be known that during the illness that eventually took his life, he was regularly briefed. Churchill specifically saw to that. Yes, most of it was grim. But he lived long enough to know that Britain survived the Luftwaffe's onslaught and had dug in during the Blitz. Before his passing Chamberlain knew that defeat for his country was NOT a forgone conclusion. Many will find this a great comfort to know. I do. ..”
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