Part of The Student Room Group

  • Join over 1.2 million students every month
  • Accelerate your learning by 29%
  • Unlimited access from just £6.99 per month

To what extent did British public opinion deter British Governments from standing up to Mussolini and Hitler in 1933-9?

Extracts from this document...

Introduction

To what extent did British public opinion deter British Governments from standing up to Mussolini and Hitler in 1933-9? Britain's policy of conciliation was a major factor in the way in which they dealt with international matters whether it be regarding Hitler or Mussolini, but did public opinion play a major role in this non confrontational way of dealing with things. The general consensus after the horrors of WW1 was never again, and the British public made it clear that any government who was aggressive would not be re-elected, but, was this the only factor that made Britain choose this conciliatory foreign policy? Public opinion in 1933 was still as it had been since the end of WW1 very much against war, millions of men in their prime were cut down and a as a result women were left widowed and children fatherless, it therefore seems hardly surprising that people weren't in favour in a reoccurrence of this. Politicians were aware of this and in most cases shared the same concerns as the British public and therefore made it clear that they would not rearm and spending on the military would be cut, and took up this conciliatory policy. In some ways the government had no choice if they did not do what the people wanted them to do they wouldn't get re-elected. ...read more.

Middle

Many people had no jobs and thus had to way to support their family s they were earning no money so started to claim benefits. Phillip Snowden and Neville Chamberlain both supported the theory of classical economics whereby you try to balance the county's budget. This incurs no borrowing and all of the available capital went to help to rebuild industry, the expenditure would be cut as much as possible and cut taxes to help businesses survive. The effects of the depression were not relieved until 1933 and still many were suffering and therefore the government could not afford to be confrontational as they had no power to back up their threats in the need come, much of the army was dissolved due the economic policy and the defence budget was 1/3 of what it was in 1919. Even if the government did have any spare money it would go toward either helping businesses and giving better welfare to people most badly hit by the depression. There was also a general consensus within Britain that Germany had been hard done by in the past. By the 1930's WW1 was seen by most to be an accident and that it was not really anyone's fault, but Germany was still paying the price due to the treaty of Versailles. ...read more.

Conclusion

Also Britain's army due to the reforms due the depression was very small in comparison to Germany's as money had to be saved. It therefore made sense that the government should try to stall Hitler so that they would have the time and money in order to fight him if the need come. They could not threaten Hitler with war if they didn't have a hope of winning it. In conclusion I think that there was no main reason for the British governments on the 30's not standing up to Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler. I believe that it was more of culmination of factors that made the governments concede to conciliation, I believe that untimely they hoped that Hitler would curb his behaviour, and if not they were just biding their time. It is important to remember that the governments didn't know that Hitler always wanted or about his plans for racial purity and world domination, if this was known their action surely would have been swifter. In regards to Mussolini I believe that the Britsh government didn't deem it necessary to go to war over a state of no great importance it would have achieved nothing apart from kill many men. It is undeniable that public opinion played a role solely for that fact that the governments didn't want to dissatisfy the public thought fear of no getting re elected, but not crucial. ...read more.

The above preview is unformatted text

This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our AS and A Level Modern European History, 1789-1945 section.

Found what you're looking for?

  • Start learning 29% faster today
  • 150,000+ documents available
  • Just £6.99 a month

or


Not the one? Search for your essay title...
  • Join over 1.2 million students every month
  • Accelerate your learning by 29%
  • Unlimited access from just £6.99 per month

See related essaysSee related essays

Related AS and A Level Modern European History, 1789-1945 essays

  1. Hitlers Germany

    During 1931, Bruening's government proved unable to cope with Germany's problems. His difficulties were exacerbated by Nazi tactics. SA troops marched through the streets challenging Communists and engaging them in pitched battles. Themselves the instigators of this civil violence, the Nazis nevertheless blamed the government for being unable to curb the lawlessness on the streets of Germany.

  2. How and why did the Weimar Governments collapse between October 1929 and January 1933?

    But as it was, Germany was full of many small parties of very like-minded and strongly-opinionated people who were relishing the chance to express their views and were not eager to compromise (perhaps the still fresh humiliation of Germany's most recent defeat caused politicians to be reluctant to be seen 'surrendering' to other parties).

  1. Why was the league so ineffective in dealing with the Abyssinian Crisis?

    In January 1935, the French foreign minister, Laval, met with Mussolini in Rome for a number of secret meetings. In these secret meetings they made some secret agreement some of these involved Abyssinia and yet Abyssinia wasn't even there so one of the major powers was making secret agreements with

  2. To what extent did Hitlers Policies attract working class support between 1933 and 1939?

    [was] remarkable"9, highlighting wage increases as priority. Housden assessed factors which ensured workers' compliance: "propaganda incentives, food ... and Gestapo surveillance"10. However, relatively little insight is provided without evaluating their relative importance which varied widely by time and location. He shows economic stability was not alone in attracting workers' support, but initially it was decisive.

  1. britaina nd disarmament

    This agreement was coupled by arbitration deals in which France, Belgium and Germany renounced the use of violence as a means to resolve political disputes. The Locarno treaty has been referred to as 'the greatest achievement of British diplomacy between the 2 wars,' for good reason.

  2. Why was public opinion so outraged by the Treaty of Versailles?

    It subsequently became clear that this was not the case and more significantly it had become apparent that Germany would be forced to accept a dictated peace or a 'diktat'. Appreciably Germany believed that not only would they have the right to participate in the negotiations at Versailles but moreover

  1. To what extent is it possible to associate the regimes of Benito Mussolini and ...

    Socialism and presaging the symbolism of the renewed and even greater Roman empire that Mussolini would dream about creating.1 Fascism became an actual organized political movement after a meeting took place in Milan on March 23rd 1919 and Mussolini had by then formed the 'Fasci di Combattimento' or what became

  2. Explain the role of Czechoslovakia in the appeasement story.

    It was probably already known that Hitler wanted to expand into Austria and Czechoslovakia and Hitler said secretly that this blow on Czechoslovakia would happen whenever the opportunity arouse. Two weeks before Halifax arrived Hitler had a meeting with generals sating that they planned to takeover Czechoslovakia.

  • Over 160,000 pieces
    of student written work
  • Annotated by
    experienced teachers
  • Ideas and feedback to
    improve your own work