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

Why Did the British Mass Media support the appeasement of Hitler in the years 1933-1939?

Extracts from this document...

Introduction

History of Journalism - Essay 2 Why Did the British Mass Media support the appeasement of Hitler in the years 1933-1939? Appeasement was the conciliatory policy adopted by Britain and France towards the aggressive foreign policy of Nazi Germany in the years preceding the Second World War. In Britain it is normally associated with the Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain but was also followed by Stanley Baldwin. It has been argued by historians such as Richard Cockett that the press in Britain was manipulated by Whitehall - especially during Chamberlain's years as Prime Minister - to publish only pro-appeasement articles and news and therefore "no alternative to the policy of appeasement was ever consistently articulated in the press."1 It is indeed partly true that Chamberlain was a master of press manipulation and the BBC broadcasts were closely monitored by the Foreign Office. However it would be incorrect to assume that all of the press was pro-appeasement and there were dissenting voices. ...read more.

Middle

Richard Cockett maintains that it was "due to the incestuous relationship between Whitehall and the press that developed during the 1930s that meant that the press could infact do nothing but help Chamberlain pursue appeasement."2 Cockett blames the lobby system on many journalists' willingness to follow Chamberlain's policy of appeasement. During Baldwin's premiership, ministers including Chamberlain had exclusive access to the lobby. Cockett points out that Chamberlain was adept at handling the lobby and that they were "honorary members of a power establishment and ex-officio members of a political system."3 Any journalists who expressed suspicions about Hitler's or Mussolini's intentions or Chamberlain's point of view would be excluded by Chamberlain from access to other news, as was the privilege of the lobby. In addition to the journalists, cabinet ministers had close relationships with editors and proprietors as well. Lord Halifax was close to Geoffrey Dawson the editor of The Times and Richard Cockett points out that throughout the 1930s, "Dawson was privy to more cabinet thinking and secrets than most members of the government... ...read more.

Conclusion

Rex Leeper of the foreign office "realised that with a degree of openness and flattery diplomatic correspondents could be welded into a cohesive body who could always be relied upon to put a Foreign Office point of view in the press."7 In October 1933 when Germany walked out of the League of Nations, Vernon Bartlett "pleaded over the air for greater understanding of the German viewpoint and suggested that Britian and her allies were as much to blame for Germany's action as Hitler."8 In early 1938 the BBC ran a series of talks entitled "The Way of Peace" discussing pacifism and isolationism. 1 Richard Cockett, Twilight of Truth, p 188 2 Richard Cockett, Twilight of Truth, p.1 3 Richard Cockett, Twilight of Truth p.7 4 Ibid p.12 5 Richard Cockett, Twilight of Truth p.75 6 A J P Taylor, Beaverbrook, p.343 7 Richard Cockett, Twilight of Truth, p.16 8 Philip M Taylor, British Propaganda in the Twentieth Century, p.99 1 ...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. Causes of show trials + purges of 1930s.

    However domestic serfs who did not work the land were not entitled to land which created further hostility. For state peasants the period of transition to freedom was five years. The landowners were not expected to surrender land freely, in compensation for the land that they transferred to the peasants they received payment in the form of government bonds.

  2. Hitlers Germany

    When Germans visit foreign countries, they still evoke unpleasant memories; bitterness toward Germans is still very strong in some countries, and a heavy German accent is still perceived and exploited by our public image-makers as a sign of either arrogant bluster or unbridled aggression.

  1. 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.

  2. Were the 1930's the Devils Decade or The Dawn of Affluence?

    more meat, eggs and fruit were the working class family were more dependent on bread and potatoes.

  1. Mass media

    show yet his excellent charisma came from his actions; determined, ambitious, all famous characterists of Stalin. However, in comparison to Trotsky, his attitude and personality was much different. Trotsky was known for his intellect and excellent strategy that was used when he was commissar for war during the civil war,

  2. Apeasement Did the policy of appeasement go to any great lengths toward stopping the ...

    Thus Britain and France instead of backing the League and collective security, preferred appeasement. Therefore the League lacking strong support, failed to curb the aggressors. This was highlighted in the event of 7th March 1936 when Germany Remilitarised the Rhineland.

  1. Did the policy of appeasement go to any great lengths toward stopping the outbreak ...

    and all her non-European colonies were to be placed under the control of the League of Nations. The Saar coalmining region was to be placed under the leagues control until 1935 and all foreign currency and gold was to be confiscated.

  2. Even after the German occupation of Prague in March 1939, Neville Chamberlain was reluctant ...

    Britain were committing to war if that is what Hitler wanted, something that could never have happened only a year earlier, and so Hitler?s invasion was a turning point as it angered the British public, allowing the statesmen to go to war if necessary.

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