The policy of appeasement began as Britain and France did not stop Germany to rearm in 1933. Moreover Britain even made a naval agreement with her in 1935 without consulting with her allies. The agreement stated that Germany promises to keep her navy 35% of the strength of the British one. This was one of the first acts that gave Hitler hope that he would be able to fulfil his aim of destroying the terms of the Versailles Treaty which was his main objective even before coming to power.
Moreover, the appeasement policy used in 1936 by Britain and France when they allowed Hitler to break another two Versailles Treaty’s terms as he sent troops to occupy Rhineland and formed an Anschluss in1938 with Austria encouraged him further, to continue his aggressive foreign policy and continues to demand what was taken away by the Versailles Treaty and needed to build a strong German state in Europe which would unite all Germans. Hitler decided to use as an advantage the appeasement policy from British and French side in order to fulfil his political aims as German expansion and insuring lebensraum for the growing German population. However, Britain and France allowed this to happen as both of them did not want to start a war. Also in 1936 they were involved with the conflict in Abyssinia and were unwilling to get involved in any more conflicts. Further, many British supported the idea that the Rhineland belonged to Germany and it was her right to have it back. As long as the German takeover of Austria, France and Britain did not do anything as they thought this would be Hitler’s last demands for expansion.
However, Hitler was an opportunist and he used every chance he had to fulfil his philosophy for building a great state. Nazi success in the occupation of an independent state set up by the peace treaties after the First World War was an escalation in Nazi policy and encouraged Hitler to seek more. His next target was the invasion of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia in 1939 which was the peak of his demands. There were around 3million German speakers in Sudetenland and Hitler believed they have to be part of the Reich therefore, he decided to occupy the territory. When the Czechoslovakian government turned for help towards Britain and France they did not see a way to save her. Even though, the French had a treaty with her since 1925 obligating them to offer her a military support in case of an attack but due that there was a government change, France did not feel compelled to do so. If France had offered her a military support this was immediately going to mean a war with Germany but this was her last wish therefore, she remained neutral.
Hitler knew that neither Britain nor France would help Czechoslovakia especially after when he received Mussolini’s support so he decided to invade her. Then the British send a politician Lord Runciman to negotiate with the Czechoslovakian government and force it to draw a settlement between her and Germany. However, Lord Runciman was in favour of Germany to receive the Sudetenland. After days of negotiation Chamberlain agreed for a peaceful German takeover of the Sudetenland and he forced the Czechoslovakian government to give Germany the demanded area. However, Hitler wanted to use each opportunity so he demanded an immediate invasion and additional areas from Hungary and Poland. Disappointed from Hitler’s behaviour Chamberlain refused and was ready to prepare for a serious conflict with the Reich. Nevertheless, Hitler deduced Germany is not yet ready to start a war and accepted Chamberlain’s offer. Hence, in 1938 with the Munich agreement he received control over the Sudetenland. In this way the British Prime Minister satisfied Hitler’s ambitions by preventing a military confrontation.
The policy of appeasement encouraged Hitler’s actions even more and made him seize opportunities to add more land to German territory without starting a war. In 1939 when he signed a Non-Aggression Pact with the Soviet Union and secretly divided Poland in two among themselves Hitler insured that Germany would not fight a war on two fronts. Therefore, as he knew the Soviet Union would not attack her Germany invaded Poland in 1939. Hitler believed that Britain and France would not do anything and take again a peaceful approach but he miscalculated the consequences of this invasion as they did declare war on Germany two days after.
It can be clearly seen that Britain and France encouraged Hitler’s expansionist ambitions trough their appeasement policy as they breed in him the belief they would do anything in order to avoid a conflict. Hitler then decided to play on their wish to escape war in any costs and continuously demand territories that previously belonged to Germany till Britain and France understood after the Munich crises that he could not be trusted and decided to stop their appeasement policy when Hitler invaded Poland which led to war. Hence, their appeasement policy since 1933 only delayed the beginning of the future war as it allowed Germany to grow bigger and build up strength. If Britain and France had opposed when she started to rearm as well as refused her invasion of the Rhineland and her unification with Austria then there was a great chance to prevent the war as Germany was not going to grow so powerful. Hence, appeasement can be claimed to be one of the most important factors for the start of the war.
The collapse of the League of Nations is also considered for one of the causes of the Second World War due to her inefficiency to establish peace through collective security in the world. However, in order to investigate how important was the fall of the League of Nations for the cause of the WWII the successes and failures of the League of Nations need to be considered.
During the 1920s the League was flourishing as it was able to solve most of the conflicts. For example, in 1920 it was able to settle the argument between Finland and Sweden about the Aaland Islands as they agree Finland should annex them. Also the League succeeded to rescue Austria from financial crises in 1922 and it stopped the breaking out of war between Greece and Bulgaria in 1925. Further, her social work was successful too, as it achieved after the war to save many refugees and return them home, as well as to decrease the drug trafficking among countries. All of these achievements raised the Leagues reputation and more countries started to obey her which can be proven by German’s entry in 1926 and that of the USSR in 1934.
However, the weaknesses of the League became clear in 1930s when Wall Street in the U.S. crashed and caused an economic depression all around Europe and the U.S. As the depression spread all around Europe and each country began to look after her own interests the Leagues was not able to deal with the arising conflicts. One of the major reasons for that was the absence of some powerful countries such as the U.S. who refused to join as well as the late entry of Germany and the Soviet Union. Hence, the main leaders of it were Britain and France who could not always agree as they did not trusts each other fully together with the weaker Japan and Italy. This was one of the main reasons for the League to collapse and eventually lead to war as the members were mainly concern about their own interests and collective security did not work.
In times of economic downturn most of the countries try to find a way to survive and isolate them. Hence, the same happen in 1930s as countries actions were triggered by self-interests and they did less if they were not being concerned. For example, one of the problems the League could not solve was in 1931 and Japans attack on the Chinese province of Manchuria. Due that Japan was also experiencing economic difficulties it decided to invade Manchuria in order to spread her Japanese made goods in other markets. When China appealed to the League, it took her an year to investigate the case but it was too late as Japan had already attacked other parts of China as well. However, Japan did not like to be criticized by the League therefore it left the organization in 1933. This was one of the cases that showed the League’s inefficient organization and communication. It was a serious low in the Leagues reputation as it proved her incompetence to force herself over its own members as well as the inability to impose any sanctions effectively.
Also the League inability to stop Germany rearm in 1933 and prevent her resignation from the organization was one of its greatest mistakes as it lost any control that it ever had over Germany. Considering Germany’s hostile behaviour since Hitler came to power and its expansionist policy it was a strategic mistake for the League to maintain its aim for peace when it allow Germany resign without even any consequences. Being the most violent country and the one preparing for a revenge since the end of WWI it was unthinkable to succeed to maintain future peace.
Another hit on the League’s reputation was in 1935 when Italy invaded Abyssinia and the League’s inability to stop Italy. It tried to impose over her economic sanctions but it did not ban the sale of oil so this attempt to solve the conflict was a failure and the League stopped to be taken seriously. The British Foreign Secretary together with the French Premier prepared the Hoare-Laval pact which was diving Abyssinia among the two countries. However, the Italians ignored it and attacked Abyssinia. This exposed the League’s inability to guard the interest of small independent states from the bigger and more powerful countries. Further, it destroyed her reputation and no one anymore considered her as a serious institution.
When Germany resigned from the League of Nations in 1934 Hitler was ready to fulfil his expansionist ambitions but he was not sure of the League’s reaction. Her failure in Manchuria in 1931 already proved and encouraged him of the inefficiency of the League and her lack of power over the rest of the countries who themselves participate in the League. However, the League’s second failure to help Abyssinia from Mussolini’s invasion in 1935 totally proved Hitler the League’s incompetence to keep peace as well as insignificance in foreign affairs. Therefore, this encouraged him further and gave strong grounds for his future attacks on the Rhineland, Austria and Sudetenland. The League’s inefficient organization, communication as well as lack of commitment and participation of world powers contributed to her collapse and therefore, cause of the WWII. Due that the League could not keep peace and stop the hostile actions of relevantly less powerful countries such as Japan and Italy her reputation was ruined and opened a door to Germany to begin her aggression in Europe which eventually led to war.
Both the appeasement policy and the collapse of the League of Nations were long-term causes of the Second World War. They encouraged and gave Hitler opportunity to begin an aggressive foreign policy in Europe and to demand all the territories taken away from Germany by the Versailles Treaty. It is often said by historians that Hitler was an opportunist by nature, which made him so successful in building a strong Reich he knew how to use each chance that opened to him to achieve his aims. Hence, both Churchill’s appeasement policy and the League’s weaknesses to keep peace due to inefficiency and lack of its member’s commitment convinced him of Europe’s inability to stop his policies as well as gave him various opportunities to add land to Germany without war and exactly his exploitation of this opportunities led to the start of the Second World War in 1939.
