Policy of Appeasement

Definition

The policy of appeasement refers to the strategy employed by European powers, particularly Great Britain and France, in the 1930s to avoid conflict with Nazi Germany. It involved giving in to Hitler's demands and making concessions in the hopes of maintaining peace.

Related terms

Munich Agreement: An agreement reached in 1938 between Germany, Italy, Great Britain, and France that allowed Hitler to annex Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. It was a prime example of appeasement.

Neville Chamberlain: The British Prime Minister who pursued a policy of appeasement towards Hitler. He famously declared 'peace for our time' after signing the Munich Agreement.

Nazi Germany: Refers to Adolf Hitler's totalitarian regime from 1933 to 1945. Their aggressive expansionist policies were met with appeasement by other European powers before World War II.