The policy of appeasement, as we all know, did not go as planned. It's very easy to have hindsight bias and think that we would have seen it coming. However, I'm pretty sure that had I been in their shoes I would have also wanted a policy of appeasement. I consider myself, in general, to be a pacifist in regards to war. Usually, I think that most conflicts do not need to be solved by sending people to kill each other.
With World War I looming so close in their memories, they would have definitely wanted to avoid another war. The policy of appeasement would have worked simply because we often don't believe a lot of what politicians say. They made a mistake in which statements they thought were true. Other countries did not believe Hitler in his book Mein Kampf which said that his goal was to take over the rest of Europe and make them Germans. However, they did believe him when he said that taking Czechoslovakia would be his last one. The two above statements are conflicting with each other so they would have to choose one to believe. Most people, when faced with a statement as grand as taking the rest of Europe over, would think that it wouldn't be true. Obviously, they chose the wrong statements to believe but it seems that it would be more likely he would stop then that he would continue on a quest to conquer the world.
In conclusion, it's a lot easier today to agree with the cookie example used in class. In reality, opinions would probably have been much more diverse over the policy of appeasement.
What do you think? Would you have supported appeasement and why?
I don't think appeasement was a good policy, because when dealing with someone who you do not want to have more power and influence, you cannot give them power and influence. Especially with someone who they were so wary of like him, they should not have been so naive. The reality is with someone so greedy as him that they will never cease, and they should have seen this.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Natalie. The appeasement was not a good policy and lead to countries dealing with another country who the competed with the have more power and influence. Something not easy to give to other countries.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the other two who commented. I don't think appeasement was a good policy because it really limits who has power and is kind of selfish.
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