What is appeasement and Anschluss? How was Hitler's Anschluss an example of British and French appeasement?
1 Answer
Appeasement and Anschluss are phrases related to European politics in the 1930's.
Explanation:
Appeasement was a policy pursued by a number of politicians notably Neville Chamberlain. Chamberlain and other supporters of appeasement wanted to avoid another general European conflict at all costs.
Chamberlain and others pursued appeasement in their dealings with Hitler as his foreign policy became more expansionist and aggressive. When Hitler occupied the Rhineland in clear breach of the Treaty of Versailles, the West did nothing.
Anschluss was his policy of unifying Austria with Germany into a greater Germany. Hitler encouraged Austrian Nazis to undermine the government.
In 1938 Hitler entered Vienna in triumph, (he was Austrian by birth) and the Anschluss was complete Seyss-Inqhuart a leading Austrian Nazi was made head of a Nazi government. They immediately started the persecution of Austrian Jews and political opponents.
Anschluss was seen as a result of appeasement which failed to stop Hitler. The Munich Agreement handed over the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia to Germany, followed by the whole of Czechoslovakia itself.
It took the invasion of Poland for Britain and France to respond militarily. Hitler didn't think they would because of appeasement in the past.
