USA HISTORY

In following a policy of appeasement in the mid and late 1930s, Great Britain and France were taking what action?

(A) ** Giving in to Hitler’s demands in order to avoid a conflict

(B) Entering into a formal defense alliance to prepare for war against Hitler

(C) Pressuring the United States to enter the war against Germany

(D) Declaring war on Germany

Concept note-1: -Appeasement, the policy of making concessions to dictatorial powers in order to avoid conflict, governed Anglo-French foreign policy during the 1930s. Learning from the First World War made Britain and France apprehensive of another global escalation and they wanted to avoid a war-like situation by any means.

Concept note-2: -Appeasement was initially popular because: people wished to avoid conflict-memories of the Great War and its suffering were still present. Britain in the 1930s was struggling with the impact of the Depression, and so the country could not afford another war and heavy rearmament.

Concept note-3: -The policy of appeasement was the policy followed by the British and the French, of avoiding war with aggressive powers such as Japan, Italy and Germany by giving way to their demands in order to maintain peace and harmony.