USA HISTORY

Which term best describes the initial response of European leaders to German aggression?

(A) ** A policy of appeasement

(B) A policy of defense

(C) A policy of neutrality

(D) A policy of resistance

Concept note-1: -Instituted in the hope of avoiding war, appeasement was the name given to Britain’s policy in the 1930s of allowing Hitler to expand German territory unchecked. Most closely associated with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, it is now widely discredited as a policy of weakness.

Concept note-2: -Appeasement encouraged Hitler to be more aggressive, with each victory giving him confidence and power. With more land, Germany became better defended, with more soldiers, workers, raw materials, weapons and industries. This then shows the first way that appeasement caused World War Two.

Concept note-3: -On March 11–13, 1938, Nazi Germany annexed the neighboring country of Austria. This event is known as the Anschluss. The Anschluss was the Nazi German regime’s first act of territorial aggression and expansion.