Unit 8 SAQ 8.7 AMSCO AP European History - Withrow

Passage 1

"Many British politicians regarded Communism as a greater threat than Nazi Germany. Their negative views were reinforced by the brutal show trials of the 1930s in Stalin's Soviet Union. A common saying at the time was better Hitlerism than Communism.

During the 1930s, Britain had a National Government. This was formed from members of the Conservative, Liberal and Labour parties. The largest group came from the Conservative party. The Conservatives believed that Hitler's Germany could be a strong defense against possible Soviet plans to invade Europe. Soviet involvement in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) raised suspicions about their aims."

Passage 2

"In analyzing appeasement, it is necessary to examine the role of the British prime minister, Neville Chamberlain, who was not as foolish as some have imagined. ... The Western democracies have been denounced for their failure to go to war against Germany before 1939. Such accusations fail to take into account the public mood and the lack of military preparedness on the part of France or Great Britain. It is important to realize that the Western leaders who had to make the decision for war or peace had grave doubts about the capabilities of their armed forces."