Neville
Chamberlain (1937-1940)
Neville Chamberlain was
born in 1869 and after showing a keen interest
in politics he was elected as the Lord Mayor of
Birmingham. As the years went by he gained a great
deal of political knowledge by serving under both
Baldwin and MacDonald. His predecessors as Prime
Ministers were involved with war issues and Baldwin
had the odious task of trying to cope with Hitler,
which was then passed onto Chamberlain himself.
When Chamberlain replaced Stanley Baldwin as prime
minister he continued the policy of nonintervention.
Anthony Eden, who was Chamberlain's foreign secretary,
did not agree with the policy of appeasement and
resigned. He was replaced by Lord Halifax who
in stark contrast was a strong supporter. During
his time in power he was plagued by the issues
surrounding Hitler and various political treaties.
The Munich Agreement in particular was popular
with the British people as it appeared as if Chamberlain
had successfully avoided war, yet many politicians
including Winston Churchill were not pleased.
However after Hitler’s invasion of Poland,
Chamberlain had no choice but to declare war on
Germany. On the outbreak of the Second World War
public opinion polls showed that Chamberlain's
popularity was 55 per cent. By December, 1939,
this had increased to 68 per cent. However many
ministers in his cabinet considered him to be
an uninspiring leader and by 1940 he resigned
and was replaced by Churchill.
Neville Chamberlain in the House of Commons –
22nd February 1938:
“Our policy has been consistently directed
to one aim - to maintain the peace of Europe by
confining the war to Spain. Although it is true
that intervention has been going on and is going
on, in spite of the non-intervention agreement,
yet it is also true that we have succeeded in
achieving the object at the back of our policy,
and we shall continue that object and policy as
long as we feel there is reasonable hope of avoiding
a spread of the conflict.
I do not believe that it is fantastic to think
that we can continue this policy successfully,
even to the end. The situation is serious, but
it is not hopeless. Although it may be true that
various countries or various Governments desire
to see one side or the other side in Spain winning,
there is not a country or a Government that wants
to see a European war.
Since that is so, let us keep cool heads. Neither
say nor do anything to precipitate a disaster
which everybody really wishes to avoid.
When I think of the experience of German officers,
the loss of life and the mutilation of men on
the Deutschland, and the natural feelings of indignation
and resentment that must have been aroused by
such incidents, I must say that I think the German
Government in wisely withdrawing their ships and
then declaring the incident closed have shown
a degree of restraint which we ought to be able
to recognise.
I make an earnest appeal to those who hold responsible
positions both in this country and abroad to weigh
their words very carefully before they utter them
on this matter, bearing in mind the consequences
that may flow from some rash or thoughtless phrase.
By exercising caution and patience and self-restraint
we may yet be able to save the peace of Europe”.
Neville Chamberlain to George VI –
6th September 1938:
“Developments seem very slow and I am afraid
that we may have to wait another week or even
more before we can speak with confidence about
the issue. All the same I have a 'hunch' that
we shall get through this time without the use
of force. Hitler cannot say that no progress is
being made and the general opinion of the world
would be more shocked than ever if Runciman's
efforts were to be rudely interrupted before it
could be established that they had failed. Even
if things looked more threatening than they do
at the moment I should not despair for I don't
think we have fired the last shot in our locker”.
Neville Chamberlain to George VI –
13th September 1938:
“The continued state of tension in Europe
which has caused such grave concern throughout
the world has in no way been relieved, and in
some ways been aggravated by the speech delivered
at Nuremberg last night by Herr Hitler. Your Majesty's
Ministers are examining the position in the light
of his speech, and with the firm desire to ensure,
if this is at all possible, that peace may be
restored.
On the one hand, reports
are daily received in great numbers, not only
from official sources but from all manner of individuals
who claim to have special and unchallengeable
sources of information. Many of these (and of
such authority as to make it impossible to dismiss
them as unworthy of attention) declare positively
that Herr Hitler has made up his mind to attack
Czecho-Slovakia and then to proceed further East.
He is convinced that the operation can be effected
so rapidly that it will be all over before France
or Great Britain could move.
On the other hand, Your
Majesty's representative in Berlin has steadily
maintained that Herr Hitler has not yet made up
his mind to violence. He means to have a solution
soon - this month - and if that solution, which
must be satisfactory to himself, can be obtained
peacefully, well and good. If not, he is ready
to march.
In these circumstances I
have been considering the possibility of a sudden
and dramatic step which might change the whole
situation. The plan is that I should inform Herr
Hitler that I propose at once to go over to Germany
to see him. If he assents, and it would be difficult
for him to refuse, I should hope to persuade him
that he had an unequalled opportunity of raising
his own prestige and fulfilling what he has so
often declared to be his aim, namely the establishment
of an Anglo-German understanding, preceded by
a settlement of the Czecho-Slovakian question.
Of course I should not be
able to guarantee that Dr. Benes would accept
this solution, but I should undertake to put all
possible pressure on him to do so. The Government
of France have already said that they would accept
any plan approved by Your Majesty's Government
or by Lord Runciman”.
Neville Chamberlain, diary entry –
26th March 1939:
“I must confess to the most profound distrust
of Russia. I have no belief whatever in her ability
to maintain an effective offensive, even if she
wanted to. And I distrust her motives, which seem
to me to have little connection with our ideas
of liberty, and to be concerned only with setting
everyone else by the ears”.
"How horrible, fantastic,
incredible it is that we should be digging trenches
and trying on gas masks here because of a quarrel
in a far away country between people of whom we
know nothing"
"This is the second time in our history that
there has come back from Germany to Downing Street
peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our
time"
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