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Find out more about page archiving. World War One Centenary. Hitler was open about his refusal to accept many of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Soon after he became Chancellor of Germany in he began to re-arm the country, breaking the restrictions placed on the German armed forces. Czechoslovakia was the logical next step for his aggression and German Nazis in the Sudetenland were told to stir up the trouble that led to the crisis examined here. Edvard Benes, the leader of Czechoslovakia, was concerned that if Germany was given the Sudetenland, most of the Czech defences would be handed over to the Germans and they would be left defenceless.
At Munich, Chamberlain got an international agreement that Hitler should have the Sudetenland in exchange for Germany making no further demands for land in Europe.
Although people in Britain were relieved that war had been averted, many now wondered if appeasement was the best decision. They did not think it would stop Hitler, and simply delayed the war, rather than prevented it. He must have known from the situation outlined to him by General Ismay, that Czechoslovakia was lost, that war was bound to come. Six months later, in March , German troops took over the rest of Czechoslovakia.
Poland seemed to be the next most likely victim of Nazi aggression and Chamberlain made an agreement with the Poles to defend them in Germany invaded. Hitler did not think Britain would go to war over Poland, having failed to do so over Czechoslovakia. He sent his soldiers into Poland in September Two days later, Britain declared war on Germany. Chamberlain struggled on as Prime Minister until May when he resigned and Winston Churchill, a bitter critic of appeasement, took over.
Chamberlain died in November ; however he continued to be vilified for appeasement in general and for his actions in September in particular long after his death and the conclusion of the war. Students examine extracts from a document written by letter written by Sir Nevile Meyrick Henderson, British Ambassador in Germany, 6th September Then, they analyse three extracts from the minutes of the conversation between Chamberlain and Hitler at Berchtesgaden.
These provide insight in the arguments presented by both leaders on question of Sudetenland. On his return he became a leading manufacturer in Birmingham, where he was elected a councillor in and Lord Mayor in Then, in , David Lloyd George appointed him Director General of the Department of National Service, but personal bitterness between them led to his resignation within a year.
In he became Postmaster General under Andrew Bonar Law , where he proved his judgement and ability. He was made Minister of Health within months and, under Baldwin, Chancellor of the Exchequer all in little more than a year, and within 5 years of entering Parliament.
His Local Government Act of reformed the Poor Law, effectively laying the foundations of the welfare state, and reorganised local government finance. War was brewing in Europe and had already exploded in Spain. Chamberlain was unwilling to go down in history as responsible for an inevitably destructive war, without doing everything possible to prevent it. Chamberlain, as with many in Europe who had witnessed the horrors of the First World War and its aftermath, was dedicated to restoring peace at almost any price.
He met German chancellor Adolf Hitler in Munich , the result of which was an agreement that Britain and Germany would never again go to war. That business venture ultimately failed, but he had proven himself as a talented manager and businessman.
Chamberlain found success in business after returning to England. In , Chamberlain was elected to the Birmingham City Council—his first political post. He married Anne Vere Cole that same year and the couple eventually had two children together, Dorothy and Francis.
Chamberlain became Birmingham's lord mayor in Before long, he became a figure on the national political scene. Chamberlain won election to the House of Commons in as a member of the Conservative Party. He went on to serve as postmaster general and minister of health. In , during a period of infighting among members of the Conservative Party, Chamberlain briefly became party chairman, until Baldwin regained control. He then used his talents for economics and business matters as chancellor of the exchequer.
For six years, Chamberlain oversaw the country's financial policies. Chamberlain became Britain's prime minister in Some of his early efforts focused on improving the lives of workers.
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