Why Did Alternatives to Appeasement Fail? British Foreign Policy, 1935-39

Tuesday 18 October, 11am - 12 noon

In popular narratives of why Britain went to war in 1939, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and his allies are seen as 'Guilty Men'. They are said to have recklessly taken Hitler's assurances at face value, ignored the need for rapid rearmament, and rejected opportunities for an international alliance against Hitler.

Central to this narrative is a view that people, such as Winston Churchill, consistently put forward alternatives to appeasement which could, and should, have been adopted. Research over the past twenty years has pointed to a range of alternatives which were not pursued.

Professor Richard Grayson, will examine why the alternatives were not adopted, whether the anti-appeasers actually held to consistent positions, and how far the cases of anti-appeasers were themselves problematic.

You can book onto this event as an individual (and access it from home or school/college) or you can make a group booking.