- Title Pages
- Preface
- List of Contributors
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 Churchill and the Pitfalls of Family Piety
- 2 Churchill and Germany
- 3 Churchill and France
- 4 Churchill and Social Reform
- 5 Churchill’s Economic Ideas, 1900–1930
- 6 Churchill and Lloyd George
- 7 Churchill and the Labour Movement
- 8 Churchill and the First World War
- 9 Churchill and Zionism
- 10 Churchill and the British Empire
- 11 Churchill and the Monarchy
- 12 Churchill and Appeasement
- 13 Churchill, Radio, and Cinema
- 14 Churchill in 1940: The Worst and Finest Hour
- 15 How Churchill Became Prime Minister
- 16 Churchill, Japan, and British Security in the Pacific 1904–1942
- 17 Wheel Within a Wheel: Churchill, Roosevelt, and the Special Relationship
- 18 Churchill and Stalin
- 19 Churchill’s Strategy
- 20 Churchill and the Defence Chiefs
- 21 Churchill and the Navy
- 22 Churchill and Eisenhower in the Second World War
- 23 Churchill and the Use of Special Intelligence
- 24 Churchill and Science
- 25 Churchill and Europe
- 26 Churchill and India
- 27 Churchill and Egypt 1946–1956
- 28 Churchill: The Government of 1951–1955
- 29 Churchill the Parliamentarian, Orator, and Statesman
- Index
Churchill and Appeasement
Churchill and Appeasement
- Chapter:
- (p.199) 12 Churchill and Appeasement
- Source:
- Churchill
- Author(s):
Paul Addison
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
What might loosely be called the Churchillian critique of appeasement involves a series of assumptions about patterns of behaviour in international crises to which appeal has frequently been made both in Britain and in the United States. What is characteristic of this critique is that while purporting to be an argument about political realism, it is in fact one which is about morality. The term ‘appeasement’ itself has lost its original meaning of the defusing of conflict and taken on the meaning of purchasing peace for one's own interests by sacrificing the interests of others. It is worth recalling that in the 1930s, Winston Churchill did not oppose the appeasement of either Italy or Japan. And that in so far as both Italy and Japan remained neutral in 1939, leaving Britain to face Germany led by Adolf Hitler as its only enemy in Europe instead of three worldwide, the appeasement of Italy and Japan did, for a time, pay handsome dividends.
Keywords: Winston Churchill, Britain, international crises, United States, Germany, Adolf Hitler, appeasement, Italy, Japan, Europe
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- Title Pages
- Preface
- List of Contributors
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 Churchill and the Pitfalls of Family Piety
- 2 Churchill and Germany
- 3 Churchill and France
- 4 Churchill and Social Reform
- 5 Churchill’s Economic Ideas, 1900–1930
- 6 Churchill and Lloyd George
- 7 Churchill and the Labour Movement
- 8 Churchill and the First World War
- 9 Churchill and Zionism
- 10 Churchill and the British Empire
- 11 Churchill and the Monarchy
- 12 Churchill and Appeasement
- 13 Churchill, Radio, and Cinema
- 14 Churchill in 1940: The Worst and Finest Hour
- 15 How Churchill Became Prime Minister
- 16 Churchill, Japan, and British Security in the Pacific 1904–1942
- 17 Wheel Within a Wheel: Churchill, Roosevelt, and the Special Relationship
- 18 Churchill and Stalin
- 19 Churchill’s Strategy
- 20 Churchill and the Defence Chiefs
- 21 Churchill and the Navy
- 22 Churchill and Eisenhower in the Second World War
- 23 Churchill and the Use of Special Intelligence
- 24 Churchill and Science
- 25 Churchill and Europe
- 26 Churchill and India
- 27 Churchill and Egypt 1946–1956
- 28 Churchill: The Government of 1951–1955
- 29 Churchill the Parliamentarian, Orator, and Statesman
- Index
