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| Neville Chamberlain |
Wow, was he ever wrong! Wanting something does not make it so. Today, too many of the United States’ conservative leaders have forgotten that cruel lesson.
Yes, Chamberlain wanted “peace for our time.” Don’t we all? Unfortunately, it’s the details that matter!
We study historical speeches so that we can learn from history. In the brief speech that Chamberlain gave when he returned from Munich, Chamberlain explained neither how nor why appeasement would bring peace. What he did not say was more important than what he did say. Chamberlain did not say, “trust Hitler, but verify.” He just implied, “trust Hitler.”
Yes, history is a cruel teacher, and naïveté brings its own punishment. Yes, we can learn much by studying great speeches. Sometimes, however, we can learn even more by studying horrendous speeches, like Chamberlain’s brief, soothing talk. Chamberlain taught the world a cruel lesson that we have, unfortunately, now forgotten: bullies think that appeasement represents weakness. An appeased bully is a dangerous bully.
The idea behind the Munich conference was that the Western powers could (without asking Czechoslovakia), cede part of Czechoslovakia to Germany. The territory in question, the Sudetenland, was a group of large German-speaking provinces. Chamberlain believed that that this huge concession would satisfy Adolf Hitler’s territorial demands. Hitler would, Chamberlain believed, calm down and be satisfied, and the world would hum along.
Nothing new under the sun! Stunningly, United States Senator J. D. Vance recently said of Russia’s attack on Ukraine: “I gotta be honest with you, I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another.”
We Can Learn Lessons
Where can we begin?
First, Chamberlain was stunningly naïve. Instead of giving truth to the British people (or even to himself), he offered them false hope. We sit on a stormy beach as a hurricane approaches, serenely confident that the violent waves will never wash us out to sea. Then, terror strikes when we realize that we should have heeded the warning.
Second, Chamberlain and Hitler taught us that brutal dictators are not to be trusted.
What about Today?
Germany today has regained its industrial and cultural might and its current government is a hallmark of representative government. After the war, the Allied nations created the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a military alliance devoted to forestalling Russian aggression. Many terrible conflicts have afflicted the world since 1945, but the NATO alliance continues to guard a shaky peace among the major powers.
Still, many Americans, who often call themselves “conservatives,” have begun openly to excuse or even support Russia’s vicious aggression in Ukraine. As the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, rattles swords and makes blood-curdling threats, the voices of appeasement arise once more. Senator Tommy Tuberville openly praised Putin and bizarrely claimed that the NATO nations provoked Russia’s attack on Ukraine. In fact, Tuberville sneered at NATO during a Fox News appearance. Conservative opinion leader Tucker Carlson fawned over Putin during a lengthy interview. Presidential candidate Donald Trump claims that he will immediately end the war in Ukraine. How? Does he have a plan other than appeasement? If so, no one has heard it.
I am no foreign policy expert, and I will not speculate as to the best course of action. Almost everyone wants peace, yet violence constantly tears the world apart. Still, we learned one lesson from Neville Chamberlain’s short speech: bullies respect no one.
Sometimes the Doomsayers Are Right
Soon after the Munich agreement, British Conservative Party leader Winston Churchill gave a masterful speech criticizing appeasement. Sadly, history proves that Churchill’s warnings were correct.
The Munich Agreement
Arriving at the Prime Minister’s official residence at 10 Downing Street in London, on September 30, 1938, Chamberlain read aloud a brief statement that he and Hitler had jointly drafted:
Continuing, Chamberlain made his own personal statement:
Arriving at the Prime Minister’s official residence at 10 Downing Street in London, on September 30, 1938, Chamberlain read aloud a brief statement that he and Hitler had jointly drafted:
“We, the German Führer and Chancellor, and the British Prime Minister, have had a further meeting today and are agreed in recognizing that the question of Anglo-German relations is of the first importance for our two countries and for Europe.Czechoslovakia, which lacked Britain and Germany’s military power, did not agree to any of this. Instead, in the time-honored tradition of European foreign policy, the powerful nations treated small nations like pawns on a chessboard.
“We regard the agreement signed last night and the Anglo-German Naval Agreement as symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war with one another again. We are resolved that the method of consultation shall be the method adopted to deal with any other questions that may concern our two countries, and we are determined to continue our efforts to remove possible sources of difference, and thus to contribute to assure the peace of Europe.” [Italics added]
Continuing, Chamberlain made his own personal statement:
“My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour.Chamberlain meant the sleep of foolishness, I guess.
“I believe it is peace for our time...
“Go home and get a nice quiet sleep.”
Hitler promptly removed the Sudetenland’s non-German population. Within a matter of months, Hitler arrogantly annexed all of Czechoslovakia. Much later, Chamberlain gave a longer speech in which he explained that he had believed Hitler’s obviously insincere promises. Too late!
In any case, 11 months after the Munich conference, on September 1, 1939, Hitler’s massive war machine struck out at Poland – another innocent nation that had the misfortune to have a German-speaking minority – and World War II gradually flamed across Europe. Breaking his word, Hitler had already invaded all of Czechoslovakia, promptly revoking basic human rights for that nation’s non-German population. By 1945, more than 50 million people had died. The larger part of the dead were civilian massacre victims. Millions of Jews died in Heinrich Himmler’s concentration camps. Much of Europe was laid to waste, and Germany’s great cities had been reduced to piles of dusty, smoking rubble.
That is not what I would call “peace in our time.”
Earlier Post: Adolf Hitler's Speech in the Berlin Sportpalast: God and Power
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| World War II Ruins of Hamburg, Germany |
In any case, 11 months after the Munich conference, on September 1, 1939, Hitler’s massive war machine struck out at Poland – another innocent nation that had the misfortune to have a German-speaking minority – and World War II gradually flamed across Europe. Breaking his word, Hitler had already invaded all of Czechoslovakia, promptly revoking basic human rights for that nation’s non-German population. By 1945, more than 50 million people had died. The larger part of the dead were civilian massacre victims. Millions of Jews died in Heinrich Himmler’s concentration camps. Much of Europe was laid to waste, and Germany’s great cities had been reduced to piles of dusty, smoking rubble.
That is not what I would call “peace in our time.”
Earlier Post: Adolf Hitler's Speech in the Berlin Sportpalast: God and Power
We Can Learn Lessons
Where can we begin?
First, Chamberlain was stunningly naïve. Instead of giving truth to the British people (or even to himself), he offered them false hope. We sit on a stormy beach as a hurricane approaches, serenely confident that the violent waves will never wash us out to sea. Then, terror strikes when we realize that we should have heeded the warning.
Second, Chamberlain and Hitler taught us that brutal dictators are not to be trusted.
What about Today?
Germany today has regained its industrial and cultural might and its current government is a hallmark of representative government. After the war, the Allied nations created the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a military alliance devoted to forestalling Russian aggression. Many terrible conflicts have afflicted the world since 1945, but the NATO alliance continues to guard a shaky peace among the major powers.
Still, many Americans, who often call themselves “conservatives,” have begun openly to excuse or even support Russia’s vicious aggression in Ukraine. As the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, rattles swords and makes blood-curdling threats, the voices of appeasement arise once more. Senator Tommy Tuberville openly praised Putin and bizarrely claimed that the NATO nations provoked Russia’s attack on Ukraine. In fact, Tuberville sneered at NATO during a Fox News appearance. Conservative opinion leader Tucker Carlson fawned over Putin during a lengthy interview. Presidential candidate Donald Trump claims that he will immediately end the war in Ukraine. How? Does he have a plan other than appeasement? If so, no one has heard it.
I am no foreign policy expert, and I will not speculate as to the best course of action. Almost everyone wants peace, yet violence constantly tears the world apart. Still, we learned one lesson from Neville Chamberlain’s short speech: bullies respect no one.
Sometimes the Doomsayers Are Right
Soon after the Munich agreement, British Conservative Party leader Winston Churchill gave a masterful speech criticizing appeasement. Sadly, history proves that Churchill’s warnings were correct.
Conclusion
When a naïve world leader tells us to get a nice quiet sleep, well, it’s time to start digging bomb shelters.
Wishing peace and happiness – and, most importantly, wisdom – to all…
When a naïve world leader tells us to get a nice quiet sleep, well, it’s time to start digging bomb shelters.
Wishing peace and happiness – and, most importantly, wisdom – to all…
by William D. Harpine
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P.S. Many of the Sudetenland's residents supported Hitler. Did that make appeasement right? What a hard question! Feel free to post comments.
By the way, a neighbor of mine survived the Hamburg firebombing (Operation Gomorrah) by swimming in the river. Lucky at that, because the fires sucked the oxygen out of the air raid shelters and her part of the river didn't boil. Never trust "strong" leaders like Hitler to keep you safe. They don't. "Strong" leaders are always dangerous. Never trust wimpy leaders like Chamberlain who tell you to "get a nice quiet sleep." Wisdom is not a political game.
Copyright © 2024 by William D. Harpine
Image of Neville Chamberlain, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Image of Hamburg, Crown Copyright, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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