Neville Chamberlain had always gotten a lot of grief over his policy of appeasing Adolf Hitler. It is a common notion that if only Chamberlain had stood up to Hitler and refused Hitler’s territorial demands, World War II might have been averted. If the war had not been averted, then at least it might have occurred at a time and place more advantageous to the Allies.
Chamberlain’s consent to the annexation of the Sudetenland and inaction when Hitler conquered Czechoslovakia led to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Nonaggression Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union. If Britain and France had declared war in the spring of 1939, the Soviets might have joined in the battle against Nazi Germany. As it was, Britain and France stood alone against Germany in the fall of 1939 with Russia as a silent partner of Germany.
I think that much of the criticism of Neville Chamberlain is unfair. It is easy for us to see what ought to have been done, after the war. Chamberlain did not have the information we have. He did not know how things were going to turn out.
Chamberlain might be justly blamed for not understanding that Hitler was not simply a pan-German nationalist who wanted to unite his people into one nation. Hitler had hardly made it a secret that he intended to conquer the Slavic nations of Eastern Europe. Chamberlain ought to have understood that he was not dealing with a ruler who wanted a peaceful resolution of just grievances. The Nazis made it clear that conflict was the heart of their ideology. Chamberlain, perhaps, should have been more wary in his dealings with Hitler.
What Chamberlain should not be blamed for are the actions he took based on inaccurate information. From his point of view, appeasement was the only safe course for Britain and France. The simple fact was that neither Britain nor France was ready for war in 1937 or 1938. Britain was not ready for war in 1939, but it was readier than it had been, thanks to Chamberlain. What Chamberlain did not know, and perhaps could not know was that Germany was not prepared for war either.
At the time, everyone knew Germany had spent much of the 1930s rearming. Everyone knew that Hitler’s Wehrmacht had become the mightiest military force in the world. It was common knowledge that under Hitler’s rule the German economy reached new heights in growth and efficiency. The entire German economy had been retooled for military production. Anyone could see that the German nation stood as one man behind their Fuhrer Adolf Hitler. Germany had become invincible.
Chamberlain believed this. The leaders of France believed it. Stalin even bought it. Under the circumstances, it is not too surprising that Neville Chamberlain made every effort to avoid a war he was sure the Allies would lose. When Germany invaded France, the French soldiers believed they were doomed to defeat by the powerful German war machine. It is not true that the French soldiers were cowardly. The swift defeat of France was caused by poor leadership by the French civil and military authorities and poor morale among the soldiers.
The problem was that none of it was true. It was all lies from Joseph Goebbels’s propaganda ministry. The German Army was not invincible. The German economy was not efficient nor did it enjoy spectacular growth. In fact, National Socialism worked no better than any other kind of socialism. The Third Reich was running out of money when the war began. It could only have survived by looting other countries. The German economy was not organized for total war until 1943. The German people were not united behind Hitler. There was quite a bit of grumbling as the war progressed.
If only the Chamberlain and the other allied leaders had not believed Nazi propaganda. World War II might have been averted or at least begun on terms more favorable to the Allies. If only the German people had not believed the propaganda of their leaders. They might have resisted the calls for war. A lot of trouble might have been avoided if the truth had been known.
As I write this, everyone says that Kamala Harris is unstoppable Since she replaced the senile Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate, the Democrats have experienced renewed excitement. Kamala is filling up stadiums. Donations from grassroots supporters are pouring in by the millions. Kamala is ahead in all the polls. Republicans are rejecting Trump and turning to Kamala. J. D. Vance is a laughing stock who Trump should never have picked. MAGA is hated by the American people. Trump is finished.
None of this is true. I am not comparing Kamala Harris to Hitler. I am not comparing the Democrats to the Nazis. I have long held that any comparison of any American politician to the Nazis is foolish and dangerous. The people making such comparisons are inciting violence. I will say, however, that the Democrats are using the same propaganda techniques perfected by Dr. Goebbels, which deceived the world into believing the Germans were invincible.
None of the things they are saying are true. The excitement surrounding Kamala Harris’s candidacy is a combination of relief over not having to support a half-dead nominee and astroturfing of the most obvious kind. Kamala Harris is not filling up stadiums unless her appearance is preceded by an entertainer. The huge wave of donations from grassroots supporters appears to have been laundered from a few billionaires. The polling is still very uncertain. The Republican Party has never been more unified behind Trump.
The truth is that Kamala Harris is an exceptionally weak candidate. She has never been popular. She dropped out of the Democratic primaries in 2020 before a single vote was cast. She was anointed the nominee without a single vote being cast. She has been a nonentity her entire political career, relying on the patronage of men more accomplished than herself. She is prone to incomprehensible word salads when she doesn’t have a prepared statement before her. Kamala Harris is an eminently beatable candidate. She is a Potemkin candidate. The voters will see that before long.
I am not saying we have nothing to worry about. We still have to fight. We have yet to win the election and there is a good chance we may lose. What I am saying is that we must not give in to despair because the enemy appears to have an advantage. In the words of our champion, we must fight, fight, fight!.
David's Commonplace Book 