Appeasement
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Part of a series on Anti-war topics |
Opposition to… |
---|
Military action in Iran • Iraq War • War in Afghanistan • War on Terrorism • Landmines • Vietnam War • Nuclear armament • World War II • World War I • Second Boer War • American Civil War • War of 1812 • American |
Agents of opposition |
Anti-war organizations • Conscientious objectors • Draft dodgers • Peace movement • Peace churches • Peace camp |
Related ideologies |
Anti-imperialism • Antimilitarism • Appeasement • Nonviolence • Pacificism • Pacifism • Satyagraha |
Media |
Politics Portal · |
The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page.(April 2008) Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. |
Appeasement, literally: calming, reconciling, acquiring peace by way of concessions or gifts (the verb 'to pay' also goes back to the Latin 'pax' = peace). Most commonly, appeasement is used for the policy of accepting the imposed conditions of an aggressor in lieu of armed resistance, usually at the sacrifice of principles. Usually it means giving in to demands of an aggressor in order to avoid war. Since World War II, the term has gained a negative connotation in the British government, in politics and in general, of weakness, cowardice and self-deception.
A famous example is Neville Chamberlain's foreign policy during the period 1937-1939, when he pursued a policy of appeasement towards Adolf Hitler's expansionist ambitions.
Contents |
[edit] Different views on appeasement
The meaning of the term "appeasement" has changed throughout the years. According to Paul Kennedy in his Strategy and Diplomacy, 1983, appeasement is "the policy of settling international quarrels by admitting and satisfying grievances through rational negotiation and comp