What is the most effective way to stop a world war? On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland (Timeline), going against the Treaty of Versailles but no one did anything. Every nation ignored the actions of Hitler, which in turn probably gave Hitler the message that he could do whatever he wanted and get away with it. As his actions become unbearable to ignore, the nations became angered and joined the war. The world was then split into two opposing teams: the Axis powers (which housed Germany, Japan, and Italy) and the Allied powers (Great Britain, the United States, China, and the Soviet Union). Would this continuation of appeasement have stopped the war, or should the nations have stood up against Hitler? Before the war was burgeoning, …show more content…
Hitler also wrote that it was Germany’s right to take back the land they had lost. He pledged to get revenge and even though his book told every big nation his plans, no one did anything. No one dared because they did not want another world war on their hands. They also allowed Hitler to host the 1936 Summer Olympics and the United States even pulled two Jewish competitors out in fear of embarrassing Hitler. All of these actions were part of appeasing Hitler. The nations thought that if they ignored Hitler, he would become dissuaded to do what he planned for Germany. The nations continued this for quite a while, even going as far as giving Hitler Sudetenland just to avoid a world war that would start in Europe (Doc 4). This made many Europeans ecstatic, but the Czechs were angered. The gullible British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, believed that appeasement was the answer to all their problems (Doc 5) and that if they let Hitler do whatever he pleased, everything would go away. Appeasement did not go as far as Chamberlain thought it would and it still …show more content…
They wanted to take a stand, but their country was not ready for it. Before the United States had entered World War II, Churchill had warned the people of England that appeasement has left them without “a strong national defense or system of international security” (Doc 6). Churchill did not like appeasement and voiced his opinion to anyone who would listen. All around the world, many believed ignorance was bliss, but in the case of World War II, that saying was very false. Ignoring Hitler only made him all the more determined to start a war and come out on top. If the nations would have acted as one and not ignore Hitler, concentration camps would have been avoided, thousands of innocent lives would have lived on. To stand up is to show courage and even though everyone fought in a war, it was like they cowarded before that fought. The League of Nations may have worked if everyone were present and willing to go against the things they were unsure