Why did Chamberlain believe the Munich Conference was a success?

When Neville Chamberlain returned to Britain from the Munich Conference in September 1938, he famously declared that he had achieved "peace for our time". This confidence stemmed from a number of factors that led him to believe the agreement, despite its controversial nature, was a success for Britain and Europe.



Averting Immediate War: A key reason for Chamberlain's optimism was the successful avoidance of immediate war. The Munich Agreement saw Germany granted the Sudetenland, a German-speaking region of Czechoslovakia. While this was a concession to Hitler's expansionist desires, it averted, at least temporarily, a military invasion of Czechoslovakia, which Britain and France were ill-prepared for. The shadow of the First World War loomed large, and the appeasement policy, while much criticized later, was driven by a genuine desire to prevent further bloodshed.



International Support and Hitler's Assurances: The Munich Conference was not a unilateral decision by Britain. It had the support of Britain's principal ally, France, as well as Mussolini's Italy. This seemingly united front against German aggression gave Chamberlain confidence in the agreement's viability. Furthermore, Hitler himself had assured Chamberlain that the Sudetenland was his "last territorial demand in Europe". This promise, naive as it may seem in retrospect, provided a glimmer of hope that Hitler's ambitions could be satiated and a lasting peace secured. Chamberlain clung to this hope, famously waving the agreement signed by him and Hitler as a symbol of peace.



Public Approval: The public reaction to Chamberlain's return from Munich further solidified his belief in the agreement's success. He was greeted with jubilant crowds, hailing him as a peacemaker. This outpouring of support, both domestically and internationally, reinforced his conviction that he had acted in the best interests of his country and prevented a devastating war. The public, weary of war and economically strained, were relieved at the prospect of continued peace.


However, the Munich Conference was a flawed peace.


While Chamberlain had valid reasons to believe in the success of the Munich Agreement, history has judged it harshly. It emboldened Hitler, exposed the weakness of the League of Nations, and merely postponed the inevitable war. Within a year, Hitler had broken his promise and invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia. This act shattered the illusion of "peace for our time" and ultimately contributed to the outbreak of the Second World War.



**In conclusion**, Chamberlain's belief in the success of the Munich Conference stemmed from a combination of factors: the avoidance of immediate war, the apparent international consensus, Hitler's assurances, and overwhelming public support. However, these factors were largely based on a misjudgment of Hitler's true nature and a desperate hope for peace that ultimately proved illusory.


**Sources:**

"The Origins of the Second World War" by A.J.P. Taylor
"The Gathering Storm" by Winston Churchill