Appeasement is a type of political policy in international relations. It is a policy of settling international quarrels by admitting and satisfying grievances through rational negotiation and compromise, thereby avoiding the resort to an armed conflict which would be expensive, bloody, and possibly dangerous. In the context of 1930s Europe 'appeasement' is the name given to British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's policy of trying to placate Hitler's aggressive foreign policy with diplomacy instead of going to war. At the time appeasement was a popular policy. World War I was still fresh in the minds of the public and Chamberlain was lauded for the Munich Pact and 'peace in our time'. The majority view today is that appeasement of Hitler was a cowardly and mistaken policy that only encouraged Hitler's aggression, even if, as some maintain, it bought Britain valuable time to rearm and prepare for the inevitable war.
