s quo. The international economic crisis in 1929 shattered the hope that the revival of world prosperity would also help Britain regain her strength, and in the early 30’s she became more isolationist and dependent on the Empire. Domestic issues became more important than foreign policy, and Britain began to retreat from the League system and collective action. The tactic of appeasement, and the belief that most hostile nations could be won over by economic concessions, thus became popular in the early 30’s. In the mid 30’s British leaders began to wonder if they might not be able to control Germany and the other revisionist states with concessions, and an assumption was made that there might be a war with Germany around 1939. A slow rearmament program was begun, but not much money was spent at the beginning because of economic considerations, and the public outcry against rearmament. When the Czechoslovakian crisis came, it was deemed to not be an issue to go to war over, and so the main strategy of the British in 1938 was to avoid war – appease Hitler and restrain France - until Britain was economically and militarily ready. However, in February 1939, a large shift occurred in public opinion in favor of standing up to Germany, and Prime Minister Chamberlain decided on a new policy of deterrence and encirclement, and to support France militarily on the continent. By this time, enormous amounts were being spent on rearmament, which actually threatened to undermine the security they were meant to defend. This created a kind of timetable since Britain could not maintain the financial effort of reaming much longer than the summer of 1939, when a war was actually expected. After Germany invaded the rump Czech state, Britain faced the choice of either accepting German domination of Europe and the collapse of British prestige, or face the prospect of war. On March 31 Britain guaranteed the safety of Poland, and...
