Appeasement will fail again

British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain thought that he was securing peace when he sold out his Czechoslovakian allies at Munich in 1938. He did, for exactly 11 months. When war finally came, neither the Czechoslovaks nor the Russians were active allies of Britain and France.

They would have been if the war had begun in 1938. But, because of Chamberlain’s betrayal, Czechoslovakia had been erased from the map of Europe. The Soviets were so disgusted with the spineless West that they became partners with German Chancellor Adolf Hitler in devouring Eastern Europe, beginning World War II.

Chamberlain was fixated on being the individual who brought the world “peace in our time.” He refused to compromise with anyone in Britain. He was sure that he knew better, and that only he could make Hitler see reason. Chamberlain did not stop the war because Hitler was determined to have it.

When war finally came, it was on Hitler’s timetable. Instead of a medium-sized European war, Chamberlain’s deal brought World War II.

American weakness and Iranian ambition make war almost certain. If it comes, let it be on our timetable rather than the enemy’s. Appeasement failed Chamberlain, and it will fail President Obama.

Ralph Ginorio

Coeur d’Alene