Israel Matzav: The Brits favored Chamberlain's Czech policy in 1938 too

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

The Brits favored Chamberlain's Czech policy in 1938 too

A newly-released poll shows that Americans favor the P 5+1 agreement with Iran by a 2-1 margin.

According to the Reuters/Ipsos survey, 44 percent of Americans support the interim deal reached between Iran and six world powers in Geneva, and 22 percent oppose it.
While indicating little trust among Americans toward Iranian intentions, the survey also underscored a strong desire to avoid new US military entanglements after long, costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Even if the Iran deal fails, 49 percent want the United States to increase sanctions and 31 percent think it should launch further diplomacy. But only 20 percent want US military force to be used against Iran.

The survey's results suggest that a US public weary of war could help bolster Obama's push to keep Congress from approving new sanctions that would complicate the next round of negotiations for a final agreement with Iran.

The poll's conclusions are startlingly similar to British polls taken around the time of Neville Chamberlain's September 1938 agreement with Adolph Hitler over Czechoslovakia.

Public opinion in 1938 seemed reasonably in favour of Neville Chamberlain and what was later to be termed appeasement when he returned with "peace in our time" after the September 1938 Munich Agreement. Opinion polls appear to show that the majority of the nation was in support of the stance taken by Chamberlain.

"Should Britain promise assistance to Czechoslovakia if Germany acts as it did towards Austria?" (Asked March 1938)

Yes: 33%
No: 43%
No opinion: 24%

"Hitler says that he has no more territorial ambitions in Europe. Do you believe him?" (Asked October 1938)

Yes: 7%
No: 93%

"Which of these views comes closest to your views of Chamberlain's policy of appeasement?" (Asked February 1939)

1. It is a policy that will ultimately lead to a lasting peace in Europe: 28%

2. It will keep us out of war until we have time to rearm: 46%

3. It is bringing war nearer by whetting the appetite of the dictators: 24%

4. No opinion: 2%

On March 16, 1939, Hitler invaded the half of Czechoslovakia that was not ceded to him. That (finally) changed British public opinion:

Is the British government right in following a policy giving guarantees to preserve the independence of small European states? (Asked April 1939)

Yes: 83%
No: 17%

Here in Israel we have no delusions (from the first link).

In Israel, a Channel 2 poll conducted Tuesday night showed that a majority of Israelis backed Prime Minister Netanyahu’s recent criticism of the Obama administration’s Iranian policy, with 58% saying the criticism was justified, and 28% saying it was not.