British policy in the nineteenth century was indeed built on a non involvement with europe. But it was also strong defence of british interests and credible deterrence which did, on one or two occasions, lead to war. I would say canning, castleray, melbournea disraeli and, of course, palmerston. None of them would have behaved as supinely as chamberlain and let potential opponents take vital, vital victories at briton's and its allies expense.
As the new film, Munich – The Edge of War, hits Netflix screens starring Jeremy Irons as British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain negotiating on the brink of World War Two in 1938, we revisit an archive debate discussing that pivotal moment in history. Journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anne Applebaum is joined by a collection of celebrated historians to debate whether Chamberlain did the right thing in an impossible situation or appeased a dictator, leading to the disastrous years of conflict that followed.
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