Adversaries and Appeasement, Munich Pact Revisited

Sharif Behruz 1

The Munich Agreement is one of the most criticized diplomatic agreements in history, James M. Lindsay, CFR’s senior vice president and director of studies, writes. “In 1938, Adolf Hitler turned his sights on absorbing the Sudetenland, the part of Czechoslovakia dominated by ethnic Germans, into Germany. With tensions rising, British prime minister Neville Chamberlain rushed to Germany in September for talks to keep the continent at peace. Without consulting with Czechoslovakian leaders, he agreed to Hitler’s demand, a decision that was ultimately formalized when Germany, Britain, France, and Italy signed the Munich Agreement on September 30. Chamberlain returned from Munich proclaiming that he had achieved “peace for our time.” He was wrong. Less than a year later, German troops invaded Poland. The Second World War had begun.”

Regrettably, today the people of Iran are silenced to put up with the brutal, dictatorial and clerical beast of Islamic Republic; however the free world should not. As the West prepares to tango once more with this cunning regime, we should be mindful of what happened 75 years ago, exactly today, when appeasement was chosen over belligerence in Munich.

Dealing a final blow to this regime might not be the most amusing or even the most feasible option of all at the moment; nevertheless I firmly believe that the Middle East, and for that matter the world, without the fanatical Islamic regime of Iran would be a much safer place, as it was following the defeat of Nazi Germany. I understand things have changed since the Munich Pact of 1938, as some argue against the analogy, but the motives for the evil to triumph haven’t changed.

James highlights the lesson learned from the Munich Agreement (video below): Appeasing an adversary’s demands may defuse a crisis, but it can also increase the chances of war by emboldening that adversary to demand more. Chamberlain thought that if Germany gained the Sudetenland that Hitler would finally be satisfied with the status quo in Europe. But Hitler instead viewed Munich as confirming his belief that Britain and France both lacked the will to stop German expansion.

Let’s not loose sight to be deceived by treacherous expressions and impressions; instead, let’s continue pressuring the regime and start empowering the people of Iran to push the beast off their shoulders and that of the world community.