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Neville Chamberlain, Oswald Mosley, and the historiography of appeasement revisited

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Date Issued:
2010
Summary:
This thesis analyzes the historiography of Neville Chamberlain and appeasement through the lens of Oswald Mosley and British Fascism, arguing that an acute and unexpected convergence emerges between the ardent radicalism of Mosley and the utter rationality of Chamberlain, illustrating the uncanny degree to which appeasement as a policy dovetailed with fascism as an ideology. Beginning at the Spanish Civil War and ending in March 1939, politicians in the vein of Chamberlain - subsequently dubbed 'appeasers' - pursued appeasement as a means to placate German aggression. The British Union of Fascists, with Mosley at the helm, enthusiastically supported this movement and urged the British Government to intensify the appeasement campaign. Ultimately, the convergence of appeasement and fascism illustrates the severe lack of alternatives available to Chamberlain, and underscores the degree to which his pragmatic politics supported fascism abroad.
Title: Neville Chamberlain, Oswald Mosley, and the historiography of appeasement revisited.
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Name(s): Ortiz, Michael.
Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Department of History
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Issued: 2010
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Physical Form: electronic
Extent: v, 113 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: This thesis analyzes the historiography of Neville Chamberlain and appeasement through the lens of Oswald Mosley and British Fascism, arguing that an acute and unexpected convergence emerges between the ardent radicalism of Mosley and the utter rationality of Chamberlain, illustrating the uncanny degree to which appeasement as a policy dovetailed with fascism as an ideology. Beginning at the Spanish Civil War and ending in March 1939, politicians in the vein of Chamberlain - subsequently dubbed 'appeasers' - pursued appeasement as a means to placate German aggression. The British Union of Fascists, with Mosley at the helm, enthusiastically supported this movement and urged the British Government to intensify the appeasement campaign. Ultimately, the convergence of appeasement and fascism illustrates the severe lack of alternatives available to Chamberlain, and underscores the degree to which his pragmatic politics supported fascism abroad.
Identifier: 703613365 (oclc), 2978948 (digitool), FADT2978948 (IID), fau:3588 (fedora)
Note(s): by Michael Ortiz.
Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010.
Includes bibliography.
Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Subject(s): Chamberlain, Neville, 1869-1940
Mosley, Oswald, Sir, 1896-1980
World War, 1939-1945 -- Diplomatic history
Fascism -- Great Britain -- 20th century
World politics -- 1900-1945
Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1936-1945
Great Britain -- Foreign relations -- 1936-1945
Great Britain -- Foreign relations -- Germany -- 20th century
Germany -- Foreign relations -- Great Britain -- 20th century
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2978948
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU