ABSTRACT
On 3 September 1939 Britain declared war upon Germany for the second time in twenty-five years. Neville Chamberlain, who had been Prime Minister since May 1937, presided over the British declaration. For him the commencement of war was a bitter personal blow, after his attempts to negotiate and conciliate with the European dictators. When he spoke to the House of Commons about the declaration, he made no attempt to disguise his feelings: ‘Everything that I have worked for, everything that I have hoped for, everything that I have believed in during my public life, has crashed into ruins’.1 The fact that Chamberlain persisted as Prime Minister and was determined to see the war through says much for his tenacity. But he hated war and it took its toll. Nevertheless, he did draw some comfort from the morality of Britain’s position. As he explained to the Archbishop of Canterbury,
It was of course a grievous disappointment that peace could not be saved, but I know that my persistent efforts have convinced the world that no part of blame can lie here. That consciousness of moral right, which it is impossible for the Germans to feel, must be a tremendous force on our side.2
