ABSTRACT
Saddled with an enormous War Debt to the United States, and enduring - with others - the ravages of the Depression in the early 1930s, Great Britain was reluctant to become too closely embroiled in European affairs prior to the Second World War. Many historians feel that British policy in the period can be summed up in the word 'appeasement', a term which describes a spectrum of attitudes ranging from a wish to be fair and decent to a defeated foe, to the desire to try to buy off a current enemy. The evidence supports the contention that both the king and queen were firmly in the appeasement camp, and had there been an invasion, were prepared to continue to 'rule' from overseas, probably Canada. Appeasement from strength is magnanimous and noble, and might be the surest and perhaps only path to world peace'.
