What role did appeasement play in emboldening fascist leaders?

Answer 1

For this question we have to be sure to understand the definitions of "appeasement" and "fascist". Appeasement is the action of giving in to the demands of a person, group, or government in order to keep the peace. Fascist refers to a country or leader with certain traits, including emphasizing the need for a strong central government led by an authoritarian ruler and valuing the needs of the state over those of individual citizens. In terms of world history, the period of time prior to WWII is when fascist states arose in Europe, the most infamous example of which is Germany under the leadership of Hitler and the Nazi Party. Leading up to WWII Hitler made several demands regarding German control over territory, and each time Western European countries (most importantly Britain and France) allow him to take over the territory of other countries without consequences. A specific example of this is the case of the Sudetenland in northern Czechoslovakia, which Hitler wanted control over. Britain, France, Italy, and Germany sent representatives to the Munich Conference to discuss Hitler's demands, with the end result being that Germany did gain control over the Sudetenland without backlash from other countries. This emboldened Hitler to continue with this strategy, strengthening his government and the values it stood for, regardless of the rights of people within the territories being added to Germany's control.