Letter to Neville Chamberlain

Letter Content

My dear Prime Minister, We seem to be very near the bleak choice between War and Shame. My feeling is that we shall choose Shame, and then have War thrown in a little later, on even more adverse terms than at present. The annexation of Austria shows Hitler's true intentions. He will not stop there. Czechoslovakia will be next, and then Poland. Each concession we make only whets his appetite for more. Appeasement is a futile policy when dealing with a dictator of Hitler's ambitions. We are buying temporary peace at the price of future catastrophe. Every month we delay strengthening our defenses is a month gained for Germany to become stronger. I implore you to reconsider this course. Britain must rearm immediately. We must form alliances with France and other threatened nations. We must draw a line and make clear that further aggression will mean war. I know this seems harsh, but the alternative is far worse. If we do not stand firm now, we will face a far more powerful enemy later, when we may stand alone. History will judge our actions in this critical hour. I pray we choose the path of strength and honor, not weakness and shame. Yours sincerely, Winston S. Churchill

Historical Context

Written shortly after Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria, before the Munich Agreement. Churchill was out of power but prescient about Hitler's expansionist plans. His warnings were largely ignored until he became Prime Minister in 1940.

Significance

A prophetic warning about the futility of appeasement that proved tragically accurate. Churchill's letters during this period document his lonely but correct opposition to British policy and foreshadow his wartime leadership.