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Neville Chamberlain

Britain’s prime minister, from concessions to war

1869–1940

Neville Chamberlain was British prime minister from 1937 to 1940. He sought to avert war through negotiations with Hitler and became Britain’s principal representative at Munich in 1938. After the invasion of Poland, he announced war with Germany in September 1939. He resigned in May 1940 and was succeeded by Winston Churchill.

The route to government leadership

Born in Birmingham on 18 March 1869 into a political family, Chamberlain worked in industry and local politics before entering Parliament in 1918. He held ministerial posts including Minister of Health and Chancellor of the Exchequer. He succeeded Stanley Baldwin as prime minister in May 1937.

Munich and the limits of concessions

Chamberlain tried to prevent another European war. In September 1938 he negotiated with Hitler and took part in the Munich Agreement, which provided for transferring the Sudeten territory to Germany. Appeasement was intended to avert war through concessions; Germany’s occupation of Prague in March 1939 showed that expansion was continuing.

War and the end of his life

Following Germany’s attack on Poland, Britain declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939. Chamberlain remained prime minister through the first months of fighting, but resigned in May 1940 after the failure of the British intervention in Norway. Churchill succeeded him. Chamberlain died at Heckfield in Hampshire on 9 November 1940.

Explore further

  • Munich

    Negotiations and concessions in September 1938.

Sources

  • Chamberlain and Hitler: background information · The National Archives

    Background information; concessions, Sudeten crisis and Chamberlain’s succession

    Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ .

  • Carr to the Secretary of State, 30 September 1938 — FRUS 1938 I, document 682 · Office of the Historian, US Department of State

    Telegram 262 and editorial notes; printed pp. 702–703

    US government institutional text; this does not automatically license photographs or other archival objects.

  • A guide to US diplomatic relations: Czechoslovakia · Office of the Historian, US Department of State

    US–Czechoslovakian relations during World War II

    US government institutional text; this does not automatically license photographs or other archival objects.

  • History of Neville Chamberlain · GOV.UK

    Birth, death, dates in office and biography; Munich agreement/declaration conflation not used

    Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ .