Answer:
Appeasement was a policy adopted by European leaders towards Nazi Germany in the 1930s, which involved making concessions to Hitler in the hope of avoiding war. The term was coined by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who sought to avoid conflict with Germany at all costs. The policy of appeasement was based on the belief that Hitler's demands were reasonable and that he could be appeased by making concessions.
One of the most notable examples of appeasement was the Munich Agreement of 1938, which was signed by the leaders of France, Great Britain, and Italy. The agreement allowed Hitler to annex the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia, which was home to a large German-speaking population. The leaders of France and Great Britain believed that by allowing Germany to annex the Sudetenland, they could avoid war and maintain peace in Europe.
Another example of appeasement was the Anglo-German Naval Agreement of 1935, which allowed Germany to build up its navy and violate the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. This agreement was signed by the British government under the leadership of Neville Chamberlain, who believed that it would help to maintain peace in Europe by giving Hitler what he wanted.
The leaders of France and Great Britain at the time acted as they did due to a combination of factors. They were still reeling from the devastation of World War I and were hesitant to engage in another war. They also underestimated the extent of Hitler's ambition and believed that by making concessions, they could avoid conflict and maintain peace in Europe.
In hindsight, the world should have reacted differently. The policy of appeasement only emboldened Hitler and gave him the impression that he could achieve his goals through aggression. The world should have taken a stronger stance against Hitler's expansionist policies and sought to contain German aggression. It is possible that a more forceful response earlier on could have prevented the outbreak of World War II and the atrocities that followed.