Ferree 1 Ben Ferree Dr. Croft Persuasion and Propaganda April 18, 2010 Neville Chamberlainʼs Speech on the Nazi Invasion of Poland On September 1, 1939, Neville Chamberlain, then the Prime Minister of England, gave a speech to parliament that was also broadcast over the radio to the people of England. In this speech, Chamberlain laid out the steps that would lead to the declaration of war on Germany because of their recent invasion of Poland. The speechʼs purpose was to persuade the English government and the English people to take up arms against Germany, and to assure them that all other methods of dealing with Germany had been tried and exhausted. Neville Chamberlain was famously against going to war, and used a political tool called appeasement to try and avoid war. According to www.dictionary.com, appeasement means to yield or concede to the belligerent demands of (a nation, group, person, etc.) in a conciliatory effort, sometimes at the expense of justice or other principles. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum states that In the mid and late 1930s, France and especially Britain followed a foreign policy of appeasement. The objective of this policy was to maintain peace in Europe by making limited concessions to German demands...moreover, neither Britain nor France in 1938 was militarily prepared to fight a war against Nazi Germany. This shows how amazing the need for war must have been for Chamberlain to ask for it.
Ferree 2 In this paper, I will use Aristotleʼs types of proof to analyze Chamberlainʼs speech. Specifically, I will analyze how ethos, pathos, and logos function within this speech. Aristotle thought that there were three main types of artistic proofs that a persuader could use. They were ethos, pathos, and logos. Ethos is all about credibility. Before actually making a persuasive presentation, a persuader is perceived in some way by the audience...in cases in which the persuader is known, he or she may have a reputation for, say, honesty, knowledge, experience, or a sense of humor. (Larson, pg.57). I will use ethos to analyze what the government and general public thought about Prime Minister Chamberlain at the time of his speech, thereby showing his credibility. Pathos is emotional, and persuaders use this to try and evoke an emotional response from the audience that will help rally them to their cause or way of thought. I will show how Chamberlain used pathos to persuade men to join the military. Logos is logic. It is the rational arguments that a persuader will make to his or her audience. I will show how Chamberlain used logos to say that conflict with Germany was inevitable and deserving. First, I will start with ethos. What was Neville Chamberlainʼs image like at the time of his his speech? The website www.historylearningsite.co.uk has polls from the 1930ʼs that show how the British people felt. "Which of these views comes closest to your views of Chamberlain's policy of appeasement?" (Asked February 1939) 1. It is a policy that will ultimately lead to a lasting peace in Europe: 28% 2. It will keep us out of war until we have time to rearm: 46%
Ferree 3 3. It is bringing war nearer by whetting the appetite of the dictators: 24% 4.No opinion: 2% This shows that a total of 74% of the British people thought that appeasement was good for something, while only 24% thought it brought war nearer. So at the time that he gave his speech, (8 months after this poll) he was a popular man, whom the people were likely to listen to. It wasnʼt until much later that history viewed his appeasement policy as a bad one. [Appeasements] principal tenet of concessions through strength was a noble concept rooted in the moral and religious traditions of the English people, reinforced by a certain cultural sophistication, courage, and common sense. But it was increasingly unrealistic as applied to Nazi Germany during 1938-39, so that it suffered progressive distortion and eventual failure. (Rock, pg.87) Chamberlain used ethos when he said Eighteen months ago in this House I prayed that the responsibility might not fall upon me to ask this country to accept the awful arbitrament of war. I fear that I may not be able to avoid that responsibility, and also when he said No man can say that the Government could have done more to try to keep open the way for an honorable and equitable settlement for the dispute between Germany and Poland. He is using his credibility as a person who wants to avoid war to show that if he thinks it is necessary, than it really is the last resort. Chamberlain also used pathos in his speech. You have to play to peoples emotions if you really want to persuade them. A perfect example of this is when he says this terrible catastrophe lies on the shoulders of one man, the German Chancellor, who has not hesitated to plunge the world into misery in order to serve his own senseless ambition. He states that Hitler is trying to plunge the world into misery, and that Eng-
Ferree 4 land has to stop it. This will play on the emotions of both Parliament and the common people, because no one wants the world to be plunged into misery. Another example of Chamberlain using pathos is when he ends his speech. He says If out of the struggle we again re-establish in the world the rules of good faith and the renunciation of force, why, then even the sacrifices that will be entailed upon us will find their fullest justification. He makes it sound that by going to war, they are doing the right thing and that the rules of good faith will see them through. By making it sound like a fight between good and evil, and something that the world needs, he will play on peoples natural instinct to do the right thing. Finally, I will talk about Chamberlainʼs use of logos. It is the main thing he uses in his speech. Chamberlain wanted people to see the logical steps that he made in saying that what Germany has done was wrong, and that people should join the military to do what is right. ʻI am accordingly to inform your Excellency that unless the German Government are prepared to give His Majestyʼs Government satisfactory assurances that the German Government are prepared to give His Majestyʼs Government in the United Kingdom will without hesitation fulfill their obligations to Poland.ʼ If a reply to this last warning is unfavorable, and I do not suggest that it is likely to be otherwise, His Majestyʼs Ambassador is instructed to ask for his passports. In that case we are ready. He lays out very logical steps- If Germany does not stop military action, England will have to respond with military action. Chamberlain also uses syllogisms. Syllogisms begin with a major premise...this major premise is then associated with a minor premise...this, in turn, leads to a conclusion. (Larson pg.59) Chamberlain says The thoughts of many of us must at this mo-
Ferree 5 ment inevitably be turning back to 1914, and a comparison of our position now with that which existed then. How do we stand this time? The answer is that all three Services are ready, and that the situation in all directions is far more favorable and reassuring than in 1914...we have built up a vast organization of Civil Defense under our scheme of Air Raid Precautions. The major premise is that when Germany attacks, England is unprepared, as they were in 1914. The minor premise is that in 1914, England did not have Air Raid Precautions, which leads to the conclusion that Air Raid Precautions will make England safe. Chamberlains biggest use of logic is when he talks about needing manpower for the coming war. It is essential in the face of the tremendous task which confronts us, more especially in view of our past experiences in this matter, to organize our manpower this time upon as methodical, equitable and economical a basis as possible. We, therefore, propose immediately to introduce legislation directed to that end. A Bill will be laid before you which for all practical purposes will amount to an expansion of the Military Training Act. Under its operation all fit men between the ages of 18 and 41 will be rendered liable to military service if and when called upon. It is not intended at the outset that any considerable number of men other than those already liable shall be called up, and steps will be taken to ensure that the manpower essentially required by industry shall not be taken away. He says that England was unprepared in world war one, so that in order to make them safer, he must methodically set up the military by using a draft. He reassures the community that industry will not suffer, and that volunteers will be used first and foremost. Steps like these may have helped persuade people to accept being drafted.
Ferree 6 In this paper, I showed how Neville Chamberlain used Aristotleʼs types of proof to convince Parliament and the general community that war was their only option, and that people should join the war effort. Ethos, pathos, and logos can be used to analyze nearly any kind of persuasive message, and it is very useful when analyzing politicians. Look for plays to emotion and credibility when politicians try to persuade people to do something. Chamberlainʼs message was ultimately effective, as Britain did go to war, and people did sign up to join the army. Although history has not viewed Chamberlainʼs political campaign as successful, his persuasive message certainly was.