"Therefore, British military intervention on the continent
might be necessary “at any time within the next, say, three to ªve years.”
Under these circumstances, the report concluded, the British military was woe-
fully underfunded and unprepared, which necessitated a signiªcant rearma-
ment campaign. 43"
"The rearmament campaign would be a slow one, particularly given the eco-
nomic constraints imposed by the world economic crisis and British war debts
to the United States. Consequently, the government needed to buy time and
became obsessed with “the importance of not giving Germany any excuse to
re-arm without further parley.” 44 Thus was born the policy of accommodating
German demands in the face of increasing German perªdy, in an attempt to
slow the pace of German challenges."
"Their idea was that if Hitler were to begin open, full-scale rearma-
ment in violation of part 5 of the Versailles treaty, Britain would be powerless
to oppose the fait accompli; therefore, they were better off acknowledging Ger-
many’s covert rearmament and permitting it, in exchange for freely agreed-
upon limits on German armed forces."
"This hardly refects a belief that
appeasement would bring lasting peace. Instead, the documents reveal a wide-
spread pessimism and feeling of powerlessness to stop the German challenges
until Britain fully rearmed. 53"
source
You can also read the notes from Chamberlain on his meeting with Hitler, as well as UK General Ismay to the British Cabinet.
"(b) So far as air power is concerned, Germany may be able to maintain her lead over the Franco-British Air Forces in air striking power. On the other hand, it is open to us, provided that we make the necessary effort, to catch her up, or at least greatly reduce her lead, in the matter of defence (both active and passive) against air attack. By so doing we shall have heavily insured ourselves against the greatest danger to which we are present exposed: indeed by substantially reducing Germany’s only chance of a rapid decision, we shall have provided a strong deterrent against her making the attempt.
(c) It follows, therefore, that, from the military point of view, time is in our favour, and that, if war with Germany has to come, it would be better to fight her in say 6-12 months’ time, than to accept the present challenge.
source
