Anthony Eden's 1938 Resignation: A Turning Point in Britain's Struggle Over Appeasement

February 20, 1938 -LONDON, Great Britain - Britain's political landscape was shaken by the dramatic resignation of Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden, who stepped down in open protest of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's increasingly conciliatory policy toward Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Eden's departure marked one of the most consequential cabinet resignations of the pre‑war era, exposing deep fractures within the British government over how to confront the rising threat of fascist aggression in Europe.

A Clash of Worldviews

By early 1938, the dictatorships in Germany and Italy had already violated multiple international agreements, annexed territory, and demonstrated clear ambitions for expansion. Eden believed that Britain's foreign policy needed to be grounded in firmness, collective security, and close cooperation with France and the League of Nations.

Chamberlain, however, was convinced that war could be avoided only through direct negotiation with Hitler and Mussolini. He believed that offering concessions-particularly to Italy-would stabilize Europe and buy time for Britain's rearmament program.

The two men had clashed for months, but the breaking point came when Chamberlain insisted on opening talks with Mussolini without preconditions, even as Italian forces continued occupying Ethiopia in violation of League sanctions. Eden saw this as a dangerous signal that Britain was willing to reward aggression.

The Final Confrontation

The decisive cabinet meeting occurred on February 19, 1938. Eden argued that negotiating with Mussolini while he still held Ethiopia would undermine Britain's credibility and encourage further territorial demands by the Axis powers. Chamberlain dismissed these concerns, insisting that diplomacy required flexibility and personal engagement.

Eden refused to yield. When it became clear that the Prime Minister would proceed regardless of his objections, Eden concluded that he could no longer serve in a government whose foreign policy he believed was morally and strategically misguided.

He resigned the next day.

Public Reaction and Political Fallout

Eden's resignation electrified the British public. Many newspapers praised his integrity and warned that Chamberlain's approach risked emboldening dictators who had already shown contempt for international agreements. Eden, only 40 years old, became a symbol of principled resistance to appeasement.

Chamberlain, however, remained firmly in control of Parliament and replaced Eden with Lord Halifax, a figure more aligned with his diplomatic strategy. The government pressed ahead with its efforts to negotiate with both Germany and Italy.

Within months, Hitler annexed Austria in the Anschluss of March 1938-an event that vindicated Eden's warnings but did not yet shake Chamberlain's confidence in his approach.

A Foreshadowing of the Storm to Come

Eden's resignation stands today as a pivotal moment in the prelude to World War II. It exposed the deep divisions within Britain's leadership and highlighted the moral and strategic dilemmas facing democracies confronted with aggressive authoritarian regimes.

While Chamberlain's policy of appeasement would culminate later that year in the Munich Agreement, Eden's stance foreshadowed the eventual shift toward resistance that Britain would adopt in 1939. When war finally came, Eden returned to government and later succeeded Churchill as Prime Minister.

Legacy

February 20, 1938, is remembered not simply as a resignation, but as a moment when one of Britain's rising statesmen chose principle over political convenience. Eden's stand against appeasement remains a defining example of the tension between diplomacy and deterrence-a debate that continues to echo in foreign policy circles today.