The policy of giving in to an aggressor's demands in order to avoid war is called ...

• A. Isolationism
• B. Deterrence
• C. Expansionism
• D. Appeasement

Answer: (D)

Appeasement is the policy of giving in to an aggressor's demands to avoid war. The idea is to prevent immediate conflict by conceding some requests in hopes of keeping peace. A famous historical example is Britain and France in the late 1930s agreeing to Hitler's demands at Munich, allowing Germany to annex the Sudetenland in exchange for promises of future restraint. Many historians view this as a failed tactic because it signaled weakness and encouraged further aggression, helping lead to World War II. The other terms describe different approaches: isolationism means staying out of other countries’ affairs rather than negotiating; deterrence relies on credible threats of punishment to prevent aggression; expansionism is about expanding a nation's territory or influence, not about handling crises through concessions.