Munich Moment
A decision to appease an aggressor that's likely to come back as a worse crisis.
Origin
At the 1938 Munich Agreement, Britain and France let Nazi Germany annex the Sudetenland in exchange for promises of peace. Neville Chamberlain returned saying he'd secured 'peace for our time.' Within a year Germany had invaded Poland. The episode defined 'appeasement' as a cautionary tale for the rest of the 20th century.
Modern usage
Hauled out in any debate about confronting authoritarian regimes. To 'have a Munich moment' is to be tempted into appeasement; 'no more Munichs' is the rallying cry against it.
Tags
Related
Politics & Statecraft
Iron Curtain
The closed border that divided communist Eastern Europe from the West during the Cold War.
Politics & Statecraft
Red Line
A publicly declared limit that, if crossed, will provoke a serious response.
Politics & Statecraft
Watergate
The original modern political scandal โ and the suffix '-gate' now appended to every successor.