Robert E Rodes (March 29, 1829 – September 19, 1864) was a US Confederate general during the Civil War. He was a civil engineer and professor at the Virginia Military Institute. Although born a Virginian he chose to adopt the state of Alabama during the Civil War.
He led the attack at the Battle of Chancelorsville, served with distinction during the Battle of Gettysburgh and was killed during the Third Battle of Winchester.
Neville Chamberlain (18 March 1869 – 9 November 1940) was the British Prime Minister from May 1937 until May 1940. Chamberlain is best known for his policy of appeasement in relation to Adolf Hitler, figurehead of the Third Reich.
Chamberlain failed at running a plantation for his family in the Bahamas but was quite successful running a company manufacturing metal ship berths called Hoskins & Company. He ran the company for 17 years. While employed he also attend civic events and gave speeches in support of his father Joseph Chamberlain. Joseph was the leader of the Liberal Unionists and later the Monarchist Conservatives.
Neville entered politics in 1911 as a mayor and won a seat in 1919 to the House of Commons after serving in different government posts. In 1937 Chamberlain became the Prime Minister.
In Nov of 1937, after having been snubbed by German Foreign Minister Konstantin von Neurath, Lord Halifax visited Hitler in Germany. Both Halifax and Chamberlain declared the meeting a success. Foreign Office officials complained that the Halifax visit made it appear Britain was too eager for talks, and the Foreign Secretary, Anthony Eden, felt that he had been bypassed.
Chamberlain also bypassed Eden while the latter was on holiday by opening direct talks with Italy, an international pariah for its invasion and conquest of Ethiopia. Eden believed that Chamberlain was being too hasty in talking with Italy and holding out the prospect of recognition of Italy’s conquest of Ethiopia.
In February of 1938 Hitler pressed the Anchluss, the unification of Austria and Germany. Many Austrians hoped for help from Britain in resisting Germany but none came. In March Austria became part of Germany.
Hitler then expressed his wishes to absorb Czechoslovakia into the new German Empire. On 30 August 1938 Chamberlain met his Cabinet and Ambassador Henderson and secured their backing—with only First Lord of the Admiralty Duff Cooper dissenting against Chamberlain’s policy to pressure Czechoslovakia into making concessions, on the grounds that Britain was then in no position to back up any threat to go to war.
Chamberlain flew to Germany and met face to face with Hitler. He received assurances that Germany would annex the Sudetenland (part of Czechoslovakia with a large German population) but not the rest of the country. Hitler continued to negotiate, and play, Chamberlain until March of 1939 when Germany invaded Czechoslovakia. It was only then Chamberlain formed an alliance with France and made a treaty with Poland guaranteeing backing if Hitler invaded.
On 1 September 1939 Hitler and Stalin invaded Poland, dividing the country between them. The British sent the British Expeditionary Force to France. This began the Phoney War. On 10 May 1940 Germany invaded France and Chamberlain resigned. Sir Winston Churchill became the new Prime Minister.
Chamberlain bought Hitler a lot of time.