Neville Chamberlain Takes Office

Conservative Member of Parliament Neville Chamberlain became British prime minister in May 1937. He succeeded Stanley Baldwin. In the 1930s, Britain was facing economic and social upheaval from the Great Depression (known in Britain as the Great Slump). As prime minister, Chamberlain hoped to focus on domestic rather than international concerns. However, he is best remembered for his foreign policy, specifically his strategy of appeasement towards Nazi Germany.