Misplaced Pages

#979020

95-679: Berchtesgaden ( German pronunciation: [ˈbɛʁçtəsˌɡaːdn̩] ) is a municipality in the district Berchtesgadener Land , Bavaria , in southeastern Germany , near the border with Austria , 30 km (19 mi) south of Salzburg and 180 km (110 mi) southeast of Munich . It lies in the Berchtesgaden Alps . South of the town, the Berchtesgaden National Park stretches along three parallel valleys. The Kehlstein mountain (1,835 m or 6,020 ft), with its Kehlsteinhaus (Eagle's Nest),

190-595: A National Government supported by most Conservative MPs. Chamberlain once again returned to the Ministry of Health. After the 1931 general election , in which supporters of the National Government (mostly Conservatives) won an overwhelming victory, MacDonald designated Chamberlain as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Chamberlain proposed a 10% tariff on foreign goods and lower or no tariffs on goods from

285-708: A British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940 and Leader of the Conservative Party from May 1937 to October 1940. He is best known for his foreign policy of appeasement , and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement on 30 September 1938, ceding the German-speaking Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Nazi Germany led by Adolf Hitler . Following

380-432: A Member of Parliament in the 1918 general election for the new Birmingham Ladywood division at the age of 49. He declined a junior ministerial position, remaining a backbencher until 1922. He was rapidly promoted in 1923 to Minister of Health and then Chancellor of the Exchequer . After a short-lived Labour -led government, he returned as Minister of Health, introducing a range of reform measures from 1924 to 1929. He

475-489: A Unitarian with no stated faith and also a "reverent agnostic". Neville Chamberlain was educated at home by his elder sister Beatrice Chamberlain and later at Rugby School . Joseph Chamberlain then sent Neville to Mason College , now the University of Birmingham . Neville Chamberlain had little interest in his studies there, and in 1889 his father apprenticed him to a firm of accountants. Within six months he became

570-702: A feared Alpine Fortress last stand of the Nazi Regime in the Alps failed to materialize late in World War II, the Allies launched a devastating air raid on the Berchtesgaden area in the spring of 1945. The 25 April bombing of Obersalzberg did little damage to the town. On 4 May, forward elements of the 7th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division arrived and received the town's surrender. After

665-494: A lord mayor in wartime, Chamberlain had a huge burden of work and he insisted that his councillors and officials work equally hard. He halved the lord mayor's expense allowance and cut back on the number of civic functions expected of the incumbent. In 1915, Chamberlain was appointed a member of the Central Control Board on liquor traffic. In December 1916, Prime Minister David Lloyd George offered Chamberlain

760-462: A manufacturer of metal ship berths. Chamberlain served as managing director of Hoskins for 17 years during which time the company prospered. He also involved himself in civic activities in Birmingham. In 1906, as Governor of Birmingham General Hospital , and along with "no more than fifteen" other dignitaries, Chamberlain became a founding member of the national United Hospitals Committee of

855-627: A mutual assistance pact and both the French and Czechoslovaks also had an alliance with the Soviet Union. After the fall of Austria, the Cabinet's Foreign Policy Committee considered seeking a "grand alliance" to thwart Germany or, alternatively, an assurance to France of assistance if the French went to war. Instead, the committee chose to advocate that Czechoslovakia be urged to make the best terms it could with Germany. The full Cabinet agreed with

950-457: A national government supported by all the main parties was essential, Chamberlain resigned the premiership because the Labour and Liberal parties would not serve under his leadership. Although he still led the Conservative Party, he was succeeded as prime minister by his colleague Winston Churchill . Until ill health forced him to resign on 22 September 1940, Chamberlain was an important member of

1045-519: A partner in a stable Europe. He believed Germany could be satisfied by the restoration of some of its colonies, and during the Rhineland crisis of March 1936 he had stated that "if we were in sight of an all-round settlement the British government ought to consider the question" of restoration of colonies. The new prime minister's attempts to secure such a settlement were frustrated because Germany

SECTION 10

#1732764767980

1140-442: A prime minister up to that time, with officials at Number 10 , led by his chief of press George Steward, convincing members of the press that they were colleagues sharing power and insider knowledge, and should espouse the government line. Chamberlain saw his elevation to the premiership as the final glory in a career as a domestic reformer, not realising that he would be remembered for foreign policy decisions. One reason he sought

1235-511: A regular basis. Elections for the municipal councils ( Kommunalwahlen ) take place every 4 years in Bremen, every 6 years in Bavaria and every 5 years in all other states. The office of mayor is full-time ( hauptamtlich ) in larger municipalities, and voluntary ( ehrenamtlich ) in smaller municipalities, for instance those that are part of a municipal association. Mayors are elected for

1330-522: A salaried employee. In an effort to recoup diminished family fortunes, Joseph Chamberlain sent his younger son to establish a sisal plantation on Andros Island in the Bahamas . Neville Chamberlain spent six years there but the plantation was a failure, and Joseph Chamberlain lost £50,000 (equivalent to £7,295,000 in 2024). On his return to England, Neville Chamberlain entered business, purchasing (with assistance from his family) Hoskins & Company,

1425-486: A specific term, which is different in every state. Since mayoral elections also have to be held when a mayor resigns from office, these do not take place at the same time for all municipalities in a state. The terms for mayors are: Neville Chamberlain Defunct Arthur Neville Chamberlain ( / ˈ tʃ eɪ m b ər l ɪ n / ; 18 March 1869 – 9 November 1940) was

1520-595: A stand against appeasement (Churchill described him in The Second World War as "one strong young figure standing up against long, dismal, drawling tides of drift and surrender") but many ministers and MPs believed there was no issue at stake worth resignation. Chamberlain appointed Lord Halifax as foreign secretary in Eden's place. In March 1938, Austria became a part of Germany in the Anschluss . Though

1615-532: A visible force of overwhelming strength backed by the determination to use it. ... Heaven knows I don't want to get back to alliances but if Germany continues to behave as she has done lately she may drive us to it. On 14 March, the day after the Anschluss , Chamberlain addressed the House of Commons and strongly condemned the methods used by the Germans in the takeover of Austria. Chamberlain's address met with

1710-743: Is connected by the Salzburg–Berchtesgaden railway to the Rosenheim–Salzburg railway at Freilassing . The Bavarian state government facilitated the erection of a hotel, which opened in 2005 and is operated by the InterContinental Hotels Group . Since May 2015, the hotel has been the Kempinski Berchtesgaden. Berchtesgaden's neighbouring towns are Bischofswiesen , Marktschellenberg , Ramsau , and Schönau am Königssee . The municipality counts

1805-455: Is located in the area. Berchtesgaden , Upper Bavaria (Achental), earlier Perchterscadmen , Perhtersgadem , Berchirchsgadem , Berchtoldesgadem ; the word underwent a Latin distortion of Old High German parach , Romance bareca 'hay shed'. After the basic meaning was forgotten, a variant word of Old High German gadem 'room, one-room hut' was added, implying the same meaning: 'hay shed'. Cf. Old High German muosgadem 'spice room'. There

1900-599: Is popular. The Königssee bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track has hosted ski-running and several international events and competitions. Berchtesgaden's most famous sports personality is Georg Hackl , a multiple Olympic medal winner. The city is home to the International Luge Federation (FIL). Unlike the northern part of Berchtesgadener Land and the Salzburg area, Berchtesgaden has virtually no manufacturing industry. Berchtesgaden Central Station

1995-515: The 1936 abdication crisis . He wrote in his diary that Wallis Simpson , Edward VIII's intended wife, was "an entirely unscrupulous woman who is not in love with the King but is exploiting him for her own purposes. She has already ruined him in money and jewels ..." In common with the rest of the Cabinet, except Duff Cooper , he agreed with Baldwin that the King should abdicate if he married Simpson, and on 6 December he and Baldwin both stressed that

SECTION 20

#1732764767980

2090-672: The British Medical Association . At forty, Chamberlain was expecting to remain a bachelor, but in 1910 he fell in love with Anne Cole , a recent connection by marriage, and married her the following year. They met through his Aunt Lilian, the Canadian-born widow of Joseph Chamberlain's brother Herbert, who in 1907 had married Anne Cole's uncle Alfred Clayton Cole , a director of the Bank of England . She encouraged and supported his entry into local politics and

2185-495: The House of Commons , and was adopted as Unionist candidate for Birmingham Ladywood . After the war ended, a general election was called almost immediately. The campaign in this constituency was notable because his Liberal Party opponent was Margery Corbett Ashby , one of the seventeen women who stood for Parliament at the first election at which women were eligible to do so. Chamberlain reacted to this intervention by being one of

2280-723: The Napoleonic wars , Berchtesgaden changed hands a few times, such as in 1805 under the Treaty of Pressburg , when the area was ceded to Austria. Berchtesgaden came under the rule of the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1810. It soon became popular with the Bavarian royal family, the House of Wittelsbach , who often visited Königssee and maintained a hunting residence in the former Augustine monastery (still used today by Franz, Duke of Bavaria ). Tourism began to evolve and several artists came to

2375-624: The President of the Board of Trade , Walter Runciman , on the tariff issue, Chamberlain dismissed him from his post, instead offering him the token position of Lord Privy Seal , which an angry Runciman declined. Chamberlain thought Runciman, a member of the Liberal National Party , to be lazy. Soon after taking office Chamberlain instructed his ministers to prepare two-year policy programmes. These reports were to be integrated with

2470-600: The invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939, which marked the beginning of the Second World War , Chamberlain announced the declaration of war on Germany two days later and led the United Kingdom through the first eight months of the war until his resignation as prime minister on 10 May 1940. After working in business and local government, and after a short spell as Director of National Service in 1916 and 1917, Chamberlain followed his father Joseph Chamberlain and elder half-brother Austen Chamberlain in becoming

2565-710: The war cabinet as Lord President of the Council , heading the government in Churchill's absence. His support for Churchill proved vital during the May 1940 war cabinet crisis . Chamberlain died aged 71 on 9 November of cancer, six months after leaving the premiership. Chamberlain's reputation remains controversial among historians, the initial high regard for him being entirely eroded by books such as Guilty Men , published in July 1940, which blamed Chamberlain and his associates for

2660-586: The 1922 election and was defeated in a by-election in March 1923 by future home secretary James Chuter Ede , Law offered the position to Chamberlain. Two months later, Law was diagnosed with advanced, terminal throat cancer. He immediately resigned and was replaced by Chancellor of the Exchequer Stanley Baldwin . In August 1923, Baldwin promoted Chamberlain to the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer. Chamberlain served only five months in

2755-489: The 25 bills had passed into law. Chamberlain sought the abolition of the elected Poor Law Boards of Guardians which administered relief—and which in some areas were responsible for rates . Many of the boards were controlled by Labour, and such boards had defied the government by distributing relief funds to the able-bodied unemployed. In 1929, Chamberlain initiated the Local Government Act 1929 to abolish

2850-728: The Admiralty Duff Cooper dissenting against Chamberlain's policy to pressure Czechoslovakia into making concessions, on the ground that Britain was then in no position to back up any threat to go to war. Chamberlain realised that Hitler would likely signal his intentions in his 12 September speech at the annual Nuremberg Rally , and so he discussed with his advisors how to respond if war seemed likely. In consultation with his close advisor Sir Horace Wilson , Chamberlain set out "Plan Z". If war seemed inevitable, Chamberlain would fly to Germany to negotiate directly with Hitler. Lord Runciman continued his work, attempting to pressure

2945-521: The Commons, "We have now finished the story of Bleak House and are sitting down this afternoon to enjoy the first chapter of Great Expectations ." The Unemployed Assistance Board (UAB, established by the Unemployment Act 1934 ) was largely Chamberlain's creation, and he wished to see the issue of unemployment assistance removed from party political argument. Moreover, Chamberlain "saw

Berchtesgaden - Misplaced Pages Continue

3040-648: The Conservatives and later merged with them under the name "Unionist Party", which in 1925 became known as the "Conservative and Unionist Party". In 1911, Neville Chamberlain successfully stood as a Liberal Unionist for Birmingham City Council for the All Saints' Ward, located within his father's parliamentary constituency . Chamberlain was made chairman of the Town Planning Committee. Under his direction, Birmingham soon adopted one of

3135-661: The Czechoslovak government into concessions. On 7 September there was an altercation involving Sudeten members of the Czechoslovak parliament in the North Moravian city of Ostrava ( Mährisch-Ostrau in German). The Germans made considerable propaganda out of the incident, though the Prague government tried to conciliate them by dismissing Czech police who had been involved. As the tempest grew, Runciman concluded that there

3230-529: 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 . At a Cabinet meeting on 8 September 1937, Chamberlain indicated that he saw "the lessening of

3325-628: The House of Commons more completely misled" and that "members were made to feel very differently about it when our existence hung in the balance during the Battle of the Atlantic ." Chamberlain believed that the Treaty Ports were unusable if Ireland was hostile, and deemed their loss worthwhile to assure friendly relations with Dublin. Chamberlain sought to conciliate Germany and make the Nazi state

3420-410: The House of Commons. During the campaign, deputy Labour leader Arthur Greenwood had attacked Chamberlain for spending money on rearmament, saying that the rearmament policy was "the merest scaremongering; disgraceful in a statesman of Mr Chamberlain's responsible position, to suggest that more millions of money needed to be spent on armaments." Chamberlain is believed to have had a significant role in

3515-504: The Irish a final offer in March 1938 which acceded to many Irish positions, though he was confident that he had "only given up the small things," and the agreements were signed on 25 April 1938. The issue of partition was not resolved, but the Irish agreed to pay £10 million to the British. There was no provision in the treaties for British access to the Treaty Ports in time of war, but Chamberlain accepted de Valera's oral assurance that in

3610-529: The King should make his decision before Christmas; by one account, he believed that the uncertainty was "hurting the Christmas trade". The King abdicated on 10 December, four days after the meeting. Soon after the abdication Baldwin announced that he would remain until shortly after the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth . On 28 May, two weeks after the Coronation, Baldwin resigned, advising

3705-434: The King to send for Chamberlain. Austen did not live to see his brother's appointment as prime minister having died two months earlier. Upon his appointment, Chamberlain considered calling a general election, but with three and a half years remaining in the current Parliament's term he decided to wait. At 68 he was the second-oldest person in the 20th century (after Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman ) to become prime minister for

3800-696: The Labour Party later played a major part in his downfall as prime minister. Baldwin called a general election for 30 May 1929, resulting in a hung parliament with Labour holding the most seats. Baldwin and his government resigned and Labour, under MacDonald, again took office. In 1931, the MacDonald government faced a serious crisis as the May Report revealed that the budget was unbalanced, with an expected shortfall of £120 million. The Labour government resigned on 24 August, and MacDonald formed

3895-566: The Munich accord and for allegedly failing to prepare the country for war. Most historians in the generation following Chamberlain's death held similar views, led by Churchill in The Gathering Storm . Some later historians have taken a more favourable perspective of Chamberlain and his policies, citing government papers released under the thirty-year rule and arguing that going to war with Germany in 1938 would have been disastrous as

Berchtesgaden - Misplaced Pages Continue

3990-644: The Nationalist (pro- Franco ) side of the Spanish Civil War . By this point, the Nationalists strongly had the upper hand in that conflict, and they completed their victory the following year. Later that month, the new French prime minister, Édouard Daladier , came to London for talks with Chamberlain, and agreed to follow the British position on Czechoslovakia. In May, Czech border guards shot two Sudeten German farmers who were trying to cross

4085-501: The Obersalzberg. Included in the town were a new railway station , with a reception area for Hitler and his guests, and an adjacent post office. The Berchtesgadener Hof Hotel, where famous visitors such as Neville Chamberlain and David Lloyd George stayed, was substantially upgraded. Berchtesgaden was where Adolf Hitler met Neville Chamberlain in 1938 before the Munich Agreement ; see Berchtesgaden meeting . Even though

4180-702: The Poor Law boards entirely. Chamberlain spoke in the Commons for two and a half hours on the second reading of the bill, and when he concluded he was applauded by all parties. The bill passed into law. Though Chamberlain struck a conciliatory note during the 1926 General Strike , in general he had poor relations with the Labour opposition. Future Labour prime minister Clement Attlee complained that Chamberlain "always treated us like dirt," and in April 1927 Chamberlain wrote: "More and more do I feel an utter contempt for their lamentable stupidity ." His poor relations with

4275-547: The UK was unprepared. Nonetheless, Chamberlain is still unfavourably ranked amongst British prime ministers. Chamberlain was born on 18 March 1869 in a house called Southbourne in the Edgbaston district of Birmingham . He was the only son of the second marriage of Joseph Chamberlain , who later became Mayor of Birmingham and a Cabinet minister. His mother was Florence Kenrick, a cousin of William Kenrick MP ; she died when he

4370-422: The United Kingdom, had caused economic losses on both sides, and the two nations were anxious for a settlement. The de Valera government also sought to sever the remaining ties between Ireland and the UK, such as ending the King's status as Irish Head of State. As chancellor, Chamberlain had taken a hard-line stance against concessions to the Irish, but as premier sought a settlement with Ireland, being persuaded that

4465-552: The United States could be negotiated. In June 1933, Britain hosted the World Monetary and Economic Conference , which came to nothing as US president Franklin D. Roosevelt sent word that he would not consider any war debt cancellation . By 1934, Chamberlain was able to declare a budget surplus and reverse many of the cuts in unemployment compensation and civil servant salaries he had made after taking office. He told

4560-552: The approval of the House. With Austria absorbed by Germany, attention turned to Hitler's obvious next target, the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. With three million ethnic Germans, the Sudetenland represented the largest German population outside the "Reich" and Hitler began to call for the union of the region with Germany. Britain had no military obligations toward Czechoslovakia, but France and Czechoslovakia had

4655-744: The area in 1517, and subsequently produced much of Berchtesgaden's wealth. The town and its surroundings belonged to the Berchtesgaden Provostry , an independent state of the Holy Roman Empire (called Fürstpropstei Berchtesgaden ) and was ruled by the Prince-provost of the Augustine monastery in the town. It remained independent until the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss in 1803. During

4750-603: The area, which reportedly gave rise to Malereck ("painters' corner") on the shore of the Königssee in nearby Schönau am Königssee . The most famous author who lived in Berchtesgaden was Ludwig Ganghofer . Adolf Hitler began vacationing in the Berchtesgaden area in the 1920s. He purchased a home in the Obersalzberg above the town on the flank of the Hoher Goll and began extensive renovations on his Berghof in

4845-460: The beleaguered Austrians requested help from Britain, none was forthcoming. Britain did send Berlin a strong note of protest. In addressing the Cabinet shortly after German forces crossed the border, Chamberlain placed blame on both Germany and Austria. Chamberlain noted, It is perfectly evident now that force is the only argument Germany understands and that "collective security" cannot offer any prospect of preventing such events until it can show

SECTION 50

#1732764767980

4940-506: The border from Germany into Czechoslovakia without stopping for border controls. This incident caused unrest among the Sudeten Germans, and Germany was then said to be moving troops to the border. In response to the report, Prague moved troops to the German border. Halifax sent a note to Germany warning that if France intervened in the crisis on Czechoslovakia's behalf, Britain might support France. Tensions appeared to calm, and Chamberlain and Halifax were applauded for their "masterly" handling of

5035-420: The camera. Chamberlain had few friends among his parliamentary colleagues; an attempt by his parliamentary private secretary , Lord Dunglass (later prime minister himself as Alec Douglas-Home ), to bring him to the Commons Smoking Room to socialise with colleagues ended in embarrassing silence. Chamberlain compensated for these shortcomings by devising the most sophisticated press management system employed by

5130-535: The colonies and the Dominions . Joseph Chamberlain had advocated a similar policy, " Imperial Preference "; Neville Chamberlain laid his bill before the House of Commons on 4 February 1932, and concluded his address by noting the appropriateness of his seeking to enact his father's proposal. At the end of the speech, Sir Austen Chamberlain walked down from the backbenches and shook his brother's hand. The Import Duties Act 1932 passed Parliament easily. Chamberlain presented his first budget in April 1932. He maintained

5225-496: The committee's recommendation, influenced by a report from the chiefs of staff stating that there was little that Britain could do to help the Czechs in the event of a German invasion. Chamberlain reported to an amenable House that he was unwilling to limit his government's discretion by giving commitments. Britain and Italy signed an agreement on 16 April 1938. In exchange for de jure recognition of Italy's Ethiopian conquest, Italy agreed to withdraw some Italian "volunteers" from

5320-408: The crisis. Though it was not known at the time, it later became clear that Germany had had no plans for a May invasion of Czechoslovakia. Nonetheless, the Chamberlain government received strong and almost unanimous support from the British press. Negotiations between the Czech government and the Sudeten Germans dragged on through mid-1938. They achieved little result; Sudeten leader Konrad Henlein

5415-472: The district of the city where he was born and which was a much safer seat, which he would hold for the rest of his life. The Unionists won the election, but Chamberlain declined to serve again as chancellor, preferring his former position as Minister of Health. Within two weeks of his appointment as Minister of Health, Chamberlain presented the Cabinet with an agenda containing 25 pieces of legislation he hoped to see enacted. Before he left office in 1929, 21 of

5510-405: The end of World War II and five years after German reunification , the AFRC Berchtesgaden was turned over to Bavarian authorities to facilitate military spending reductions mandated within the Base Realignment and Closure program by the US Congress and Pentagon during the administration of President Bill Clinton . The General Walker Hotel was demolished in 2000–2001. In 1986, Berchtesgaden

5605-429: The event of war the British would have access. Conservative backbencher Winston Churchill attacked the agreements in Parliament for surrendering the Treaty Ports, which he described as the "sentinel towers of the Western Approaches ". When war came, de Valera denied Britain access to the Treaty Ports under Irish neutrality . Churchill railed against these treaties in The Gathering Storm , stating that he "never saw

5700-456: The few male candidates to specifically target women voters deploying his wife, issuing a special leaflet headed "A word to the Ladies" and holding two meetings in the afternoon. Chamberlain was elected with almost 70% of the vote and a majority of 6,833. He was 49 years old, which was at the time the greatest age at which any future prime minister had first been elected to the Commons. Chamberlain threw himself into parliamentary work, begrudging

5795-529: The first time, and was widely seen as a caretaker who would lead the Conservative Party until the next election and then step down in favour of a younger man, with Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden a likely candidate. From the start of Chamberlain's premiership a number of would-be successors were rumoured to be jockeying for position. Chamberlain had disliked what he considered to be the overly sentimental attitude of both Baldwin and MacDonald on Cabinet appointments and reshuffles. Although he had worked closely with

SECTION 60

#1732764767980

5890-456: The first town planning schemes in Britain. The start of the First World War in 1914 prevented implementation of his plans. In 1915, Chamberlain became Lord Mayor of Birmingham . Apart from his father Joseph, five of Chamberlain's uncles had also attained the chief Birmingham civic dignity: they were Joseph's brother Richard Chamberlain , William and George Kenrick, Charles Beale , who had been four times Lord Mayor and Sir Thomas Martineau . As

5985-435: The following villages which are ( Ortsteil ): Am Etzerschlößl, Anzenbach, Hintergern, Metzenleiten, Mitterbach, Oberau, Obergern, Obersalzberg, Resten, Unterau, Untersalzberg I, Untersalzberg II, and Vordergern. In the 1760s several anonymous toy symphonies (including the famous Toy Symphony often attributed to Haydn or Leopold Mozart ) were composed at Berchtesgaden, then a manufacturing centre for toy instruments. Some of

6080-468: The following years. As other top Third Reich figures, such as Hermann Göring , Joseph Goebbels , Martin Bormann , Heinrich Himmler , and Albert Speer , began to frequent the area, the Nazi Party began to purchase and requisition land in the Obersalzberg. To serve as an outpost of the German Reichskanzlei (Imperial Chancellery), Berchtesgaden and its environs ( Stanggass ) saw substantial expansion of offices, security, and support services, mainly on

6175-560: The historic underground hallways and tunnels that had been used by the Nazis. In 1972, local government reform united the then-independent municipalities of Salzberg, Maria Gern and Au (consisting of Oberau and Unterau) under the administration of the town of Berchtesgaden. Another suggested reform uniting all remaining five municipalities in the Berchtesgaden valley (Bischofswiesen, Ramsau, Marktschellenberg and Schönau ) failed to gain enough popular support; it passed in Berchtesgaden but failed everywhere else. The Berchtesgaden National Park

6270-406: The importance of 'providing some interest in life for the large numbers of men never likely to get work', and out of this realisation was to come the responsibility of the UAB for the 'welfare', not merely the maintenance, of the unemployed." Defence spending had been heavily cut in Chamberlain's early budgets. By 1935, faced with a resurgent Germany under Hitler's leadership, he was convinced of

6365-425: The instruments used for these can be seen in the Museum Carolino Augusteum in Salzburg. Municipalities of Germany The highest degree of autonomy may be found in the Gemeinden which are not part of a Kreis ("district"). These Gemeinden are referred to as Kreisfreie Städte or Stadtkreise , often translated as "urban district". In some states they retained a higher measure of autonomy than

6460-414: The intent of co-ordinating the passage of legislation through the current Parliament, the term of which was to expire in November 1940. At the time of his appointment, Chamberlain's personality was not well known to the public, though he had made annual budget broadcasts for six years. According to Chamberlain biographer Robert Self, these appeared relaxed and modern, showing an ability to speak directly to

6555-432: The latter were attacked, an alliance that brought his country into war after the German invasion of Poland. The failure of Allied forces to prevent the German invasion of Norway caused the House of Commons to hold the historic Norway Debate in May 1940. Chamberlain's conduct of the war was heavily criticised by members of all parties and, in a vote of confidence, his government's majority was greatly reduced. Accepting that

6650-491: The need for rearmament. Chamberlain especially urged the strengthening of the Royal Air Force , realising that Britain's historical bulwark, the English Channel , was no defence against air power. In 1935, MacDonald stood down as prime minister, and Baldwin became prime minister for the third time. In the 1935 general election , the Conservative-dominated National Government lost 90 seats from its massive 1931 majority, but still retained an overwhelming majority of 255 in

6745-480: The new position of Director of National Service , with responsibility for co-ordinating conscription and ensuring that essential war industries were able to function with sufficient workforces. His tenure was marked by conflict with Lloyd George; in August 1917, having received little support from the Prime Minister, Chamberlain resigned. The relationship between Chamberlain and Lloyd George would, thereafter, be one of mutual hatred. Chamberlain decided to stand for

6840-635: The office before the Conservatives were defeated at the 1923 general election . Ramsay MacDonald became the first-ever Labour prime minister, but his government fell within months, necessitating another general election . By a margin of only 77 votes, Chamberlain narrowly defeated the Labour candidate, Oswald Mosley , who later led the British Union of Fascists . Believing he would lose if he stood again in Birmingham Ladywood, Chamberlain arranged to be adopted for Birmingham Edgbaston ,

6935-425: The other hand, wished to retain the Treaty Ports, at least in time of war, and to obtain the money that Ireland had agreed to pay. The Irish proved very tough negotiators, so much so that Chamberlain complained that one of de Valera's offers had "presented United Kingdom ministers with a three-leafed shamrock, none of the leaves of which had any advantages for the UK." With the talks facing deadlock, Chamberlain made

7030-594: The other municipalities of the Kreis (e.g. Große Kreisstadt ). Municipalities titled Stadt (town or city) are urban municipalities while those titled Gemeinde are classified as rural municipalities. With more than 3,600,000 inhabitants, the most populous municipality of Germany is the city of Berlin ; and the least populous is Gröde in Schleswig-Holstein . Status as of January 2024. The number of municipalities of Germany has decreased strongly over

7125-561: The outbreak of war in 1939. Likewise, the raising of the school-leaving age to 15, scheduled for implementation on 1 September 1939, did not go into effect. Relations between the United Kingdom and the Irish Free State had been strained since the 1932 appointment of Éamon de Valera as President of the Executive Council . The Anglo-Irish Trade War , sparked by the withholding of money that Ireland had agreed to pay

7220-499: The same time, many districts and also urban districts were merged into larger districts. There are several types of municipalities in Germany, with different levels of autonomy. Each federal state has its own administrative laws, and its own local government structure. The main types of municipalities are: In all municipalities, the mayor and the members of the municipal council are appointed by local elections that take place on

7315-581: The settlement of European issues was the hope it would allow him to concentrate on domestic affairs. Soon after attaining the premiership, Chamberlain obtained passage of the Factories Act 1937 . This Act was aimed at bettering working conditions in factories, and placed limits on the working hours of women and children. In 1938, Parliament enacted the Coal Act 1938 , which allowed for nationalisation of coal deposits. Another major law passed that year

7410-399: The severe budget cuts that had been agreed at the inception of the National Government. Interest on the war debt was a major cost. Chamberlain reduced the annual interest rate on most of Britain's war debt from 5% to 3.5%. Between 1932 and 1938, Chamberlain halved the percentage of the budget devoted to interest on the war debt. Chamberlain hoped that a cancellation of the war debt owed to

7505-554: The strained ties were affecting relations with other Dominions. Talks had been suspended under Baldwin in 1936 but resumed in November 1937. De Valera sought not only to alter the constitutional status of Ireland, but to overturn other aspects of the Anglo-Irish Treaty , most notably the issue of partition , as well as obtaining full control of the three " Treaty Ports " which had remained in British control. Britain, on

7600-714: The tension between this country and Italy as a very valuable contribution toward the pacification and appeasement of Europe" which would "weaken the Rome–Berlin axis ." Chamberlain also set up a private line of communication with the Italian "Duce" Benito Mussolini through the Italian Ambassador, Count Dino Grandi . In February 1938, Hitler began to press the Austrian government to accept Anschluss or union between Germany and Austria. Chamberlain believed that it

7695-561: The times when he was unable to attend debates and spending much time on committee work. He was chairman of the national Unhealthy Areas Committee (1919–21) and in that role, had visited the slums of London, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and Cardiff. Consequently, in March 1920, Bonar Law offered him a junior post at the Ministry of Health on behalf of the Prime Minister, but Chamberlain was unwilling to serve under Lloyd George and

7790-545: The war, Berchtesgaden became a military zone and most of its buildings were requisitioned by the U.S. Army . Hotel Platterhof was rebuilt and renamed the General Walker Hotel in 1952. It served as a U.S. Armed Forces Recreation Center through the Cold War and beyond. Remnants of homes of former Nazi leaders were demolished in the early postwar years, though traces of some remained. In 1995, fifty years after

7885-600: The years: in 1968 there were 24,282 municipalities in West Germany , and in 1980 there were 8,409. The same trend occurred in the New states of Germany after the German reunification: from 7,612 municipalities in 1990 to 2,380 as of 1 January 2024. While in some cases growing cities absorbed neighbouring municipalities, most of these mergers were driven by a need to increase the efficiency and reduce costs of administration. At

7980-466: Was a folk etymology that supported a derivation based on the legendary figure of Frau Perchta (Berchta), a woman ( Holle < Holda 'well disposed, dear') with good and bad changing features, who was venerated on Perchtertag ( Epiphany ) and was sworn to during the Perchta procession. The first known record of the area, from 1102, mentions the area's rich salt deposits . Salt mining began in

8075-709: Was a first-round candidate city to host the XVI Olympic Winter Games to be held in 1992. The vote eventually went to Albertville , France , in October of that year. The Hotel Türken, which was near the Nazi buildings and was often used by the SS and then by the Generalmajor of the Police, was badly damaged in 1945. It was rebuilt in 1950 and reopened as a hotel before Christmas. Visitors can still explore

8170-408: Was a small boy. Joseph Chamberlain had had another son, Austen Chamberlain , by his first marriage. The Chamberlain family were Unitarian, though Joseph lost personal religious faith by the time Neville was six years old and never required religious adherence of his children. Neville, who disliked attending worship services of any kind and showed no interest in organised religion, described himself as

8265-522: Was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer in the National Government in 1931. Chamberlain succeeded Stanley Baldwin as prime minister on 28 May 1937. His premiership was dominated by the question of policy towards an increasingly aggressive Germany, and his actions at Munich were widely popular among the British at the time. In response to Hitler's continued aggression, Chamberlain pledged the United Kingdom to defend Poland's independence if

8360-602: Was essential to cement relations with Italy in the hope that an Anglo–Italian alliance would forestall Hitler from imposing his rule over Austria. Eden believed that Chamberlain was being too hasty in talking with Italy and holding out the prospect of de jure recognition of Italy's conquest of Ethiopia. Chamberlain concluded that Eden would have to accept his policy or resign. The Cabinet heard both men out but unanimously decided for Chamberlain, and despite efforts by other Cabinet members to prevent it, Eden resigned from office. In later years, Eden tried to portray his resignation as

8455-786: Was established in 1978 and has gradually become one of Berchtesgaden's largest draws. Mass tourism is confined to a few popular spots, leaving the rest to nature-seekers. Other tourist draws are the Königssee , the salt mine , the Kehlsteinhaus , open seasonally as a restaurant, and the Dokumentationszentrum Obersalzberg museum about the area's history, operated by the Munich Institut für Zeitgeschichte since 1999. Recreational and competitive sports have grown in importance. The town's ski slope

8550-487: Was in no hurry to talk to Britain. Foreign Minister Konstantin von Neurath was supposed to visit Britain in July 1937 but cancelled his visit. Lord Halifax , the Lord President of the Council , visited Germany privately in November and met Hitler and other German officials. Both Chamberlain and British Ambassador to Germany Nevile Henderson pronounced the visit a success. Foreign Office officials complained that

8645-656: Was offered no further posts during Lloyd George's premiership. When Law resigned as party leader, Austen Chamberlain took his place as head of the Unionists in Parliament. Unionist leaders were willing to fight the 1922 election in coalition with the Lloyd George National Liberals , but on 19 October, Unionist MPs held a meeting at which they voted to fight the election as a single party. Lloyd George resigned, as did Austen Chamberlain, and Law

8740-620: Was recalled from retirement to lead the Unionists as prime minister. Many high-ranking Unionists refused to serve under Law to the benefit of Chamberlain, who rose over the course of ten months from backbencher to Chancellor of the Exchequer. Law initially appointed Chamberlain Postmaster General and Chamberlain was sworn of the Privy Council . When Sir Arthur Griffith-Boscawen , the Minister of Health, lost his seat in

8835-517: Was the Holidays with Pay Act 1938 . Though the Act only recommended that employers give workers a week off with pay, it led to a great expansion of holiday camps and other leisure accommodation for the working classes. The Housing Act 1938 provided subsidies aimed at encouraging slum clearance and maintained rent control . Chamberlain's plans for the reform of local government were shelved because of

8930-479: Was to be his constant companion, helper, and trusted colleague, fully sharing his interests in housing and other political and social activities after his election as an MP. The couple had a son and a daughter. Chamberlain initially showed little interest in politics, though his father and half-brother were in Parliament. During the " Khaki election " of 1900 he made speeches in support of Joseph Chamberlain's Liberal Unionists . The Liberal Unionists were allied with

9025-452: Was under private instructions from Hitler not to reach an agreement. On 3 August, Walter Runciman (by now Lord Runciman) travelled to Prague as a mediator sent by the British government. Over the next two weeks, Runciman met separately with Henlein, Czechoslovak president Edvard Beneš , and other leaders, but made no progress. On 30 August, Chamberlain met his Cabinet and Ambassador Henderson and secured their backing—with only First Lord of

#979020