The statesman known for the policy of appeasement before World War II was Neville Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister from 1937 to 1940. Chamberlain sought to avoid conflict with Nazi Germany by allowing Adolf Hitler to annex territories such as Austria and parts of Czechoslovakia in hopes of maintaining peace in Europe. His approach culminated in the Munich Agreement of 1938, which he believed would secure "peace for our time." However, this policy was widely criticized as ultimately ineffective, as it emboldened Hitler and contributed to the outbreak of World War II. Chamberlain's legacy is often viewed as a cautionary tale regarding appeasement strategies.