According to everything I’ve read about it. And why wouldn’t he? He was shocked when they declared war after he invaded Poland. A tougher line after Czechoslovakia easily could have impacted that impression.

Those 12 mths were the crucial moment. That was the moment when France and GB might have changed the course of the war by not appeasing Hitler’s expansion to that point. By not taking his word that his expansionist plans were finished after Czechoslovakia.

France was just as hesitant, so Chamberlain was not alone. No guarantees history could have been changed for the better - probably would have required France, GB, and the USSR to cooperate before war forced them to, which might not have been politically possible.

You can defend Chamberlain’s motives. He wasn’t a Hitler lackey. But you can’t really defend the appeasement. Chamberlain’s reputation in the history books is well deserved.