| Oh, instances of appeasement that worked:
The Christian Kingdoms of Spain paid tribute to Moorish conquerors for 800 years in order to exist while they gradually accomplished the reconquest and unification of Spain.
The Grand Duchy of Muscovy paid tribute to the Mongol hordes in order to not be wiped out of existence. By doing so it survived the Mongol heyday, eventually became Russia and expanded to cover the eitire top half of the Asian continent. Biding their time was a good idea.
The Christian kingdoms of Eastern Europe paid tribute to the Ottoman Empire to forestall it invading and conquering their countries (Austria, Hungary, Moravia). By appeasing the Ottomans they waited them out until their power faded and ultimately pushed the Ottomans back out of Greece and the Balkans.
In all those cases, appeasing a foe that they were in no position to beat allowed them to survive until conditions became more favorable. |