The Nazis and Czechoslovakia,1938

The May Crisis German troops were reported to be near

the border between Germany and Czechoslovakia at a time when Hitler was repeatedly claiming Sudeten Germans were being persecuted by the Czechs.

On the weekend of 20-21 May the Czech army partially mobilised in response.

Britain and France warned Germany to back down, which they did, but WAR HAD SEEMED A REAL POSSIBILITY!

Effects of the Crisis

Hitler felt humiliated. He ordered his generals to be ready to destroy Czechoslovakia no later than October 1st, 1938. Hitler now was completely fixed on Czechoslovakia as his next target.

Britain and France now felt that - if they were firm with Hitler a compromise could be reached over the Czech problem - the Czech problem was largely CAUSED by the Czechs themselves being unwilling to accept that Hitler had a “justifiable grievance” over the Sudetenland.

Hitler cranks up the tension The German army organises large-scale

military exercises in July. The German army is partially mobilised by

August. Hitler stirs up Poland and Hungary to

demand concessions from Czechoslovakia about Polish and Hungarian ethnic minorities within Czechoslovakia.

Hitler continues to make speeches threatening the Czechs and demanding greater self-rule for the Sudetenlanders.

Benes, the Czech Prime Minister

The Czech response On 4th Sept., the Czech President,

Benes, agrees to many of Henlein’s demands, infuriating the Nazis, who had hoped to use a Czech refusal to compromise to justify invasion. The Sudeten Nazi Party breaks off negotiations with Benes. Riots in the Sudetenland are suppressed by the Czech government. WAR LOOKS IMMINENT!!

British public opinion, anti- appeasement (minority)

Neville Chamberlain, British P.M.

Meeting 1, 15th September, 1938

Meeting at Berchtesgaden, Germany, between Adolf Hitler and Neville Chamberlain.

Hitler demanded that the Sudetenland be handed over to Germany.

Chamberlain over the next week persuaded the French and even the Czechs to agree to the hand-over at some time in the future.

Meeting 2, 22nd September, 1938 Meeting at Bad Godesberg, Germany,

between Adolf Hitler and Neville Chamberlain.

Hitler now demanded that the Sudetenland be occupied by Germany in its present condition with no compensation for lost Czech property or belongings no later that Sept. 28th, or there would be war, as the Germans would have to go in to “protect” the Sudeten Germans from “Czech attacks”.

The British cabinet and the Czech government rejected Hitler’s demands.

International reaction The Czech army was fully mobilised. The French government called up its

military reservists, and began a very efficient mobilisation. France had a military agreement to protect Czechoslovakia if attacked.

The British had mobilised their fleet, warned anti-aircraft batteries to be prepared for aerial attacks and key public buildings were sand-bagged to protect against bombing from the air.

Mussolini of Italy encouraged Hitler not to go to war, offering to chair a four-power conference to try to resolve the dispute.

What Chamberlain said

“How horrible, fantastic, incredible it is that we should be digging trenches and trying on gas-masks here because of a quarrel in a far-away country between people of whom we know nothing!”

Hitler said ”The Czech problem is the last territorial claim I have to make in Europe”.

Meeting 3, 29th September, 1938

Meeting in Munich, Germany, between Adolf Hitler, Neville Chamberlain, Mussolini (Italian leader) and Daladier (French P.M.)

Who wasn’t invited

THE CZECHS!!! The Soviet Union, eventhough they had agreed to back up the French if the Czechs wereattacked.

What was agreed at Munich? The Germans received the Sudetenland and

two other areas in which the majority of inhabitants were German-speaking.

The Czechs were given only 12 hours to accept the terms.

The ”Piece of Paper”

In addition to the Munich agreement, Hitler and Chamberlain both signed a separate agreement “as symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war again….and thus to….assure the peace of Europe.”

Consequences of the Munich Agreement

Czechoslovakia lost border fortifications, 70% of its iron/steel production, 70% of its electrical power,3.5 million inhabitants,30% of its land and the Škoda Works to Germany as a result of the settlement.

The Czech capital, Prague, was now a much easier target because the land between it and the German border was flat and hard to defend, particularly against tanks. The loss of the Sudeten mountains also made aerial bombing by the Germans more possible.

Consequences, cont. Hungary used the situation to seize

part of Southern Slovakia on October 2nd, 1938

Poland took over part of Silesia on November 1st, 1938.

Slovakia declared itself to have self-government within Czechoslovakia on Oct.7th, 1938, so undermining the whole idea of a Czechoslovakian nation.

Consequences, cont. French credibility as a Czech ally was

destroyed, as they had not kept to their promise to defend Czechoslovakia. As the Soviet Union’s support would only come after French support, it was clear now that the Czechs could not count on either of them for support in the future. Britain and France had promised to protect what was left, but would they in reality?

Consequences, cont. Hitler’s prestige in Germany was greatly

increased. Hitler had brought more than 3 million

Germans into the Reich. The Nazis quickly used and adapted Czech

factories and weapons to speed up their own rearmament programme.

The Soviet Union felt angry at being excluded from the Munich conference and decided to act in their own interest in the future without consulting the other Great Powers.