München Agreement 1938 - A Trait on Czechoslovakia

[Pisis]

In September 1938, Neville Chamberlain, the British prime minister, met Adolf Hitler at his home in Berchtesgaden. Hitler threatened to invade Czechoslovakia unless Britain supported Germany's plans to takeover the Sudetenland. After discussing the issue with the Edouard Daladier (France) and Edvard Beneš (Czechoslovakia), Chamberlain informed Hitler that his proposals were unacceptable.

Adolf Hitler was in a difficult situation but he also knew that Britain and France were unwilling to go to war. He also thought it unlikely that these two countries would be keen to join up with the Soviet Union, whose totalitarian system the western democracies hated more that Hitler's fascist dictatorship.

Benito Mussolini suggested to Hitler that one way of solving this issue was to hold a four-power conference of Germany, Britain, France and Italy. This would exclude both Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union, and therefore increasing the possibility of reaching an agreement and undermine the solidarity that was developing against Germany.

The meeting took place in Munich on 29th September, 1938. Desperate to avoid war, and anxious to avoid an alliance with Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union, Neville Chamberlain and Edouard Daladier agreed that Germany could have the Sudetenland. In return, Hitler promised not to make any further territorial demands in Europe.

On 29th September, 1938, Adolf Hitler, Neville Chamberlain, Edouard Daladier and Benito Mussolini signed the Munich Agreement which transferred the Sudetenland to Germany.

When Eduard Benes, Czechoslovakia's head of state, protested at this decision, Neville Chamberlain told him that Britain would be unwilling to go to war over the issue of the Sudetenland.

The Munich Agreement was popular with most people in Britain because it appeared to have prevented a war with Germany. However, some politicians, including Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden, attacked the agreement. These critics pointed out that no only had the British government behaved dishonorably, but it had lost the support of Czech Army, one of the best in Europe.

In March, 1939, the German Army seized the rest of Czechoslovakia. In taking this action Adolf Hitler had broken the Munich Agreement. The British prime minister, Neville Chamberlain, now realized that Hitler could not be trusted and his appeasement policy now came to an end.

[plan_D]

The Munich Pact is history.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

And it was the beginning of WW2. Hitler could have been stopped here.

[Pisis]

Yeah... Who knows for which costs... but but but... It was a moral murder of the Czechoslovak nation - with this we lost - Slovakia (Ind. Slovak Fascist State), Sudetenland (natural defence border), Selsia (to Poland), Carpatian Russ (to Russia)... The Czechpeople were prepared to fight until the last man - I personally consider as the beginnig of all Czechs's problems and a prologue of the WWII tragedy...

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I agree with you on this dont take me wrong.

[Pisis]

I dont. I take your correct! (I think Im slightly being infected by that CC manner... )

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

UH OH

[Pisis]

no in fact I'm CC, I just killed Pisis and took over his profile!

[schwarzpanzer]

The Czechpeople were prepared to fight until the last man

So were the Germans, war with countries upto and including France were inevitable, but war with Britain and Russia could have been avoided perhaps?

Though personally, I think Germany could have sued for peace with Britain.

Stalin would have attacked Britain/Germany and/or Japan, maybe forming strange alliances?

[trackend]

The seeds of WW2 where laid at the end of WW1 reparation payments on top of the world slump in the 20,s/30.s was an ideal breeding ground for the disillusioned to join groups such as the Nazi party with a government unable to control inflation. Along comes Adolf and at first is thought of as a joke but slowly he grew in confidence and pushed himself to the front of the group. Preaching to the people what they wanted to hear he would give them bread and employment and Germany's problems where all due to WW1 reparations the Jews . By the time of Chamberlain and the Munich agreement it was too late, war was on the cards Checkoslovakia was already known it would be lost before the ink on the agreement was dry as the British had nothing to put against the Nazis on land and all Chamberlain was doing was trying to buy a bit of time. By the time Poland was invaded it was realized that although it was a warning there was nothing the British could do to halt the Germans. The BEF was indirectly under control of the French who had a 1918 ethos regarding military matters
Chamberlain was a weak Priminister and not very good at his job and I agree Pisis with hind sight it could of been handled a heck of a lot better . With the Czech-peoples land being sacrificed in the hope of peace for the rest but I believe he was desperate to avoid another world war and it is believed by many that as a result of taking Britain and indeed the world too war it was a major factor in his early death in November 1940.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

There never could have been peace with England. England had sworn to defence Poland. They never would have made peace with Germany. German Peace with Russia too was not possible. The Russians also wanted to expand west and they would have declared war sooner or later.

[Pisis]

"England had sworn to defence Poland"

so did France and GB with Czechoslovakia!

[trackend]

"England had sworn to defence Poland"

Thats true Pisis and it did let Poland down, but what was England going to use against the Germans even Poland was totally unprepared the last Calvary charge in a war was made by Poles against Panzers .

[Pisis]

Pche... The Czechoslovak Army was one of the most prepared in Europe - since the obvious and imminent danger of Germany a hill over... If there wasn't the agreement, Czechoslovakia would have the chance of using its bunkers...

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Czech would have been overrun also. Sory pisis, I am a fan of the Czechs but they were no match for the Germans.