The Czechoslovakian Problem
The Views of President Benes
Benes, the President of Czechoslovakia, opposed German ambitions for the state, and knew that if all ethnic groups got the same sort of self determination as Germany wanted, there would be no state left. He was therefore determined to stand firm.
The first meeting between Chamberlain and Hitler (Bavaria)
Chamberlain now decided to make an unprecedented move and speak to Hitler personally in Germany, to find out what his demands were. Chamberlain accepted Hitler's demand for the German speaking areas of Czechoslovakia to join Germany, with Hitler agreeing in return not to attack the Czechs until Chamberlain had consulted with the French and the Czechs. While the French government and British cabinet were won over with the proposals, the Czechs were appalled, but could do nothing due to having no support from France or Britain.
Chamberlain's Views in Czechoslovakia
Chamberlain saw Czechoslovakia as artificial, unlike people such as Churchill, who thought the nation would be worth fighting for. He didn't mind the state going to Hitler, as long as this was through peace. Chamberlain therefore aimed to get concessions from the Czech government at an early state so that it was less likely for Hitler to use force. Ironically, this was before Hitler had even began planning for Czechoslovakia.
Munich - success or failure
Chamberlain saw Munich as a victory, believing that the German military superiority over Britain and France would never be as great again. He had gained most of his aims (avoiding war by making concessions over Czechoslovakia), from a weak military position, and the British and French publics also supported the agreement, with Chamberlain and Daladair being seen as heroes. Czechoslovakia also remained as a state, albeit a now very small and weak one. Although the agreement would ultimately fail when Hitler took over the rest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939, it did at least buy time for Britain to rearm. However, many today view Munich as a terrible failure, because Chamberlain was outplayed by Hitler at every turn. Britain had also sacrificed a friend in the Czechs to avoid war. Some MPs were also critical, believing Chamberlain should have got better terms. Therefore, there is an argument that Britain should have done the more honourable thing and go to war with Germany. Hitler himself even believed Munich was a failure, as he had been denied a military triumph. In the end, he marched into the rest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939.
The Issue of the USSR
Chamberlain was criticised by some for ignoring the potential role of the Soviet Union. The USSR also had an alliance with the Czechs, and could have been prepared to support western powers. However, Chamberlain distrusted Stalin, suspecting not only that Stalin probably would hope for Britain and France to end up fighting Germany, but also that Stalin would actually do very little, given that he was in the middle of his military purges, and the soviet army were judged by military experts as lacking capacity to properly intervene
What Caused the end of Czechoslovakia
Due to the loss of the Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia was extremely weak, facing major internal problems, and effectively was at Germany's mercy, as the Third Reich was effectively surrounding the Czechs. Hitler now wanted the rest of Czechoslovakia in order to invade the USSR. As Hitler persuaded Slovaks to seek independence, Hungary and Poland also made claims for the land. The new President of Czechoslovakia, Hácha, declared martial law, but this only sped up the end of the Czech state, as Hungary made an ultimatum over Ruthenia, and Hitler instructed Slovak nationalist leaders to appeal for German help.
How the issue of Czechoslovakia escalated
Following the May Crisis, in which Germany was falsely accused of preparing to attack Czechoslovakia, Hitler decided he would in fact attack the nation in the near future. The German press soon stepped up the campaign against the Czechs, claiming that Sudeten Germans were being persecuted. While Lord Runcimen was sent as a mediator to try and solve the crisis, none of the parties involved were willing to negotiate. By September 1938, reports came in that a war was being planned by Germany against the Czechs. Following that year's Nuremberg Rally, Czechoslovakia declared martial law, and several Germans were killed, with thousands more returning to the country with tales of repression.
The Second Meeting between Chamberlain and Hitler (Bad Godesberg)
In their second meeting, Hitler told Chamberlain that the previous demands were insufficient. In order to protect Sudetan Germans from Czech brutality, Hitler demanded the right to occupy the Sudetenland by 1st October. While Chamberlain still supported Hitler's demands, his cabinet rejected the Godesberg proposals, and the French also had reservations about German "bullying". The Czechs naturally didn't accept the plan. Britain and France began to mobilise, with war seeming imminent due to French commitment's to the Czechs, who were about to be attacked, and Britain would no doubt be asked to help the French help the Czechs should Germany attack.
Why war in 1938 could have been a bad idea
Neither Britain or France were ready for war, and Britain was virtually defenceless against air attack. Most German and Slovak citizens in Czechoslovakia preferred to fight against it than for it, and the USSR would have actually been unlikely to give assistance, because Poland and Romania would have had serious reservations about Russia having to travel through their terrain.
How did the German takeover take place?
On 15th March 1939, Hitler received Hácha for a meeting. Hitler informed Hácha that Germany's army would be invading the country in a matter of hours, and the only choice would be a peaceful occupation, or war. Hácha literally had a panic attack under threat, and signed an official paper putting the rest of Czechoslovakia in Hitler's hands, with the German army then invading on the pretext that civil war was about to break out. The German "protectorate" of Bohemia and Moravia was established, while Slovakia remained nominally independent under German control. Meanwhile, Hitler allowed Hungary to take Ruthenia.
What would have been an advantage of going to war in 1938?
The German army was around 50% less stronger in 1938 than the predictions of military experts, as well as Chamberlain, at the time. The Luftwaffe in particular was not ready to carry out a major offensive on Britain (only running at 50% capacity), and German generals didn't want war at this point. In addition, the French army was the largest army in Europe at this point, and this could have been in a better position to defend itself, while the USSR might have possibly joined on Czechoslovakia's side.
Background to Czechoslovakia
The aftermath of the Anschluss turned the world's attention to Czechoslovakia, Hitler's next target. British politicians had some sympathies with this state, as it had preserved democracy better than other European states. However, Chamberlain saw the state as "artificial", and was willing to see the country taken over by Germany, providing it was done peacefully. He told the commons that Britain had no treaty obligation to the area, nor was it in a position to offer aid. While Czechoslovakia contained a number of nationalities, the German population in the nation was the biggest.
What were the terms of the Munich Agreement
The agreement was a watered down version of the Godesberg Proposals; Sudetan Germans received self-determination within the German nation, German occupation took place in five stages over ten days, rather than one-stage-one-day, and plebiscites were to be held in disputed areas, overseen by an international commission. The plebiscites never occurred.
Why Britain was angry about Germany's takeover of Czechoslovakia
The takeover had considerable repercussions. The Munich Agreement, brought about as a result of Hitler's bullying, had clearly been ignored, the signed promise to Chamberlain had also been broken, and a small state had been dismembered without provocation or warning. Furthermore, Hitler couldn't use the excuse this time that the German people were being united. Britain as a nation was outraged, and opinion shifted dramatically within the ruling Conservative party. Meanwhile, Hitler cancelled the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, due to new German conscription being introduced.
France's Views on Czechoslovakia
Unlike Britain, France had an obligation to Czechoslovakia. If Germany invaded the Czechs, France would have to intervene, and Britain would have no choice but to assist France. This could have drastic consequences if France were defeated by Germany. However, France actually didn't want to go to war over Czechoslovakia either, because it similarly believed like Britain, that the Czech state couldn't strategically be defended
The Meeting at Munich
War was narrowly averted when the British ambassador to Italy asked Mussolini to use his influence over Hitler to get him to agree to reconsider. Mussolini then proposed a conference, which Hitler accepted. Chamberlain, French PM Daladair, Hitler and Mussolini then met to discuss the Czech's fate, with the Czech President uninvited from the conference
The Response to the Munich Agreement
While Chamberlain might have declared publicly that the agreement was "peace in our time", he privately wasn't convinced that Munich made Europe more secure, as he feared that Hitler would become unsatisfied again. He naturally regretted his famous phrase. However, he was confident he could handle the difficult problems that lay ahead, and felt that the agreement had given him "breathing space" to do this. Franco-German relations had now also improved. However, some British MPs fiercely criticised the agreement, with Churchill saying that British policy had been a disaster. Conservatives were uneasy that Hitler's bullying appeared to be working. Labour also pressed Chamberlain for not getting better terms.
How did Neville Chamberlain react to Hitler's move?
While people now believed that Hitler needed to be stopped before he took over the whole of Europe, Chamberlain's reaction was at first mild, and he still made it clear he didn't want war. However, he faced considerable pressure from MPs, the press, and his own cabinet, to be stronger, and his anger eventually showed. He announced the next day that his hopes of working with Hitler were over, and along with France, Britain delivered sharp protests to Germany.
