Hitler & Czechoslovakia

The Munich Conference

29th September 1938 Attended by GBR, Hitler, Mussolini and France Czechoslovakia and USSR were not invited Hitler got what he demanded in the Rhineland Czechs were forced to afford the agreement or face the force of the german army without any support The next day, Chamberlain and Hitler signed a declaration promising that their countries would never go to war. Chamberlain returned to Britain saying ' I believe it is peace in our time' and received a hero's welcome.

The summit meetings

Bavaria, 15th September 1938 Areas of the Sudetenland where the majority of the population were German was to be handed over to Germany. This was subjected to the approval of British French and Czech governments Rhineland 22nd September 1938 Chamberlain reported that approval had been given Hitler changed his mind and wanted the whole of the Sudetenland by the 1st of October or there would be war. Europe was on the brink of war

Outcomes of the Conference

Britain and France had abandoned CzechoSlovakia on the 1st of October 1938 German troops marched into the Sudetenland During October November Hungary and Poland took parts of Czechoslovakia In March 1939c Hitler took over the rest of Czechoslovakia. There was no resistance from the Czechs n Britain and France did not help. Appeasement has failed. Poland would be Hitlers next target. Britain had promised Poland it would guarantee its independence

The Sudetenland

CzechSlovakia had been created by the treaty of St Germain. 3 1/2 million Germans left in the Sudeten land area of CzechSlovakia The Sudeten land formed the border between Germany and CzechSlovakia. The Sudetenland Germans complained of discrimination by the Czech government in 1938 Hitler demanded that Germany be given the Sudeten land If this happened Czechoslovakia would be defenceless against a German attack the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain wanted to find a peaceful solution to the problem rather than allowing Hitler to use force. Two summit meetings took place between Hitler and Chamberlain