the Czech crisis

who was the chief proponent for appeasement?

Neville Chamberlain

what were the reasons for appeasement? (5)

1. horror of WW1 - only tolerable if it was the ‘war to end all wars’

2. by late 1930s the ToV was increasingly irrelevant as Hitler had already flouted many terms

3. deep fear of aerial bombing following Shanghai + Guernica

4. communist USSR was regarded as a greater threat to Western democracies

5. until remilitarisation of the Rhineland Hitler convinced many his policies weren’t aggressive

why was Czechoslovakia a target of Lebensraum?

awkward geographical location, and it contained economic assets like the Skoda factories and rich coalfields

what reason did Hitler give for invading Czechoslovakia?

the treatment of the Germans in the Sudetenland by the govt - Czechs resentment of Germans’ high status led to a repressive policy of ‘czechification’

when did Hitler threaten war?

after local Nazis were encouraged to stir trouble and on 12th sept 1938 riots broke out. When crushed by authorities, Hitler threatened war - dangerous as Czechs had defensive alliance with France from Jan 1

when did Chamberlain request a meeting with Hitler and why?

15th Sept 1938 - whilst this bold idea appeared to work, Hitler tempered his demands to only certain parts of the Sudetenland where the majority were German-speakers

what happened after Chamberlain’s meeting with Hitler?

19th Sept Britain + France approached the Czech govt with the proposals who reluctantly agreed. However when Chamberlain met with Hitler on 22nd Sept he demanded all of Sudetenland, even setting 1st Oct as a date of invasion

when was the Munich conference and who was invited?

29th Sept 1938 - Mussolini intervened as an unlikely conciliator and invited France, Germany and Britain but significantly neither Czechoslovakia nor USSR was invited

what was the agreement made at the Munich conference?

Sudetenland would become part of Germany immediately and the German army could occupy the region. Before leaving Munich, Chamberlain persuaded Hitler to sign a loose pledge they would never go to war - Chamberlain greeted as a hero on return

what effect did Germany taking the Sudetenland have on Czechoslovakia?

severely weakened - Poland seized land in the North-East in Oct 1938 and Hungary took territory in the South-East in Nov

when did Hitler invite the new Czech president Emil Hacha for a meeting + why?

March 1939 to inform him that the German army was on the border to invade at 2am

what was Emil Hacha’s response to his meeting with Hitler?

beleaguered, he signed a document conceding Czechoslovakia to Germany - making the invasion on the 25th March technically legal

what did the invasion of Czechoslovakia convince Chamberlain and Daladier?

appeasement had failed