Munich deal 1938 briefly. The Munich Agreement - the actual beginning of World War II

And signed on September 30 of the same year by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, French Prime Minister Edouard Daladier, German Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler and Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini. The agreement concerned the transfer of the Sudetenland by Czechoslovakia to Germany. The next day, a declaration of mutual non-aggression was signed between Britain and Germany; a similar declaration by Germany and France was signed a little later.

Background

The national question in Czechoslovakia in 1920-1938

The Czechoslovak state, created from part of Austria-Hungary, arose as a result of the Treaty of Versailles. Its founding fathers were Masaryk and Benes, who achieved the maximum increase in the territory of the new state. As a result, Czechs made up about 46% of the population, Slovaks 13%, Germans 28%, Hungarians 8%, the remaining 5% were mainly Ukrainians, Poles and Jews. Secession from Austria allowed Czechoslovakia to avoid paying reparations, distributed mainly between Germany and Austria (see Treaty of Versailles). This allowed the Czechoslovaks to get ahead of Germany in industrial development, and despite Slovak separatism, maintain the stability of the republic.

But the economic crisis of 1929-1933 threw many people onto the streets, and from 1933, Nazi propaganda from neighboring Germany began to influence the Germans.

The situation in Central Europe by 1938

The government took a number of measures to ensure representation of Sudeten Germans in the National Assembly, local self-government, and education in their native language, but the tension could not be relieved. Based on these statements, Hitler in February 1938 appealed to the Reichstag “to pay attention to the appalling living conditions of their German brethren in Czechoslovakia.”

First Sudeten Crisis

Hitler moved on to negotiations. Negotiations were conducted between Henlein and the Czechoslovak government through the mediation of the British Special Representative, Lord Runciman (see Runciman Mission).

On May 21, the Polish ambassador in Paris Łukasiewicz assured the US ambassador to France Bullitt that Poland would immediately declare war on the USSR if it attempted to send troops through Polish territory to aid Czechoslovakia.

On May 27, in a conversation with the Polish Ambassador, French Foreign Minister Georges Bonnet stated that “Goering’s plan for the division of Czechoslovakia between Germany and Hungary with the transfer of Cieszyn Silesia to Poland is not a secret.”

Second Sudeten Crisis

On the same day, September 21, the Soviet representative stated at the plenum of the Council of the League of Nations about the need for urgent measures in support of Czechoslovakia if France also fulfills its obligations (under mutual assistance treaties), as well as the requirement to raise the issue of German aggression in the League of Nations. Also, the USSR government carried out a number of preparatory military measures; rifle divisions, aviation, tank units and air defense troops were put on combat readiness on the southwestern and western border. Only in December 1949, the head of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, Klement Gottwald, told how in September 1938 Stalin asked through him to convey to Edvard Benes that the Soviet Union was ready to provide concrete military assistance to Czechoslovakia without France, but under two conditions: if Czechoslovakia asks Moscow for such help and if it itself will defend itself against the military intervention of the Third Reich.

The agreement signed in Munich was the culmination of the British “policy of appeasement”.

One part of historians considers this policy an attempt to rebuild the Versailles system of international relations, which is in crisis, diplomatically, through agreements between the four great European powers and to maintain peace at any cost. So Chamberlain, returning from Munich to London, declared at the plane’s steps: “I brought peace to our generation.”

Another part of historians believes that the true reason for this policy is the attempt of capitalist countries to crush an alien system at their side - the USSR, which abandoned the idea of ​​​​a world revolution, but did not submit its plans for the purpose of making an agreed peaceful solution to the discussion of the League of Nations, of which it is a member appeared. Such assumptions were made by some Western politicians.

For example, British Deputy Foreign Secretary Cadogan wrote in his diary: “Prime Minister ( Chamberlain) stated that he would rather resign than sign an alliance with the Soviets." The Conservative slogan at the time was: “For Britain to live, Bolshevism must die.”

Quotes

How terrible, fantastic and implausible is the very idea that we should here, at home, dig trenches and try on gas masks just because in one distant country people about whom we know nothing quarreled among themselves. It seems even more impossible that a quarrel that has already been settled in principle can become the subject of war.

Original text (English)

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. It seems still more impossible that a quarrel which has already been settled in principle should be the subject of war.

Consequences of the Sudetenland crisis

The annexation of the Sudetenland was only the beginning of the process of dismemberment of Czechoslovakia.

Germany's further steps after the resolution of the Sudetenland crisis were not discussed in Munich. The parties did not object to Slovakia's exercise of the right to self-determination, and the preservation of the remaining part of Czechoslovakia - the Czech Republic - was guaranteed by the Munich Agreement.

Poland and the partition of Czechoslovakia

The policy of England led to the fact that Hitler could no longer stop implementing his expansionist intentions. In this, Poland became his ally for a while.

Original text (German)

Der Führer und Reichskanzler hat heute in Gegenwart des Reichsministers des Auswärtigen von Ribbentrop den tschechoslowakischen Staatspräsidenten Dr. Hacha und den tschechoslowakischen Außenminister Dr. Chvalkovsky auf deren Wunsch in Berlin empfangen. Bei der Zusammenkunft ist die durch die Vorgänge der letzten Wochen auf dem bisherigen tschechoslowakischen Staatsgebiet entstandene ernste Lage in voller Offenheit einer Prüfung unterzogen worden. Auf beiden Seiten ist übereinstimmend zum Ausdruck gebracht worden, daß das Ziel aller Bemühungen die Sicherung von Ruhe, Ordnung und Frieden in diesem Teile Mitteleuropas sein müsse. Der tschechoslowakische Staatspräsident hat erklärt, daß er, um diesem Ziele zu dienen und um eine endgültige Befriedung zu erreichen, das Schicksal des tschechischen Volkes und Landes vertrauensvoll in die Hände des Führers des Deutschen Reiches legt. Der Führer hat diese Erklärung angenommen und seinem Entschluß Ausdruck gegeben, daß er das tschechische Volk unter den Schutz des Deutschen Reiches nehmen und ihm eine seiner Eigenart gemäße autonome Entwicklung seines Lebens gewährleisten wird.

That same day at Prague Castle, Hitler said: “I’m not bragging, but I must say that I did it really elegantly.” England and France accepted what happened as a fait accompli, since they set themselves the task of delaying the war as long as possible. Hitler received a new ally (Slovakia) and significantly increased his raw materials and industrial potential.

On the same day, Subcarpathian Rus declared independence. Thus, Czechoslovakia split into the states of the Czech Republic (comprising the lands of Bohemia and Moravia), Slovakia and Carpathian Ukraine (the latter was immediately occupied by Hungary). J. Tiso, on behalf of the Slovak government, sent a request to the German government to establish a protectorate over Slovakia.

Danzig problem

Now it's Poland's turn.

On January 5, Hitler organized an honorary reception for Polish Foreign Minister Beck in Berchtesgaden, declaring the complete coincidence of interests of both countries in relation to the USSR, and noted that in view of the obvious danger of attack from the USSR, the existence of a militarily strong Poland was vital for Germany. According to Hitler, every Polish division saves one division for Germany. To this, Beck replied that Poland, although anti-communist, would nevertheless not take part in any activities directed against the USSR and would reject German demands, since it did not have any guarantees in this matter from England and France. Thus, war between Poland and Germany became inevitable.

On March 21, Hitler proposes that Poland, in exchange for recognition of the western borders of Poland, the Danzig corridor, a free harbor in Danzig and claims to Ukraine, agree to the resettlement of the German population to the free city of Danzig and the strip enjoying the right of extraterritoriality along the roads to East Prussia. The Polish government did not agree.

Chamberlain finally realized his mistake: the “policy of appeasement” he had been pursuing since 1937 had not justified itself. Hitler used England to strengthen Germany and began to threaten Eastern Europe.

Exactly 75 years ago, European powers betrayed Slavic Czechoslovakia, literally feeding it to Hitler. Thus, completing Nazi Germany’s preparations for war against Soviet Russia.

When it comes to the outbreak of the Second World War, the British and Europeans begin to shout loudly that the German Empire and the Soviet Union are equally responsible for its beginning. However, it is worth noting that all such unsightly exclamations are primarily intended for the modern average person who is not interested in the history of past years. Because any unbiased historian knows that the actual beginning of the Second World War was the betrayal of Czechoslovakia by countries such as England, France and partly the USA, which allowed Hitler to take over the country almost unhindered, which could have stopped further developments.

When European parliamentarians talk about the non-aggression pact concluded on August 23, 1939 between the Soviet Union and Germany (also known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact), they completely forget about one extremely important fact. The USSR was the last significant European power to sign such a treaty. On the day of the Munich Agreement - September 30, 1938, England signed exactly the same agreement (almost a year before the Soviet-German agreement). On December 6, 1938, France signed the same agreement. Of course, those same “secret protocols” to the Soviet-German non-aggression treaty, according to which the USSR allegedly agreed with Germany to divide part of Europe into zones of influence, are in the original no one has ever seen.

But the historical fact is that as a result of the Munich Agreement of 1938, England, France and the USA fed Czechoslovakia to Nazi Germany and Poland, not caring about all the previously concluded alliance agreements with it. This served as a signal for the imminent start of World War II. Since the blame for this crime lies entirely with these Western countries, today they are trying in every possible way to “turn the tables” on Russia, engaging in outright falsification of history.

Let's remember how it was.

So, in 1938, about 14 million people lived in Czechoslovakia. Some of them, 3.5 million, were of ethnic German origin. They lived in the Sudetenland.

It is worth noting that at that time Czechoslovakia was one of the most industrialized countries in all of Europe. It was one of the leading suppliers of weapons for export, the country's army was excellently armed, and powerful defensive structures were created in that very Sudeten region.

On September 29-30, 1938, in Munich, with the active support of the United States, a meeting of the heads of government of England and France, Germany and Italy took place. The purpose of the meeting was to decide in absentia on the fate of Czechoslovakia, without the participation of representatives of the authorities of the country itself. Surprisingly cynical, right? It is this betrayal that the EU countries and the USA are trying to cover up today, deliberately shifting the responsibility for inciting the Second World War from a sore head to a healthy one.

Please note that the Czechoslovak authorities have been invited only for the announcement of the results of negotiations. The USSR, which was an ally of Czechoslovakia (as well as France), was not invited at all.

In fact, England and France decided in absentia the fate of the sovereign state of the Slavic people.

Because the Western powers prepared Hitler for his main goal - an attack on the USSR.

G. Wilson, a trusted adviser to British Prime Minister Chamberlain, spoke about this openly:

“Only Bolshevism would profit from this. This must be prevented. It is necessary to recognize the right of the Germans to expand in the Southeast.”

If World War II had begun with a German attack on Czechoslovakia, the Nazis would not have set foot on our soil!

When at the Nuremberg trials General Field Marshal Keitel was asked the question: “Would Germany have attacked Czechoslovakia in 1938 if the Western powers had supported Prague?”, he replied:

"Of course not. We were not strong enough from a military point of view. The goal of Munich(Munich agreement - note by D.B.) was to oust Russia from Europe, gain time and complete the armament of Germany.”

It is worth noting that Hitler’s army was not strong enough at that time - it entered Czechoslovakia with 37 divisions. Against 36 well-armed Czechoslovak divisions with powerful defensive fortifications in the Sudetenland.

By the way, in parallel, Poland laid claim to Czechoslovakian lands and invaded the territory of a sovereign country. This means that today they are increasingly trying to present her as an innocent victim.

As a result, Hitler's army received more than 1 million self-loading rifles, tens of thousands of machine guns and thousands of tanks, which were later used in the war against the Soviet Union. Is this why the British and French prime ministers Chamberlain and Daladier tried so hard to give Czechoslovakia to Hitler to be torn to pieces? Moreover, after the final annexation of Czechoslovakia, the Bank of England returned the gold reserves of this country to Hitler! Which once again proves the meaning of the Munich Agreement.

As a result of the deception and betrayal of Czechoslovakia by England and France, Hitler greatly strengthened his army, which significantly influenced his determination to start a war. It is very likely that if Hitler had entered the war with Czechoslovakia, which had alliance treaties with the USSR and France, the war could have ended there.

Therefore, it is quite obvious why today the countries of the Western world so actively refer to the false “secret agreements” to the Soviet-German non-aggression treaty, which the Soviet Union concluded last, after similar agreements between Germany and England, France, Poland, Estonia and Latvia .

P.S. I believe that in contrast to the lies about the non-existent “secret protocols” to the Soviet-German non-aggression pact, which actually gave us the opportunity to prepare for Hitler’s aggression, we should all tell the truth about the Munich Agreement, which in fact became the main prerequisite for the start of World War II .

The Munich Agreement of 1938 (in Soviet historiography usually the Munich Agreement) is an agreement according to which Czechoslovakia gave its Sudetenland to Germany.

The signatories of the agreement were British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister Edouard Daladier, German Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler, and Prime Minister Benito Mussolini.

Signing of the Munich Agreement. From left to right: Chamberlain, Daladier, Hitler, and Ciano.

Thanks to this agreement, Hitler was able to take one of his first steps towards starting the Second World War. What the Munich Agreement is, everyone who loves .

So, in 1938, Hitler turned his attention to Czechoslovakia with the aim of seizing some of its territories. This decision of the Fuhrer caused a mixed reaction, both in society and among the military.

Chief of the General Staff Beck expressed his protest to the Fuhrer in connection with the annexation of Czechoslovakia. He argued his position by saying that such actions would significantly worsen relations with the countries of the former Entente.

However, Hitler did not even think of retreating from his intentions. As a result, various groups of the future Resistance began to unite against him, the goal of which was to overthrow the Nazi regime.

In September 1938, Hitler began general military training, the goal of which was the capture of Czechoslovakia.

However, the Munich Agreement helped to temporarily defuse the situation and resolve the issue of the Sudetenland peacefully. Although it is worth adding that this finally predetermined the complete partition of Czechoslovakia.

The Munich Agreement was supposed to satisfy the Fuhrer's desire to unite Germany and recreate its great past. To be fair, it should be said that in 1938, 14 million people lived in Czechoslovakia, of which 3.5 million were ethnic Germans living compactly in the very Sudetenland, which became a bone of contention and the main subject of the Munich Agreement.

He strove to ensure that all territories with Germans living in them became part of the Reich.

To resolve such a serious territorial conflict, the prime ministers of Great Britain, France and Italy were invited to negotiations.

Munich Agreement

The Munich Agreement was officially signed on November 20, 1938. According to it, Czechoslovakia had to give up 41 thousand km² of its lands in favor of Germany.

This was not easy, because in addition to the Germans, almost a million Czechs lived in the Sudetenland. And in general it was an industrially developed and mineral-rich area.

Losses of Czechoslovakia

This territory contained fortification systems, which at that time were among the most reliable in all of Europe. But this is not all the losses that Czechoslovakia suffered as a result of the signing of the Munich Agreement.

In addition to all that has been said, railway and telegraph communications were disrupted in the country.

The state lost two-thirds of its coal reserves, 70% of electricity, 85% of raw materials for chemical production, and also received a serious shortage of timber, textiles and cement.

In an instant, Czechoslovakia turned from a powerful industrial power into a poor and ruined country.

Munich Agreement, or is it still a conspiracy?

Despite such terrible consequences, generals close to Hitler who survived the war spoke positively about the Munich Treaty. They believed that if the agreement had not been signed, the Fuhrer would certainly have invaded Czechoslovakia militarily.

Thus, France, England and Russia, bound by complex treaties, would be drawn into the war.

However, one can argue with such a statement by the generals if one carefully analyzes that situation.

It is important to note that at the time of 1938, Nazi Germany would not have been able to wage war against the countries of the former Entente and Czechoslovakia at the same time. Therefore, if hostilities began to unfold, they would lead the Third Reich to inevitable defeat. And Hitler could not help but understand this.

Nevertheless, the Munich Treaty was signed. Consequently, Great Britain, France and Italy played along with Hitler. That is why Soviet historians called this agreement nothing more than Munich Agreement.

Generals Witzleben and Halder, with their like-minded people, planned to overthrow Hitler if he nevertheless decided to attack Czechoslovakia. However, the signing of the Munich Agreement thwarted their plans.

In the end, it is worth noting that the entry into force of the treaty entailed many negative consequences for France as well.

Having handed over Czechoslovakia to the Nazi-obsessed Hitler, Great Britain, in the person of Chamberlain, saved him from military failure and, thereby, allowed him to build up colossal military power. Chamberlain did everything possible to satisfy any demands of the Fuhrer.

After the signing of the agreement, France significantly lost in military strength, and the French weapons production was already significantly inferior to the German one.

In addition to this, the Eastern Allies were already distrustful of France, whose diplomatic reputation was at a serious disadvantage.

Undoubtedly, Chamberlain was one of the key figures because of whom the Second World War began in the near future.

British Undersecretary Cadogan once wrote in his diary:

"The Prime Minister (Chamberlain) said he would rather resign than sign an alliance with the Soviets."

The Conservative slogan at that time was:

"For Britain to live, Bolshevism must die."

That is, Chamberlain’s support for Hitler was quite pragmatic and aimed against the USSR.

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Under the terms of the Munich Agreement, Hitler received everything he demanded in Godesberg, and the international commission, under the pressure of his threats, gave him even more. The final agreement, signed on November 20, 1938, obligated Czechoslovakia to give Germany 11 thousand square miles of its territory, on which 2 million 800 thousand Sudeten Germans and 800 thousand Czechs lived. This territory contained a widely ramified system of Czech fortifications, which were considered the most impregnable in Europe.

At the beginning of the Munich Conference, Hitler made a speech in which he demanded “in the interests of European peace” the immediate transfer of the Sudetenland and stated that under any conditions his troops would be introduced into the border zones on October 1. At the same time, the Fuhrer assured that Germany has no other claims in Europe. He defined the task of the conference as follows: to give the entry of German troops into the territory of Czechoslovakia a legal character and to exclude the use of weapons. The Czechoslovak delegation was not allowed to participate in the negotiations. Kapitsa F.S. The Great Hitler. - M.: AST, Slovo, 2010. - P. 41.

The Munich Diktat, imposed by force on Czechoslovakia, was an illegal act from the very beginning. The result of the conference was the decision to secede Czechoslovakia in favor of Germany for the Sudetenland, as well as the satisfaction of the territorial claims of Horthy Hungary and Pan Poland.

In addition to the agreement, England and France pledged to provide, together with Germany and Italy, “guarantees” to Czechoslovakia against unprovoked aggression. A kind of reward for the betrayal of Czechoslovakia was the Anglo-German declaration signed on September 30 by Hitler and Chamberlain, which spoke of “efforts to eliminate possible sources of disagreement...”. Aleksashkina L.N. General history. XX century. - M.: Mnemosyne, 2013. - P. 319. Essentially, this document was assessed as an act of non-aggression between England and Germany.

The Munich Agreement is one of the most shameful acts in the international politics of the Western powers. Before the eyes of all mankind, a sovereign European state was given over to the Nazis for plunder. Hoping to direct further German aggression to the East, the “appeasers” miscalculated, since they first of all worsened the position of their countries in the further battle with fascism.

At that time, Czechoslovakia represented the greatest value for the defense of Europe. Having lost it, the Allies lost first-class divisions, the only first-class army in eastern Europe. All this was now in the hands of Hitler. Thanks to the Munich Agreement, Germany acquired invaluable sources of raw materials and first-class industry of this country. All this seriously accelerated the processes of development and preparation of Germany for war. One of the main disadvantages is that Hitler saw the weak-willed nature of Western leaders, he realized that everything was allowed to him, and he could not take anyone into account.

“It was not for nothing that Ribbentrop said that by signing the Munich Agreement, the West signed its own death warrant. As a continuation of what has been said, France has lost respect and authority in Europe, lost all its allies, severed ties with the USSR and significantly devalued its role as an ally.” Adamchik V.V. World History. - M.: Rosno, 2010. - P. 960.

In the year following Munich, the German army approached full combat readiness, although it had fewer trained reserves than the French. The Munich Agreement accelerated the maturation of the pre-war political crisis that led to the Second World War. In fact, it was this agreement that provided for and permitted the war.

Munich Agreement 1938

Background

Before the start of World War II, Nazi Germany annexed a number of territories in Europe without the use of military force: Austria (see Anschluss) and the Sudetenland (1938), the central regions of the Czech Republic and the Memel (Klaipeda) region (1939). Here we will talk about the history of the annexation of the Sudetenland.

In 1938, 14 million people lived in Czechoslovakia, of which 3.5 million were ethnic Germans living compactly in the Sudetenland, as well as in Slovakia and Transcarpathian Ukraine (Carpathian Germans). The industry of Czechoslovakia, including the military, was one of the most developed in Europe. From the moment of occupation by Germany until the start of the war with Poland, the Skoda factories produced almost as much military products as the entire military industry of Great Britain produced during the same time. Czechoslovakia was one of the world's leading arms exporters, its army was superbly armed and relied on powerful fortifications in the Sudetenland.

The Sudeten Germans, through the mouth of the national-separatist Sudeten-German Party of K. Henlein, constantly declared the infringement of their rights by the Czechoslovak government. The government took a number of measures to ensure representation of Sudeten Germans in the National Assembly, local self-government, and education in their native language, but the tension was not resolved. Based on these statements, Hitler in February 1938 appealed to the Reichstag to “pay attention to the appalling living conditions of their German brethren in Czechoslovakia.”

First Sudeten Crisis

After the Anschluss of Austria in March 1938, Henlein arrived in Berlin where he received instructions on further actions. In April, his party adopted the so-called Carlsbad program, which contained demands for autonomy. In May, the Henleinites intensify pro-German propaganda, put forward a demand for a referendum on the annexation of the Sudetenland to Germany, and on May 22, the day of municipal elections, they prepare a putsch in order to turn these elections into a plebiscite. At the same time, the Wehrmacht was advancing to the Czechoslovakian border. This triggered the first Sudetenland crisis. Partial mobilization took place in Czechoslovakia, troops were sent into the Sudetenland and occupied border fortifications. At the same time, the USSR and France declared their support for Czechoslovakia (in pursuance of the Soviet-French treaty of May 2, 1935 and the Soviet-Czechoslovak treaty of May 16, 1935). Even Germany's ally Italy protested against the use of force to resolve the crisis. The attempt to seize the Sudetenland based on the separatist movement of the Sudeten Germans this time failed. Hitler moved on to negotiations. Negotiations were conducted between Henlein and the Czechoslovak government through the mediation of England (see Renisman's mission).

Sudeten crisis

On September 12, 1938, after the failure of negotiations, the second Sudetenland crisis was provoked. The Henleinites organized mass protests in the Sudetenland, which forced the government of Czechoslovakia to send troops into the areas inhabited by the Germans and declare them under martial law. Henlein, avoiding arrest, fled to Germany. The next day, Chamberlain notified Hitler by telegram that he was ready to visit him “for the sake of saving the world.” On September 15, 1938, Chamberlain arrives for a meeting with Hitler in the city of Berchtesgaden, in the Bavarian Alps. During this meeting, the Fuhrer said that he wanted peace, but was ready for war because of the Czechoslovak problem. However, war can be avoided if Britain agrees to transfer the Sudetenland to Germany on the basis of the right of nations to self-determination. Chamberlain agreed with this.

On September 18, Anglo-French consultations took place in London. The parties agreed that the territories where more than 50% of Germans live should go to Germany, and that Great Britain and France would guarantee the new borders of Czechoslovakia. On September 20-21, the British and French envoys in Czechoslovakia told the Czechoslovak government that if it did not accept the Anglo-French proposals, the French government “would not fulfill the agreement” with Czechoslovakia. They also reported the following: “If the Czechs unite with the Russians, the war could take on the character of a crusade against the Bolsheviks. Then it will be very difficult for the governments of England and France to remain on the sidelines.” The Czech government refused to fulfill these conditions.

On September 22, Hitler issues an ultimatum: do not interfere with Germany’s occupation of the Sudetenland. In response to this, Czechoslovakia and France announce mobilization. On September 27, Hitler, facing the threat of war, backed down and sent Chamberlain a letter in which he said that he did not want war, was ready to guarantee the security of the remaining part of Czechoslovakia and discuss the details of the treaty with Prague. On September 29 in Munich, on Hitler’s initiative, he meets with the heads of government of Great Britain, France and Italy. However, contrary to their promise in the letter to Chamberlain, Czechoslovak representatives were not allowed to discuss the agreement. The USSR was denied participation in the meeting.

Munich Agreement

The meeting in Munich took place on September 29-30. The basis of the agreement was the proposals of Italy, which were practically no different from the demands put forward earlier by Hitler at his meeting with Chamberlain. Chamberlain and Daladier accepted these proposals. At one in the morning on September 30, 1938, Chamberlain, Daladier, Mussolini and Hitler signed the Munich Agreement. After this, the Czechoslovak delegation was allowed into the hall where this agreement was signed. The governments of Great Britain and France put pressure on the government of Czechoslovakia, so that, despite the USSR’s confirmed determination to provide military assistance and in the absence of French support, the Czech government accepted this agreement for execution without the consent of the National Assembly.

Consequences

Ceremonial ribbon on the banner. Third Reich, 1938 (area annexed by Germany)

The annexation of the Sudetenland was only the beginning of the process of dismemberment of Czechoslovakia.

On October 1, 1938, Poland, in an ultimatum, demanded that the Czech Republic transfer to it the Cieszyn region, the subject of territorial disputes between it and Czechoslovakia in 1918 - 1920. Left in international isolation, the Czechoslovak government was forced to accept the terms of the ultimatum.

Under pressure from Germany, the Czechoslovak government decides on October 7 to grant autonomy to Slovakia, and on October 8 - to Transcarpathian Ukraine.

On November 2, 1938, Hungary, by decision of the First Vienna Arbitration, received the southern (plain) regions of Slovakia and Transcarpathian Ukraine with the cities of Uzhgorod, Mukachevo and Beregovo.

In March 1939, Germany occupied the remnant of Czechoslovakia, incorporating it into the Reich under the name “Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.” Significant reserves of weapons from the former Czechoslovak army, which made it possible to arm 9 infantry divisions, and Czech military factories fell into German hands. Before the attack on the USSR, out of 21 Wehrmacht tank divisions, 5 were equipped with Czechoslovak-made tanks.

March 19 - The USSR government presents a note to Germany, declaring its non-recognition of the German occupation of part of the territory of Czechoslovakia.

The agreement signed in Munich became the culmination of the British “policy of appeasement.” One part of historians considers this policy an attempt to rebuild the Versailles system of international relations, which is in crisis, diplomatically, through agreements between the four great European powers. Chamberlain, returning from Munich to London, declared at the plane's steps: “I brought peace to our generation.”

However, another part of historians believes that the true reason for this policy is an attempt by Western countries to crush an alien system at their side - the USSR. For example, British Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs Cadogan wrote in his diary: “The Prime Minister (Chamberlain) said that he would rather resign than sign an alliance with the Soviets.” In this case, it seems that the “policy of appeasement” is a cunning multi-step combination to set Hitler’s Germany against the USSR, carried out since 1937, but which failed in March 1939. As a result, Hitler first captured almost all of continental Europe, and only then attacked the USSR.

Quotes about collusion

Chamberlain - English politician

“I would rather resign than shake hands with the Soviets.”

How terrible, fantastic and implausible is the very idea that we should dig trenches here at home and try on gas masks just because in one distant country people about whom we know nothing quarreled among themselves