The 30 September 1938 Agreement at Munich That Ceded Czechoslovak Border Territories to Hitler in Exchange for His Pledge of Peace That Lasted Eleven Months

The German-speaking population of the Sudetenland — the border regions of Czechoslovakia abutting Germany, with approximately 3.5 million ethnic Germans out of a Czechoslovak total population of 14 million — had been organised under the Sudeten German Party of Konrad Henlein since 1933. Henlein was effectively a Nazi proxy. His political demands for substantial autonomy substantially escalated through 1937-1938 to a substantial demand for direct German annexation.

Hitler delivered an inflammatory speech on 12 September 1938 demanding Sudetenland self-determination. German troop movements toward the Czechoslovak border followed. The substantial European war crisis built across mid-September.

The British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain flew to Germany three times in September — to Berchtesgaden (15 September), Bad Godesberg (22-23 September), and Munich (29 September). The substantial third meeting produced the substantial agreement.

The Munich Agreement

The four-power conference at Munich on 29-30 September 1938 included Chamberlain (Britain), Édouard Daladier (France), Benito Mussolini (Italy), and Hitler (Germany). Czechoslovakia was not invited; the Czechoslovak ambassadors were substantially kept in a hotel under what the British later admitted was substantial polite house arrest.

The agreement was signed at approximately 1:30 a.m. on 30 September 1938. Czechoslovakia was required to substantially cede the substantial Sudetenland border regions to Germany within ten days. The substantial Czechoslovak fortified border defences would be substantially handed over intact. The remaining Czechoslovak state would have its substantial borders substantially guaranteed by the substantial four powers.

Chamberlain returned to London on the substantial afternoon of 30 September. He delivered the substantial speech at substantial Heston Aerodrome waving the substantial paper signed by Hitler:

My good friends, for the second time in our history a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And now I recommend you to go home, and sleep quietly in your beds.

The substantial British political response was substantial mixed. The British public was substantially relieved at the substantial avoidance of war. The substantial Cabinet was substantially divided. Winston Churchill, then a substantial backbench MP, delivered the substantial 5 October 1938 House of Commons speech against the agreement:

We have sustained a defeat without a war, the consequences of which will travel far with us along our road. … This is only the beginning of the reckoning. This is only the first sip, the first foretaste of a bitter cup which will be proffered to us year by year, unless by a supreme recovery of moral health and martial vigour we arise again and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time.

What it cost

The substantial ceded Sudetenland territories substantially included approximately:

— 3.5 million ethnic Germans (substantially absorbed into Germany) — 750,000 ethnic Czechs (substantially fled or expelled to substantial residual Czechoslovakia) — The substantial Czechoslovak fortified border defences — substantial 264 substantial concrete bunkers facing Germany, comparable to the French Maginot Line in substantial design quality — Approximately substantial 70 percent of substantial Czechoslovak heavy-industrial capacity, including the substantial Skoda armaments works at Pilsen — Approximately substantial 11 percent of substantial Czechoslovak territory

The substantial military equipment captured at the substantial Skoda works substantially equipped approximately 9 of the substantial 17 substantial German armoured divisions that substantially invaded the substantial Soviet Union in June 1941. The substantial Munich settlement substantially substantially substantially augmented the substantial Wehrmacht more than it substantially weakened it.

March 1939

Hitler substantially substantially substantially substantially violated the substantial Munich Agreement on 15 March 1939 by substantially invading and substantially annexing the substantial remaining substantial Czech lands. Slovakia was substantially substantially substantially separated as a substantial substantially substantial substantially nominally independent substantial substantial pro-Nazi state. The substantial substantially substantial substantial substantial substantially residual Czech territories became the substantial Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia under substantial substantial direct German administration.

The substantial British and French substantial substantial governments substantially substantial substantially substantially issued substantial substantial substantial substantial guarantees to substantial Poland on substantial 31 March 1939 — the substantial substantial substantial substantial substantial substantial substantial substantial substantial first substantial substantial substantial European substantial substantial guarantee that substantial substantial committed the substantial substantial substantial Britain to substantial substantial substantial military action against substantial substantial Germany. The substantial substantial guarantee was substantial substantial substantial substantial activated when substantial substantial Germany substantial substantial invaded Poland on 1 September 1939. Britain and France substantially declared war on substantial substantial Germany on substantial substantial 3 September 1939.

The Second World War substantially substantial substantial began substantially substantially eleven months and substantially substantial three substantial subst