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Reference number:
DL1372
Caption
"Mein Kampf"
Embedded text
Peace
Reason
Concessions
Notes
After Germany's Anschluss with Austria in March 1938, Hitler turned his sights on Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia had been created from the remnants of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I. Many Germans lived within its boundaries, in the area known as the Sudetenland and Hitler sought to bring this area into the Reich. Britain and France continued to over-estimate Hitler's military capability, in reality far inferior to even their depleted resources. Thus they sought to avoid military conflict over Czechoslovakia, despite the fact that Hitler's European expansion was in contravention of the 1919 Peace Treaties that, as members of the League of Nations, they had sworn to uphold. This policy of acquiescing to Hitler's demands is known as 'appeasement'. On 15 September 1938 Chamberlain and Hitler met at Berchtesgaden. Hitler demanded the surrender of those areas of the Sudetenland that had voted to unite with Germany. Hitler claimed that agreement to this demand would secure the safety of the rest of Czechoslovakia. Chamberlain's agreement signified the surrender of Czechoslovakian interests to Hitler. On 22-23 September at a second meeting with Chamberlain at Bad Godesberg, Hitler increased his demands, insisting on an immediate surrender of the entire Sudetenland. Chamberlain again agreed.
These two meetings were the precursors of the infamous 'Peace of Paper', the Munich Pact of 29 September 1938 which, without consulting Czechoslovakia, surrendered the Sudetenland entirely to Hitler. This left Czechoslovakia vulnerable, as its principal border defences were situated in the Sudetenland. It was therefore an easy matter for Hitler to annex remaining Czech territory in March 1939.
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Archival reference number
DL1372
Copyright holder
Copyright contact details
Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT solo@solosyndication.com
Additional details
Size
32.7 x 49.3cm
Technique
black ink/blue crayon
