The Sudeten Crisis & Munich Agreement, 1938 (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
How did appeasement fail in the Sudeten Crisis? - Summary
The Sudeten Crisis of 1938 was a key moment when the policy of appeasement failed. The Sudetenland was a region in Czechoslovakia where many ethnic Germans lived. Adolf Hitler demanded that this area be given to Germany, claiming that the Czech government mistreated German-speaking people.
In September 1938, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Italy met in Munich to discuss the crisis. They agreed to let Hitler take over the Sudetenland without consulting Czechoslovakia. They believed that this concession would satisfy Hitler and prevent further conflict. This agreement is known as the Munich Agreement. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain famously declared that the agreement had secured "peace for our time."
The failure of appeasement became clear soon after the Munich Agreement. Instead of being satisfied, Hitler saw that Britain and France were unwilling to stand up to him. This encouraged him to continue his expansion. In March 1939, just a few months after the Munich Agreement, Hitler broke his promises and took over the rest of Czechoslovakia. This showed that appeasement had failed because it did not stop Hitler's ambitions. It only made Hitler more confident that he could keep expanding without facing serious opposition.
Why did Hitler want to gain the Sudetenland?
Hitler wanted to gain the Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia for Germany because:
After Anschluss, Germany bordered Czechoslovakia on three sides
Claiming Czechoslovakia would protect Germany from invasion
The Sudetenland had rich mineral resources and the Skoda armament factory
This would help Germany’s armament industry
The Sudetenland had fortifications
By claiming this area, it would make invading the whole of Czechoslovakia easier for Hitler
Over 3.5 million Germans lived in the Sudetenland
The Sudeten Germans claimed that the Czech government mistreated them
Hitler would continue to achieve his foreign policy aims of Grossdeutchland and Lebensraum
In 1938, Hitler began his attempt to claim Czechoslovakia
Exam Tip
Your AQA Conflict & Tension: The Inter-War Years, 1918–1939 exam relies on detailed knowledge of the inter-war period. Your understanding of Hitler’s aims for foreign policy is key to understanding his actions in Czechoslovakia. This helps you to identify the causes of the Sudeten Crisis and the Munich Agreement.
What was the Sudeten Crisis?
The Munich Conference & Agreement
There were three meetings between Hitler and other European nations about the Sudeten Crisis:
15th September 1938 - Berchtesgarden
22nd September 1938 - Godesberg
30th September 1938 - Munich
The meeting at Munich was the biggest, and most important, meeting about the Sudetenland
The Munich Conference
Representatives from Italy, Britain, France and Germany attended the conference
Czechoslovakia was not invited to the meeting
This made the meeting unfair from the start
The USSR was not involved in the conference
This created distrust between the USSR and the Western powers
The Munich Agreement
The four nations (Italy, Britain, France and Germany) developed the Munich Agreement on 30th September 1938
These were terms agreed by Hitler to avoid war
The Munich Agreement stated that:
Hitler would gain the Sudetenland
Czechoslovakia would keep the rest of their territory
The Munich Agreement was controversial because:
Czechoslovakia had to accept the terms
Hungary and Poland also claimed areas of Czechoslovakia
Poland gained Teschen in October 1938
Hitler marched into the Sudetenland on 1st October 1938
Consequences of the Munich Agreement
Initial reactions to the Munich Agreement
Country | Reaction to the Munich Agreement |
|---|---|
Czechoslovakia | Czechoslovakia felt let down by their allies. Britain and France had promised to protect Czechoslovakia yet they had given the Sudetenland to Germany without their consent. The Sudetenland contained many of Czechslovia’s military resources. They were now defenceless if Hitler decided to invade the whole of Czechoslovakia |
Britain | Many people at home saw Chamberlain as a hero. They believed that Chamberlain had guaranteed peace, as shown in Chamberlain's ‘Peace for Our Time’ speech. However, critics like Churchill believed that Hitler would break his promise not to invade Czechoslovakia |
Germany | Hitler had achieved a significant victory for Grossdeutchland and Lebensraum. He had united the German speakers of the Sudetenland and took land away from the Slavs. Hitler knew that Czechoslovakia could not defend itself from an invasion |
The USSR | Similarly to Czechoslovakia, the USSR felt angry and betrayed by Britain and France. Stalin believed that Britain and France agreed with Germany’s Lebensraum tactics |
Consequences of the Munich Agreement to Europe
War in Europe had been delayed
This gave Britain and France the vital time needed to rearm
Britain and France’s decision to exclude the USSR from the Munich Agreement angered Stalin
It increased Stalin’s distrust of Britain and France
He did not believe that they would defend the USSR if Hitler began to invade their territory
It forced Stalin to make difficult decisions
Stalin began to consider an alliance with Hitler to protect his borders
Hitler’s invasion of the whole of Czechoslovakia seemed inevitable to its leaders
Hitler had gained confidence through the Munich Agreement. He was convinced that Britain and France would not defend Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia had no defences to fight against Hitler’s armed forces
The occupation of Czechoslovakia
By March 1939, Hitler gained the rest of Czechoslovakia
Hitler demanded the Czech government surrender control of Czechoslovakia
Failure to do this would result in the Luftwaffe bombing of Prague
On 15th March, Hitler marched into Prague
He succeeded in encouraging Slovakia to declare independence
Hitler could not defend his actions to claim the whole of Czechoslovakia
There was no German-speaking population in the land he claimed
Hitler intended to increase Germany’s power
The invasion of Czechoslovakia ended the policy of appeasement
Chamberlain stated on 17th March that he could no longer trust Hitler
Britain and France looked to protect vulnerable countries in Europe from Hitler
AWAITING IMAGE
A map showing how far Hitler had extended Germany’s territory by March 1939
Worked Example
‘Appeasement was the main reason for the outbreak of the Second World War.’
How far do you agree with this statement?
[16 marks]
Partial answer:
Overall, I strongly believe that appeasement was the main reason for the outbreak of the Second World War. Whilst Hitler was always going to act aggressively, a strong reaction from Britain and France would have shown that Hitler could not get away with his actions. The turning point for the success of appeasement was Hitler’s invasion of Czechoslovakia in March 1938. Britain and France had appeased Hitler before this through the Munich Agreement. When Hitler broke his promise, it showed that appeasement had only made Hitler stronger and more determined to achieve his foreign policy aims. Therefore, the policy of appeasement advantaged Hitler. It allowed him to provoke Britain and France into the Second World War on his terms and when he was the most prepared for the conflict
Exam Tip
In history, it is helpful to identify turning points. There are significant events that changed the course of history. The invasion of Czechoslovakia could be considered a turning point in the inter-war period. This is because:
Hitler began to invade countries that Germany had no right to claim
Attitudes in Britain and France turned against the policy of appeasement
In your conclusion for 16-mark questions, you could write about turning points in the inter-war period for 16-mark questions. It shows your understanding of second-order concepts such as consequences and significance.
For further guidance on this question, read this revision note on how to answer the 16-mark “How far do you agree” question.
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