The Sudeten Crisis
Following the German annexation of Austria Hitler felt eager for a war and confident of victory. Realising that a Casus Belli would be required for the conflict he began to encourage the 3 million Sudeten Germans living in Czechoslovakia to begin a political and insurgent campaign against the Czech government. Over the Summer the crisis intensified as Hitler made a series of promises to the Sudeten Germans that he would free them from the Czechs and unite them with Germany, through arms if necessary. Hoping to avoid losing all credibility Neville Chamberlain was forced by the British Parliament to grant Czechoslovakia a guarantee of independence. Europe seemed ready for war however there was significant division within the Axis over whether the time was right for the final showdown with the British, indeed both Benito Mussolini and Marshall Petain were fiercely against going to war for the Sudeten Germans and effectively forced Hitler into a meeting with Neville Chamberlain in September 1938.
Chamberlain, with the intense desire to avoid war with the Axis, was strong-armed by Hitler into signing away Britain’s protection to the Czechs in return for thin promises of an end to future Axis expansionism, particularly against Poland, Luxembourg and Belgium who were closely aligned to Britain and the focuses of smaller scale crises during the same period where both the French and Germans attempted to gain territory. The Munich Treaty was signed on September 30th 1938 and the Sudetenland was surrendered to Germany, whilst much of the British public was overjoyed to see this chance for peace many (most notably Anthony Eden and Winston Churchill) were ashamed to see Britain betray their Czech friends.
Whilst showing himself to be pleased to the rest of the world over the outcome of the treaty Hitler was in fact furious, the war he so craved had been averted and the British Empire he so admired had been shown to be week. Needless to say he would not honour the Agreement for long.
Meanwhile the Treaty caused a major rift in the British government with the Foreign Minister, Anthony Eden, leading a large group of ‘Anti-Treaty Rebels’ who refused to cooperate with Chamberlain on foreign policy. Hoping to destroy this group quickly and painlessly Chamberlain removed Eden from his position as Foreign Minister and replaced him with Lord Halifax, another major supporter of Appeasement.
Over the following months Eden would continue to build an anti-Axis group in Parliament, drawing membership from all parties. One of the most notable but least popular major players to join Eden’s group was Winston Churchill, a man considered by many to be past his prime and no longer of major relevance. They could never be more wrong.
Following the German annexation of Austria Hitler felt eager for a war and confident of victory. Realising that a Casus Belli would be required for the conflict he began to encourage the 3 million Sudeten Germans living in Czechoslovakia to begin a political and insurgent campaign against the Czech government. Over the Summer the crisis intensified as Hitler made a series of promises to the Sudeten Germans that he would free them from the Czechs and unite them with Germany, through arms if necessary. Hoping to avoid losing all credibility Neville Chamberlain was forced by the British Parliament to grant Czechoslovakia a guarantee of independence. Europe seemed ready for war however there was significant division within the Axis over whether the time was right for the final showdown with the British, indeed both Benito Mussolini and Marshall Petain were fiercely against going to war for the Sudeten Germans and effectively forced Hitler into a meeting with Neville Chamberlain in September 1938.
Chamberlain, with the intense desire to avoid war with the Axis, was strong-armed by Hitler into signing away Britain’s protection to the Czechs in return for thin promises of an end to future Axis expansionism, particularly against Poland, Luxembourg and Belgium who were closely aligned to Britain and the focuses of smaller scale crises during the same period where both the French and Germans attempted to gain territory. The Munich Treaty was signed on September 30th 1938 and the Sudetenland was surrendered to Germany, whilst much of the British public was overjoyed to see this chance for peace many (most notably Anthony Eden and Winston Churchill) were ashamed to see Britain betray their Czech friends.
Whilst showing himself to be pleased to the rest of the world over the outcome of the treaty Hitler was in fact furious, the war he so craved had been averted and the British Empire he so admired had been shown to be week. Needless to say he would not honour the Agreement for long.
Meanwhile the Treaty caused a major rift in the British government with the Foreign Minister, Anthony Eden, leading a large group of ‘Anti-Treaty Rebels’ who refused to cooperate with Chamberlain on foreign policy. Hoping to destroy this group quickly and painlessly Chamberlain removed Eden from his position as Foreign Minister and replaced him with Lord Halifax, another major supporter of Appeasement.
Over the following months Eden would continue to build an anti-Axis group in Parliament, drawing membership from all parties. One of the most notable but least popular major players to join Eden’s group was Winston Churchill, a man considered by many to be past his prime and no longer of major relevance. They could never be more wrong.
