The Munich Agreement of 1938 (also known as the "Munich Agreement") is an agreement signed on September 30, 1938 by the heads of government of Germany, Italy, Great Britain and France. It implied the separation from Czechoslovakia of the border Sudetenland with a predominantly German population and its transfer to Germany. It is considered one of the most important events that preceded and contributed to the outbreak of World War II.

Czechoslovakia.

The events of 1938 were the result of the results of the First World War. One of its consequences was the formation of the Czechoslovak Republic, on whose territory, according to the 1930 census, more than 3.5 million Germans lived. In a number of regions of the Czech Republic bordering on Germany and Austria, called the Sudetenland, the Germans made up the majority of the population. The Germans had the right to be educated in their own language and had their own political parties.

Czechoslovakia, which had a strong army, erected powerful military fortifications on the border with Germany. In 1935 she received security guarantees from the USSR and France. According to them, in the event of a corresponding request from the Czechoslovak authorities, the Soviet Union should come to the aid of Czechoslovakia in the event that France does so. In March 1938, Hitler developed a "green" plan for the war with Czechoslovakia, which was not implemented.

First Sudeten Crisis.

After coming to power in Germany in 1933, separatist sentiments intensified among the Czechoslovak Germans. Their spokesman was the Sudeten German Party (also called "Henlein" after its leader K. Henlein). She openly headed for the withdrawal of the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia and its annexation to the Third Reich. The party enjoyed the open support of the leader of Germany, who in February 1938 announced the terrible situation of the Germans in Czechoslovakia.

After the Anschluss of Austria in March 1938, the Sudeten German Party moved on to further steps. On April 24, she accepted the Carlsbad Program, demanding broad autonomy for the Sudetenland. Party representatives also announced preparations for a referendum on the accession of the Sudetenland to Germany. On May 22, the Henleinists planned a putsch, and the German army was drawn up to the Czechoslovak border. This provoked the First Sudeten Crisis.

In response, the Czechoslovak government announced a partial mobilization, pulled troops into the Sudetenland and did not allow the putsch to be organized. The USSR, France and Italy protested against Germany's actions. The President of Czechoslovakia expressed his readiness to make a number of concessions, but not to abandon the Sudetenland in favor of Germany. The Soviet Union confirmed its desire to provide military assistance to Czechoslovakia, but this was difficult to do due to the lack of a common border and Poland's refusal to let the Red Army through its territory. Otherwise, the Polish authorities threatened the USSR with war.

At the end of the First Sudeten Crisis, negotiations began between the authorities of Czechoslovakia and the Sudeten German Party, supported by Germany. The role of a mediator in them was assumed by Great Britain, which sent its mission to Czechoslovakia, headed by Lord W. Runciman. The mission lasted from August 3 to September 16, 1938. During the negotiations, the representatives of the Sudeten Germans rejected the idea of ​​concessions and broad autonomy. As a result, Runciman leaned towards the idea of ​​tearing away from Czechoslovakia areas with a predominance of the German population.

Second Sudeten Crisis.

In September 1938, the Second Sudeten Crisis erupted. In the Sudetenland, clashes resumed between detachments of local Germans and the Czechoslovak army. On September 7, K. Henlein broke off negotiations with the government of Czechoslovakia. On the same day, following its obligations, France announced the call for reservists. But on September 11, France, together with Great Britain, made it clear that it would support Czechoslovakia in case of war. However, if Germany does not start a war, her demands will be satisfied.

On September 12, A. Hitler, at the NSDAP congress in Nuremberg, declared his readiness to provide military assistance to the Sudeten Germans if the authorities of Czechoslovakia did not stop their oppression. On the same day, a new rebellion broke out in the Sudetenland, K. Henlein demanded the withdrawal of Czechoslovak troops and the transfer of law enforcement to local detachments. Czechoslovakia crushed the putsch by 15 September.

On September 15, A. Hitler informed British Prime Minister N. Chamberlain, who arrived in Germany, about his readiness to start a war with Czechoslovakia over the Sudetenland. But he made a reservation that the war could be avoided if the Czechoslovak authorities agreed to transfer the Sudetenland to Germany. N. Chamberlain agreed. On September 18, during the British-French negotiations in London, France gave its consent to the rejection of the Sudetenland.

On September 19, President E. Benes received guarantees from the USSR that the Soviet Union was ready to come to the aid of Czechoslovakia even if France did not do the same, and if Poland and Romania refused to voluntarily let Soviet troops through their territory. On September 23, during a speech at a meeting of the League of Nations in Geneva, the readiness to help Czechoslovakia was confirmed by the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR. The Soviet Union also put a number of its units on alert.

On September 19, the governments of Great Britain and France transmitted their joint statement to the government of Czechoslovakia. It stated that in order to ensure security in Europe and the security of Czechoslovakia itself, it should transfer to the Third Reich the areas in which the majority of the population are Germans. The transfer can be carried out directly or by means of a plebiscite, which, in the opinion of the British and French, is extremely difficult to carry out. Great Britain and France also expressed their readiness to guarantee the security of Czechoslovakia in the future.

At the same time, Great Britain and France blocked the proposals of the USSR to discuss in the League of Nations the issue of collective support for Czechoslovakia. The government of the latter initially did not agree with the proposal of London and Paris. However, on September 21, the British and French ambassadors to Czechoslovakia announced that the country could not count on help if it did not comply with the Anglo-French proposal. As a result, the Czechoslovak government agreed with the plan of the Western powers.

On September 22, 1938, Poland made claims to the Teszyn region in the north of Czechoslovakia. In response, the Soviet Union threatened to break the non-aggression pact with her if Polish troops invaded Czechoslovakia. On the same day, at a new meeting with N. Chamberlain, A. Hitler demanded that the Sudetenland be transferred to Germany by September 28. He also insisted on the transfer of Cieszyn Silesia to Poland, and to Hungary - the southern part of Slovakia with a predominance of the Hungarian population.

On September 23, Czechoslovakia announced a general mobilization. Four days later, Hitler, in a conversation with the ambassadors of Great Britain and France, reiterated his readiness to go to war if his demands were not met without delay. The next day, Chamberlain assured the leader of the Third Reich that he could get what he wanted without a war.

Munich Agreement

On September 29, 1938, a meeting was held in Munich between A. Hitler, N. Chamberlain, the head of the French government and the leader of Italy. Representatives of Czechoslovakia were not allowed to discuss the future agreement. The USSR also did not take part in the meeting. The final document was signed at about one in the morning on September 30, after which the Czechoslovak delegation was allowed into the hall to familiarize itself with it.

According to the document, Czechoslovakia in the period from October 1 to October 10 undertook to transfer to Germany areas with a predominance of the German population. The agreement provided for the possibility of an exchange of population between the two countries. In a number of disputed areas, plebiscites were to be held within six months under the supervision of an international commission composed of representatives of Germany, Great Britain, France and Italy.

Great Britain and France announced their guarantees of the new borders of Czechoslovakia. Germany and Italy were also ready to provide their security guarantee after the issue of the transfer of part of the territories to Poland and Hungary was resolved. Czechoslovakia had to resolve the issue with the Polish and Hungarian minorities within three months - otherwise the issue was also transferred to the jurisdiction of the meeting of the four powers that signed the document.

Disintegration of Czechoslovakia

On September 30, the President of Czechoslovakia, E. Benes, agreed with the proposed agreement. On October 1, Germany and Poland sent troops to the Sudetenland and Teshin region, respectively. On the territory of the Sudetenland, an administrative unit of the Third Reich was formed - Sudetenland. On November 2, by decision of the First Vienna Arbitration, Hungary occupied Southern Slovakia. Czechoslovakia lost over a third of its territory and population, about 40% of its industrial potential and powerful military fortifications along the German border.

Inside Czechoslovakia also intensified centrifugal tendencies. On October 7-8, 1938, the authorities in Prague granted broad autonomy to Slovakia and Subcarpathian Rus. The country was named Czecho-Slovakia, or the second Czecho-Slovak Republic. It existed until March 14, 1939, when the leadership of the Slovak Autonomy, after visiting Berlin, proclaimed the formation of an independent state.

On March 15, 1939, German troops occupied the rest of the Czech Republic, a day later the protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, subordinate to the Third Reich, was formed on its territory. Contrary to their obligations under the Munich Agreement, Great Britain and France did not send their troops to the defense of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. This gave grounds to many historians to talk about the failure of the policy of the Western powers to "appease the aggressor", and the events themselves were called the "Munich Pact".

In September 1938, the Soviet Union brought its troops on the western border to full combat readiness, and they remained in this state until October 25, 1938. The USSR officially disowned support for the Munich Agreement, and on March 19, 1939, refused to recognize the occupation of the Czech Republic.

Great Britain withdrew its signature to the Munich Agreement on 5 August 1942. The withdrawal of France's signature was announced on 29 September 1942 by the head of the French resistance, General. Italy withdrew its signature in 1944. On June 9, 1942, the USSR announced the need to restore the former borders of Czechoslovakia. Subsequently, the representatives of the Western powers were inclined to the same.

After World War II, the detached Sudetenland returned to Czechoslovakia, the local German population was evicted to Germany and Austria. Czechoslovakia and the FRG drew the final line under the Munich Agreement in an agreement on December 11, 1973, in which it was called "void".

After a whole series of violations of the articles of the Treaty of Versailles (we will discuss them below), the culmination of which was the annexation of Austria (March 12, 1938), Hitler puts forward claims to Czechoslovakia.

This Slavic state is connected with France by a treaty of mutual assistance. Part of his lands (Bohemia and Moravia) is surrounded by German territory.

The border areas are inhabited by a German minority called "Sudet Germans". The Sudetenland, relying on Hitler, insist on autonomy, then, from September 1938, Hitler demands their accession to the Reich.

In England the prime minister Neville Chamberlain leans towards "appeasement" to the acceptance of Hitler's claims. But as soon as the British and French governments agree to the German demands and impose them on Czechoslovakia, Hitler advances new this time declared unacceptable: the Czechs must leave the Sudetenland within a week, leaving their property in place. For a whole week, war seems inevitable; in France, reservists are drafted into the army.

Then Mussolini makes an attempt to play the role of a peacemaker, offering four- Germany, England, France, Italy, - who gather in Munich on September 29 and 30, 1938.

Czechoslovakia is not invited, as is the USSR. Hitler feigns a big concession by refusing the latest demands: the exiled Czechs will be able to sell their property and get 10 days to get out of the lands being handed over to Germany! France and England agree to the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia, from which the border zones inhabited by the Germans, where its defensive fortifications are located, have been taken away.

September 30, before leaving Munich, Chamberlain signs a non-aggression pact with Hitler which he brandishes on his return to London, claiming to have secured "peace for our whole age". In turn, French Prime Minister Daladier, amazed at being greeted at the airport, mutters to his retinue: “Ah, fools… If only they knew!”

Road to Munich

How did they come to this?

Hitler did not hide his intentions, he outlined them in his only book, My Struggle, written during his imprisonment in the Landsberg fortress after the failed coup of 1923 and published in 1925.

In this book, he demands the return to Germany of her colonies and territories lost in 1919, including Alsace and Lorraine. He calls to conquer"necessary land for our German people"in the Slavic countries(Poland, Ukraine, Russia). For this you must first destroy France, hereditary enemy, this country, "which every day becomes more and more Negro" and " poses a constant danger to the white race in Europe because of its support for the goals of Jewish world domination. Finally, Hitler tries to present himself as a fighter against communism, portrayed as an instrument of Jewish domination!

From 1935 to 1938, Hitler put his plan of conquest into practice.

In January 1935, a plebiscite in Sarre (territory under the Treaty of Versailles under French administration) legitimizes his return to Germany. In March 1935, in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, Hitler restores compulsory military service, bringing the size of the German army to 36 divisions, creates military aviation"Luftwaffe". And no response, except for verbal protests.

In March 1936, German troops occupy the demilitarized zone(Rhineland, including part of the left bank of the Rhine). France protests but does nothing.

In July 1936, a group of officers mutiny against the Spanish Republic, where a left-wing coalition, the Popular Front, came to power after elections in February. This will be the beginning of a civil war, which will end only in March 1939 with the victory of the rebels. Their leader, General Franco, having eliminated competitors, receives full power. Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy openly helped the rebels, including by sending troops. The Western powers do nothing to help the Spanish government; on the contrary, they subject him to a real blockade under the flag "non-intervention".

In March 1938, Hitler captured and annexed Austria. And this time there was no response, no opposition.

Hitler raises his stakes by posing as a fighter against communism. Right-wing forces in England and France look at his policies and methods with sympathy. Every time Hitler embarks on another adventure that really threatens the interests and security of Western countries, he accuses those who resist it of being "playing into the hands of Moscow."

At the same time, Hitler every time spreads the rumor that with the satisfaction of his last demand, he will not ask for anything more, and his only desire is peace.

Consequences of the Munich agreements

France, having signed the Munich Agreements and leaving Czechoslovakia to its own devices, destroyed the system of alliances created in the 1920s in Central and Eastern Europe against Germany. She did not fulfill her obligation to help Czechoslovakia, and her authority in Central Europe fell sharply. Poland, where the heirs of Piłsudski strengthened the authoritarian regime, did not wait for Munich and signed a non-aggression pact with Germany in 1934, de facto breaking the alliance with France. After Munich, Poland compromised itself by seizing several square kilometers of Czech territory. Hungary followed suit, occupying the border zone of Slovakia.

The USSR, having concluded a mutual assistance treaty with France in 1934, ratified late and with difficulty by France, doubts the effectiveness of this document, so strongly criticized by the French right-wing parties.

France and England guaranteed the new borders of Czechoslovakia. But in March 1939 Hitler occupied Czech territory, became the "Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia", included in the Reich. At the same time, Slovakia proclaims its independence. Czechoslovakia is thus erased from the political map.

Seven days after the annexation of Czech territory Hitler sends an ultimatum to Lithuania and receives the port of Memel (Klaipeda). Poland joins this ultimatum, in order to obtain recognition from Lithuania "de jure" of the capture in 1923 of part of Lithuania, along with its historical capital, Vilnius (Vilna).

Mussolini, despite the condemnation of the League of Nations, captured in 1934-1935. Ethiopia, and on April 7, 1939 attacked Albania.

On the way to war

Just at this time, Hitler turns against his former ally Poland. He demands the return to the Reich of the free city of Danzig (where the Nazis conquered local power), which had a special status as a natural port of Poland. The latter received access to the Baltic Sea, the Polish "corridor" that separated East Prussia from the rest of Germany. Hitler now demands a railroad and a highway with extraterritorial rights through Polish territory in order to connect East Prussia with the rest of Germany.

In fact, on March 11, Hitler approved the plan for the invasion of Poland, the last date of which was September 1.

From now on, the policy of "appeasement" can no longer be defended. Therefore, the French and British governments are forced to warn Hitler: any attack on Poland would mean a declaration of war.

Negotiations begin with the USSR, but they run into the opposition of Poland, which refuses to allow the entry of Soviet troops into its territory in the event of war.

While negotiations in Moscow drag on, Germany offers the USSR a non-aggression pact, which was signed on August 23.

On September 1, after the Polish “aggression” was staged (an attack on the border radio station by a group of concentration camp prisoners dressed in Polish uniforms, who were later liquidated), Germany attacked Poland without declaring war.

September 3 England, then France declare war on Germany. The Second World War began. It will end only in 1945.

Notes:

At about the same time that the Trojan War was taking place (1200 BC or somewhat later), the once powerful Hittite state (Hatti), located not far away, perished. In the original French, the "Hittites" are called "Hittites". It can be added that Troy was like a bridge connecting the civilizations of southern Europe (the Balkans) and Asia Minor. The historical reality of the existence of Troy, its siege and burning, vividly described by Homer, has been scientifically proven today. Of course, the details of these events and the characters are known to us only in the transfer of Homer (History of the Ancient World. Early Antiquity. 2nd ed. M., 1983. S. 208, 292).

The author rightly notes N. Chamberlain's personal responsibility for the shameful Munich Agreement. Munich has become synonymous with surrender to the aggressor and betrayal of the allies. Chamberlain allowed himself to be intimidated by another of Hitler's bluffs about German military superiority. In reality, in the autumn of 1938, Czechoslovakia had 56 well-trained divisions. She could, having received the military-political support of England and France, successfully resist the aggressor.

Hitler, who recognized only force, treated his Munich interlocutors with contempt. “Our opponents,” he recalled, referring primarily to Chamberlain, “are pitiful worms. I saw them in Munich ”(L.E. Kertman. Joseph Chamberlain and Sons. M., 1990. P. 509).

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

When it comes to the start 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 start. However, it is worth noting that all such unprepossessing exclamations are primarily designed for a modern layman 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 such countries as England, France and partly the United States, which allowed Hitler to take over the country almost without hindrance, which could stop 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 major 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 treaty. Of course, the very “secret protocols” to the Soviet-German non-aggression pact, 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 United States fed Czechoslovakia to Nazi Germany and Poland, spitting on all the allied agreements concluded with it earlier. This was the signal for the imminent start of the Second World War. Since the fault of this crime lies entirely with the indicated countries of the West, today they are trying in every possible way to “turn the arrows” on Russia, engaging in an 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. She 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 same Sudetenland.

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

Please note that the Czechoslovak authorities were 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 were preparing Hitler for his main goal - an attack on the USSR.

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

“Only Bolshevism would profit from this. This should be prevented. It is necessary to recognize the right of the Germans to expand to the South-East.

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

When at the Nuremberg Trials General Field Marshall 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. Munich target(Munich agreement - approx. D.B.) was to oust Russia from Europe, buy time and complete the armament of Germany.

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

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

As a result, the Nazi 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. Isn't that why the British and French premiers Chamberlain and Daladier tried so hard to hand over Czechoslovakia to Hitler? 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 strengthened his army many times over, which significantly influenced his determination to start a war. It is very likely that if Hitler had entered the war with Czechoslovakia, which had allied treaties with the USSR and France, then the war could have ended there.

Therefore, it is quite obvious why today the countries of the Western world are so actively referring to the false "secret agreements" to the Soviet-German non-aggression pact, 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 all should tell the truth about the Munich Agreement, which actually became the main prerequisite for the start of World War II .

Territorial cessions to Czechoslovakia under the Treaty of Munich
1. Sudetenland transferred to the Reich in October 1938
2. Czech Tesin transferred to Poland October 2, 1938
3. Territory occupied by Hungary in November 1938
4. Carpathian Ukraine occupied by Hungary in March 1939
5. Rest of Bohemia turned into Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia in March 1939
6. Satellite State of Slovakia Munich Agreement 1938(also known as the Munich Agreement) - an agreement signed in Munich on September 30, 1938 by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, French Prime Minister Edouard Daladier, German Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler and Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini.
The main content of the agreement:

A) The Sudetenland is separated from Czechoslovakia and transferred to Germany from October 1 to 10;
b) all property, including weapons, fortifications, personal belongings, livestock, furniture of citizens, must remain in place;
c) Czechoslovakia must satisfy the territorial claims of Poland and Hungary.

German ethnic majority In the Czech Republic in the 1930s, the Munich Agreement (Munich Pact) on the annexation of the border lands of Czechoslovakia, inhabited by Germans, to Nazi Germany, was the result of the aggressive policy of Hitler, who proclaimed a revision of the Versailles Peace Treaty of 1919 with the aim of restoring the German Reich, with on the one hand, and the US-backed Anglo-French policy of "appeasement" on the other.
Édouard Daladier (center) with Ribbentrop in Munich Daladier, Hitler and Mussolini The British and French leadership was interested in maintaining the status quo that had developed in Europe as a result of the First World War of 1914-1918, and considered the policy of the Soviet Union and the world communist movement as the main danger to their countries. The leaders of Great Britain and France sought political and territorial concessions at the expense of the countries of Central and South-Eastern Europe to satisfy the expansionist claims of Germany and Italy, to reach a "broad" agreement with them and thereby ensure their own security, pushing the German-Italian aggression in an easterly direction.
The Sudetenland belonged to the most industrialized regions of Czechoslovakia. In the region, 3,300,000 people were densely residing ethnic, the so-called Sudeten Germans. Hitler from the very beginning of his political activity demanded their reunification with Germany, repeatedly made attempts to implement this demand.
October 2, 1938. National celebration In March 1938, without any opposition from the Western states, Germany made a forcible seizure (Anschluss) of Austria. After that, the German onslaught on Czechoslovakia intensified sharply. On April 24, 1938, the fascist Sudeten German Party (SNP) of Konrad Henlein, at the direction of Hitler, put forward a demand to grant autonomy to the Sudetenland.
The government of the USSR declared its readiness to fulfill its obligations under the Soviet-Czechoslovak treaty of 1935, which provided for the provision by the Soviet Union of assistance to Czechoslovakia in the event of aggression against it, subject to the simultaneous provision of such assistance by France.
On September 13, the Nazi leadership inspired a revolt of the Sudeten fascists, and after it was suppressed by the Czechoslovak government, they began to openly threaten Czechoslovakia with an armed invasion. On September 15, at a meeting with Hitler in Berchtesgaden, British Prime Minister Chamberlain agreed to Germany's demand to transfer part of Czechoslovak territory to her. Two days later the British government approved the "principle of self-determination", as the German annexation of the Sudetenland was called.
On September 19, 1938, the Czechoslovak government transmitted to the Soviet government a request to give an early answer to the question: a) provide the USSR, according to the treaty, with immediate real assistance, if France remains loyal and also provides assistance; b) help the USSR to Czechoslovakia as a member of the League of Nations.
Having discussed this request on September 20, the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks considered it possible to give positive answers to both of these questions. On September 21, the Soviet ambassador in Prague confirmed the readiness of the Soviet Union to provide such assistance. However, submitting to Anglo-French pressure, the Czechoslovak government capitulated, agreeing to satisfy Hitler's Berchtesgaden demands.
On September 22-23, Chamberlain again met with Hitler, who further strengthened the demands on Czechoslovakia and the deadlines for their implementation.
Taking advantage of the moment, Poland and Hungary expressed their territorial demands. This allowed Hitler to justify the annexation of the Sudetenland by the "international" nature of the demands on Czechoslovakia. In this situation, at the initiative of Mussolini, on September 29-30, 1938, a meeting of representatives of England, France, Germany and Italy was held in Munich, at which on September 30, without the participation of representatives of Czechoslovakia, the Munich Agreement was signed (dated September 29).
According to this treaty, Czechoslovakia was supposed to clear the Sudetenland from October 1 to October 10 with all fortifications, structures, communication routes, factories, stocks of weapons, etc. Prague also pledged to satisfy the territorial claims of Hungary and Poland within three months. Additionally, a declaration was adopted in which Great Britain and France gave guarantees of the new borders of Czechoslovakia.
The government of Czechoslovakia obeyed the agreement adopted in Munich, and on October 1, 1938, units of the Wehrmacht occupied the Sudetenland. As a result, Czechoslovakia lost about 1/5 of its territory, about 5 million people (including 1.25 million Czechs and Slovaks), as well as 33% of industrial enterprises. The accession of the Sudetenland was a decisive step towards the final liquidation of the state independence of Czechoslovakia, which followed in March 1939, when Germany seized the entire territory of the country.
The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Czechoslovak state were restored as a result of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. According to the 1973 Mutual Relations Agreement, Czechoslovakia and the Federal Republic of Germany recognized the Munich Agreement, "meaning their mutual relations in accordance with this treaty, void."

The Munich Agreement (Munich Agreement) on the accession of the border lands of Czechoslovakia, inhabited by Germans, to Nazi Germany, was signed on September 30, 1938 by representatives of Great Britain (Neville Chamberlain), France (Edouard Daladier), Germany (Adolf Hitler) and Italy (Benito Mussolini). It was the result of the aggressive policy of Hitler, who proclaimed a revision of the Versailles Peace Treaty of 1919 with the aim of restoring the German Reich, on the one hand, and the Anglo-French policy of "appeasement" supported by the United States, on the other.

The British and French leadership was interested in maintaining the status quo that had developed in Europe as a result of the First World War of 1914-1918, and considered the policy of the Soviet Union and the world communist movement as the main danger to their countries. The leaders of Great Britain and France sought to satisfy the expansionist claims of Germany and Italy through political and territorial concessions at the expense of the countries of Central and South-Eastern Europe, to reach a "broad" agreement with them and thereby ensure their own security, pushing German-Italian aggression in an easterly direction.

(Military Encyclopedia. Military Publishing. Moscow. In 8 volumes, 2004)

The Sudetenland belonged to the most industrialized regions of Czechoslovakia. In the region, 3.3 million people were densely residing ethnic, the so-called Sudeten Germans. From the very beginning of his political activity, Hitler demanded their reunification with Germany, and repeatedly made attempts to fulfill this demand.

In March 1938, without any opposition from the Western powers, Germany carried out the forcible seizure (Anschluss) of Austria. After that, German pressure on Czechoslovakia intensified sharply. On April 24, 1938, the fascist Sudeto German Party (SNP) of Konrad Henlein, at the direction of Hitler, put forward a demand for autonomy for the Sudetenland.

The government of the USSR declared its readiness to fulfill its obligations under the Soviet-Czechoslovak treaty of 1935, which provided for the provision of assistance by the Soviet Union to Czechoslovakia in the event of aggression against it, subject to the simultaneous provision of such assistance by France.

On September 13, the Nazi leadership inspired a revolt of the Sudeten fascists, and after it was suppressed by the Czechoslovak government, they began to openly threaten Czechoslovakia with an armed invasion. On September 15, at a meeting with Hitler in Berchtesgaden, British Prime Minister Chamberlain agreed to Germany's demand to transfer part of Czechoslovak territory to her. Two days later, the British government approved the "principle of self-determination," as the German annexation of the Sudetenland was called.

On September 19, 1938, the Czechoslovak government transmitted to the Soviet government a request to give an answer as soon as possible to the following questions: a) will the USSR, according to the treaty, provide immediate real assistance if France remains loyal and also provides assistance; b) whether the USSR will help Czechoslovakia as a member of the League of Nations.

Having discussed this request on September 20, the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks considered it possible to give positive answers to both of these questions. On September 21, the Soviet ambassador in Prague confirmed the readiness of the Soviet Union to provide such assistance. However, submitting to Anglo-French pressure, the Czechoslovak government capitulated, agreeing to satisfy Hitler's Berchtesgaden demands.

On September 22-23, Chamberlain again met with Hitler, who further tightened the requirements for Czechoslovakia and the deadlines for their implementation.

Taking advantage of the moment, Poland and Hungary expressed their territorial claims. This allowed Hitler to justify the annexation of the Sudetenland by the "international" nature of the demands on Czechoslovakia. In this situation, on the initiative of Mussolini, on September 29-30, 1938, a meeting of representatives of England, France, Germany and Italy was held in Munich, at which the Munich Agreement was signed on September 30 without the participation of representatives of Czechoslovakia (dated September 29).

According to this agreement, Czechoslovakia was supposed to clear the Sudetenland from October 1 to October 10 with all fortifications, structures, communication routes, factories, stocks of weapons, etc. Prague also pledged to satisfy the territorial claims of Hungary and Poland within three months. Additionally, a declaration was adopted in which Great Britain and France gave guarantees to the new borders of Czechoslovakia.

The government of Czechoslovakia obeyed the agreement adopted in Munich, and on October 1, 1938, units of the Wehrmacht occupied the Sudetenland. As a result, Czechoslovakia lost about 1/5 of its territory, about 5 million people (including 1.25 million Czechs and Slovaks), as well as 33% of industrial enterprises. The accession of the Sudetenland was a decisive step towards the final liquidation of the state independence of Czechoslovakia, which followed in March 1939, when Germany seized the entire territory of the country.

The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Czechoslovak state were restored as a result of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. According to the Treaty on Mutual Relations of 1973, Czechoslovakia and the Federal Republic of Germany recognized the Munich Agreement, "meaning their mutual relations in accordance with this Treaty, void".

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources.