The Sudeten Crisis, 1938

What was the Sudetenland Crisis?

In late 1938, Hitler began to reveal his intention to expand into the Sudetenland, an area around the border of Germany and Czechoslovakia.

Why did Hitler want the Sudetenland?

There were a number of reasons why there was controversy over the Sudetenland.

• ❖ It contained 3.5 million German-speakers.
• ❖ It was on the border between Germany and Czechoslovakia and was surrounded by German territory on three sides.
• ❖ The Sudeten Germans, led by Konrad Henlein, complained they were discriminated against by the Czech government.
• ❖ Czechoslovakia contained a number of other national groups, such as Poles and Hungarians, so those countries felt that they had claims to it as well.
• ❖ To Hitler, Czechoslovakia was a symbol of the despised Versailles settlement.
• ❖ The Sudetenland was a prosperous part of Czechoslovakia. It had deposits of coal and lignite, the Skoda armaments factory and a significant proportion of the Czech army stationed there.

What was happening in the Sudetenland?

In 1938, Hitler encouraged unrest among the Sudeten Germans.

• ❖ He encouraged the Sudeten Germans to protest against the Czech government.
• ❖ He threatened to seize the Sudetenland in May 1938 but backed down at the prospect of war with France and the USSR, as well as Czechoslovakia.
• ❖ The Czech government accepted demands made by the Sudeten Germans in June 1938.
• ❖ However, the tensions continued to escalate, with Sudeten Germans beginning to arm and riot.

How did other countries respond to the Sudetenland Crisis?

Other countries had an interest in the situation in Czechoslovakia and began to intervene.

• ❖ The USSR had an alliance with Czechoslovakia.
• ❖ France had an alliance with Czechoslovakia and was supported by Britain.
• ❖ Britain played a diplomatic role in the crisis. In September 1938 British prime minister Neville Chamberlain had two meetings with Hitler.
• ❖ At the first, on 15th September in Bavaria, Chamberlain agreed that areas of the Sudetenland with a German majority should be given to Germany if Britain, France and Czechoslovakia agreed.
• ❖ On 22nd September 1938 in the Rhineland, Chamberlain had gained the approval of the other countries but Hitler now demanded Germany's immediate possession of the Sudetenland and withdrawal by the Czechs.
• ❖ War seemed inevitable, but then Mussolini and Chamberlain suggested an international conference at Munich to settle the argument.

How did the Sudetenland Crisis lead to the Munich Conference?

The actions of Hitler in Czechoslovakia led to the Munich Conference in 1938.

• ❖ In March 1938, Hitler met with the leader of the Czech Nazi Party, Konrad Henlein, and asked him to demand more autonomy for the Sudeten Germans from the Czech government.
• ❖ In April 1938, German troops started to gather on the border and the Czech President, Benes, also readied his troops for war.
• ❖ Hitler used propaganda to exaggerate atrocities by Czechs against Sudeten Germans. Britain and France asked the Czechs to make concessions to the Sudeten Germans.
• ❖ On 9th September, the Czech government agreed to allow a plebiscite in the German-speaking parts of the Sudetenland so people could choose to unite with Germany.
• ❖ On 12th September, a speech by Hitler encouraged riots by Sudeten Germans against the Czech government.
• ❖ On 15th September, Chamberlain met with Hitler to try to secure peace.
• ❖ On 22nd September, Hitler refused to accept this deal and demanded the whole of the Sudetenland, not just the German-speaking parts. Chamberlain returned to Britain and prepared for war.
• ❖ Hitler agreed to another peace conference with Britain, France and Italy. This was called the Munich Conference.