Why was important to take Czechoslovakia before WW2

Documentary cut of world war II movie. On the 29th of September 1938, the four European leaders:Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, Neville Chamberlain and Edouard Daladier met in Hitler's Munich. The Czechoslovak President Benes was not invited and neither was the Soviet leader Stalin.
As a matter of fact Benes was allowed to come to the meeting but merely as an observer and he was not allowed to actively participate. One could say that Hitler only wanted him there if they had some practical questions about the actual splitting of his country. Benes received the papers after the negotiation, but only to sign them. The Czechoslovak people still refer to this meeting as the meeting that decided their future WITHOUT THEM.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• History
• 1938
• world
• war
• WW2
• czechoslovakia
• munich
• agreement
• disloyalty
• treason
• avalon
• project
• sLOVEnsko
• slovakia

[kibicz]

@AustrianAtheist Because there was no Sudetenland.

[TheAmHera]

@AustrianAtheist

I am sorry. You are absolutely right regarding the WWI problem, I just focused on the Sudeten part. Czechoslovakia had conflicts with Poland and Hungary too. Even now Czech Rep. "occupies" a small former part of Poland. Interesting point of yours about S. Tyrol, I never realized this.

To be short: I have my personal reasons to feel that not everything is rightful here. Borders move. But I would like to see Europe united for the problems that are about to come.

[AustrianAtheist]

So now you blame WWI only on Germany? You cannot be serious! Austria-Hungary, Russia, all mayor powers were to blame for WWI, not only Germany.

Of course Germany after 1933 was much worse than Czechoslovakia ever was and yes, all these shameful Nazi-crimes happened, but I think the occupation of East Prussia/Sudetenland/.. by Poland/Czechoslovakia also led to a rise of German nationalism.

I live in South Tyrol, We like Italians, but why are we still occupied by Italy since 1919?

[TheAmHera]

@AustrianAtheist

The winners of WWI knew Germany was dangerous. The WWI was a shock that noone wanted to repeat. So it was strategical to assume Czechoslovakian western borders within the historical Lands of Czech Crown.

I have read that minorities in Cz-kia had their rights based on resident percentage. There were no violent raids on Germans, like in Germany on Jews. And I am pretty sure that WWII was not about liberating Germans in Czechoslovakia.

[AustrianAtheist]

Which historical borders? We were both ruled by Habsburg? National identities did never exist for the nobility. Monarchy was destroyed with the argument that "each people should rule itself"

But then 3,5 million Germans were forced to live with 6,5 million Czechoslovaks in one czechoslovak state, withput any minority rights. The German social democrats could not achieve any compromise. The mountain-argument just shows that they knew in 1919 that the German people would want freedom. :(

[PomeranianWolf]

Czech could fight but they are cowards.

[TheAmHera]

@AustrianAtheist

Why Czechoslovakia was not declared on purely national principle?

Czechoslovaks demanded their historical borders. Plus a land you can defend by manning the mountains.

[AustrianAtheist]

Please don't get me wrong. I love czech people, I want peace and I do not want to redo history.

That being said, why was Sudetenland, Boehmerwald given to the Czechoslovakia in 1919? It was nearly 100% German? 3 millions Germans/Austrians live there. So why was it not given to German-Austria? And they did not get any autonomy... Even many czechs at that time, did not agree with this policy! I will never understand, why this gets never mentioned in western media.

Peace

[TheZeke256]

@AustrianAtheist yes, thats true, but, as a czech, when germany have lost the WW1, they didnt give us anything, that Austria-Hungary has gived us a land to have our own state... Sorry for english, but i had to say that

[IustitiaPax]

@KarlosTheMighty Your grandmother almost died (like your grandfather 'escaped' a death sentence allegedly). So many coincidences in your story. The Allied phosphor bombing and timebomb droppings against Berlin were a fact, and many Dutch and German workers suffered too. So what is so special about your statements? You only repeat more insults and primitive language.