LEARNING GUIDE N°2

“THE END OF APPEASEMENT”

Introduction
After the Austrian Anschluss, Hitler had intentions to get Czechoslovakia. This new
state, created by the Treaty of Versailles, included a large number of Germans in the
Sudetenland area. The Sudetenland Germans (stirred up by the Nazis) demanded to
be part of Germany again.

Due to the Munich Agreement, Hitler got the Sudetenland on 29 September 1938.

On 15 March 1939, German troops marched into Czechoslovakia. They took over
Bohemia, and established a protectorate over Slovakia.

Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia was the end of appeasement.

In this guide you will learn about the Sudetenland crisis, the Nazi
invasion of Czechoslovakia and the end of Appeasement (pages 62 to 65
of the book).

Glossary

-air raids
-Hitler´s aims -shelter
-Appeasement -reluctant
-last ditch effort
-Anschluss -Munich Agreement
1 -Sudetenland
 Historical Context

The Sudeten Crisis

(source: https://pt.slideshare.net/AlinaClaps/czechoslovakia-60286408?ref=)

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 Before 1938, Britain had already given way to Hitler on a number of
occasions, but it was the events of the Sudetenland crisis which showed
appeasement in action, trying to buy off Hitler by giving way to his demands.
On 11 March 1938, Hitler invaded Austria. It was clear he wanted to do the
same in the Sudetenland. On 7 September 1938, the German Sudeten Party
demanded union with Germany.
 There were riots.
 German newsreels showed ‘evidence’ of Czech ‘atrocities’
against the Sudeten Germans.
 Hitler threatened to support the Sudeten Germans with military
force.

Then Chamberlain (the British Prime Minister) intervened:

1. Chamberlain met Hitler at Berchtesgaden (15 September).
 Hitler promised him that this was the ‘last problem to be solved’.
 Chamberlain decided Hitler was ‘a man who can be relied upon’.
 Chamberlain persuaded the Czechs to hand over the Sudetenland.

2. Chamberlain met Hitler at Bad Godesberg (22 September).

 Hitler made more demands.
 At first Chamberlain refused, but then he decided that Czechoslovakia was
not one of the ‘great issues’ which justified war, but just ‘a quarrel in a far-
away country between people of whom we know nothing’.

3. Britain and France made a Pact with Hitler at Munich (The Munich
Agreement, 29 September). The Munich Agreement terms were:
 They gave the Sudetenland to Germany.
 Czechoslovakia was not even invited to the talks. The Czechs were free to
fight if they wished, but they had no support. They chose not to fight.

This is an example of the policy known as “Appeasement”, which Britain

and France used with Germany. After the meeting, the leaders of Britain and
France, announced that Czechoslovakia was to lose the Sudetenland.

On 1 October 1938, Hitler marched unopposed into the Sudetenland. He said that
it was the start of a 1000-year German Reich (empire).

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 The story of the Sudetenland, through a diagram

(source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/ztydcwx/revision/2)

In this diagram are represented all the steps that led to the invasion of the
Sudetenland by Germany in 1938, and that were described on the previous
page.

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 The End of Appeasement

As soon as the Munich agreement had been signed and German troops
were entering the Sudetenland, Hitler was plotting the occupation of
Czechoslovakia. Finally, on 15 March 1939, German troops marched
into Czechoslovakia. They took over Bohemia, and established a
protectorate over Slovakia.

Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia was the end of appeasement for

several reasons:

on 17th
March,
it showed that on 31st
Chamberlain
Hitler was not March,
it proved that gave a speech
just interested Chamberlain
Hitler had saying that he
in a 'Greater guaranteed to
been lying at could not
Germany' (the defend Poland
Munich trust Hitler
Czechs were if Germany
not to invade
not Germans) invaded
other
countries

(source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/ztydcwx/revision/5)

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 Remember to read the
instructions correctly
before solving them!

Activity N°1

Instructions:

1- Read and underline the pages about the Sudetenland and the end
of Appeasement, and write individually in the Discussion group
titled ‘The Sudetenland and the end of Appeasement’:

Which were Hitler’s first intentions concerning the Sudetenland and

why did he change his mind?