Ruqayyah Snyder
On March 12, 1938, Hitler invaded Austria, marking the first act of territorial aggression and expansion by Nazi Germany. Six months later, Hitler set his sights on Czechoslovakia, invading the Sudetenland region in September 1938. This invasion was followed by the occupation of the remaining Czech provinces in March 1939, despite the Munich Pact's promise to preserve Czechoslovakia's independence. By the end of 1939, Czechoslovakia had disappeared from the map, paving the way for Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland and the start of World War II.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of invasion of Austria | 12 March 1938 |
| German troops in Austria | 8th Army of the German Wehrmacht |
| Austrian greeting to German troops | Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers |
| Nickname for the invasion | Blumenkrieg ("Flower War") |
| Date of the Munich Agreement | 29-30 September 1938 |
| Signatories of the Munich Agreement | Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, French Premier Edouard Daladier, and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain |
| Effect of the Munich Agreement | Ceded the Sudetenland to Germany |
| Date of invasion of Czechoslovakia | 15 March 1939 |
| German demand to Czechoslovakia | Free passage for German troops into Czech borders |
| German threat to Czechoslovakia | Bombing raid against Prague |
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What You'll Learn
Hitler's interest in Czechoslovakia was largely economic
After annexing Austria in March 1938, Hitler turned his attention to Czechoslovakia. Hitler's interest in Czechoslovakia was largely driven by economic factors. Germany had the world's second-largest economy, but its agricultural sector could not feed its population, and there was a shortage of raw materials, which had to be imported. The Four-Year Plan, launched in September 1936, aimed to prepare the German economy for "total war" by 1940, but it strained the German economy as the government had to spend its foreign exchange reserves on food and raw materials.
Hitler believed that seizing Czechoslovakia would increase the food supply under German control, reducing the need to import food and freeing up foreign exchange to import raw materials. Czechoslovakia had Europe's 7th largest economy and the most modern, developed, and industrialized economy in Eastern Europe. It was the only nation in Eastern Europe besides the Soviet Union that manufactured its own weapons, and it was the world's 7th largest manufacturer of arms.
Hitler's economic motivations for invading Czechoslovakia were evident in the terms of the Munich Pact, signed on September 30, 1938, by Hitler, Benito Mussolini, French Premier Edouard Daladier, and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. The pact handed over the Sudetenland, a part of Czechoslovakia with 3 million ethnic Germans, to Germany. However, it also gave Germany control over 66% of Czechoslovakia's coal, 70% of its iron and steel, and 70% of its electrical power, leaving the Czech nation vulnerable to complete German domination.
Hitler used the smoldering quarrel between the Slovaks and the Czechs as a pretext for occupying the whole of Bohemia and Moravia on March 15, 1939. During a meeting with Czech President Emil Hacha, Hitler threatened a bombing raid on Prague unless he obtained free passage for German troops into Czech borders. On the same day, German troops entered Bohemia and Moravia, and by evening, Hitler made a triumphant entry into Prague.
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The Munich Pact failed to prevent German domination
The Munich Pact, also known as the Munich Agreement, was signed on September 30, 1938, by the leaders of Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, the French Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy. The pact was a result of protracted diplomatic activity in 1938, with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain flying to meet Hitler in Germany on three occasions in September in an attempt to reach an agreement over the Czech crisis.
The agreement provided for the German annexation of part of Czechoslovakia called the Sudetenland, where more than three million people, mainly ethnic Germans, lived. The pact is also known in some areas as the Munich Betrayal because it betrayed a previous alliance agreement with Czechoslovakia. The agreement sealed the fate of Czechoslovakia, virtually handing it over to Germany in the name of peace. While the pact was intended to prevent war and was initially greeted with relief and jubilation in Britain, it ultimately failed to prevent German domination.
Hitler had expansionist aims, which became clear in 1936 when his forces entered the Rhineland, and in March 1938 when he annexed Austria. Despite his promise of 'no more territorial demands in Europe', Hitler was undeterred by appeasement. In March 1939, he violated the Munich Agreement by occupying the rest of Czechoslovakia, creating the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. This was achieved by exploiting the quarrel between the Slovaks and the Czechs and threatening a bombing raid on Prague unless he obtained free passage for German troops.
Winston Churchill, one of the few to oppose appeasement of Hitler, described the Munich Agreement as 'an unmitigated disaster'. The failure of the pact to prevent German domination became even more apparent when, six months after occupying Czechoslovakia, Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, leading Britain to declare war.
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Czechoslovakia was occupied by the Wehrmacht
On March 15, 1939, Hitler's forces invaded and occupied Czechoslovakia, which was already vulnerable to complete German domination after the Munich Pact. This invasion was preceded by a series of events that began with Hitler's speech on February 20, 1938, where he stated Germany's intention to seize Austria and Czechoslovakia. On March 12, 1938, German troops occupied Austria, and Hitler turned his attention to Czechoslovakia.
The Munich Agreement in September 1938 gave Nazi Germany control of the Sudetenland, an industrial region in Czechoslovakia with a predominantly ethnic German population. This agreement, signed by Hitler, Chamberlain, Mussolini, and Daladier, handed over 66% of Czechoslovakia's coal, 70% of its iron and steel, and 70% of its electrical power to the Nazi war machine. Despite the Czech government's attempts to appease Hitler, rumours persisted about the incorporation of Czechoslovakia into the Reich.
Hitler used the quarrel between the Slovaks and the Czechs to his advantage and, on March 14, 1939, Slovakia declared its "independence," completely dependent on Germany. The next day, during a meeting with the weak and possibly senile Czech President Emil Hacha, Hitler threatened a bombing raid on Prague unless he obtained free passage for German troops into Czechoslovakia. Thus, Czechoslovakia was occupied by the Wehrmacht, with Hitler achieving his goal of dismantling Czechoslovakia by recognising Slovakia's "independence" and making the rest of the nation a protectorate.
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Hitler's invasion of Austria was his first act of territorial expansion
Hitler had long desired a union between Austria and Germany, which he believed would form a "Greater Germany." The idea of the Anschluss gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, and the subsequent Republic of German-Austria attempted to form a union with Germany. However, the 1919 Treaty of Saint Germain and Treaty of Versailles forbade such a union and stripped Austria of some of its territories.
Hitler's invasion of Austria was met with little resistance, and he was greeted by cheering Austrians with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers. The ease of this conquest may have tempted Hitler to continue his expansionist policies, as he soon turned his attention to Czechoslovakia.
Hitler's forces invaded and occupied Czechoslovakia on March 15, 1939, just over a year after the invasion of Austria. This invasion proved the futility of the Munich Pact, which had been signed by Britain, France, Germany, and Italy in an attempt to prevent Germany's imperial aims. The Munich Pact had already handed over the Sudetenland, a part of Czechoslovakia with a large ethnic German population, to Germany, along with significant resources. Hitler used the ongoing dispute between the Slovaks and Czechs to create a crisis that served as a pretext for the occupation of Bohemia and Moravia.
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Hitler's invasion of Austria was unopposed
Hitler's invasion of Austria in 1938, known as the Anschluss, was indeed unopposed. On March 11, Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg became aware of Hitler's plan to invade and decided to hold a plebiscite, or national vote, to determine whether Austria would remain independent or become part of the Third Reich. Hitler, upon learning of this, decided to invade immediately to prevent the plebiscite from taking place.
Hitler sent an ultimatum to von Schuschnigg, demanding he hand over power to the Austrian Nazis or face an invasion. The ultimatum was set to expire at noon but was extended by two hours. Without waiting for a response, Hitler signed the order to send troops into Austria at one o'clock. Von Schuschnigg sought support for Austrian independence but realised that neither France nor Britain was willing to offer assistance. He resigned on the evening of March 11, but President Wilhelm Miklas refused to appoint an Austrian Nazi as the next chancellor.
On March 12, the 8th Army of the German Wehrmacht crossed the Austrian border and was greeted by cheering Austrians with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers. The invasion, dubbed the "Flower War," saw no shots fired as the Austrian government had ordered the Austrian Bundesheer not to resist. Hitler himself crossed the border that afternoon, riding in a car with a 4,000-man bodyguard.
Hitler's invasion of Austria was part of his larger plan to seize Austria and Czechoslovakia, as he believed that their economies would boost Germany's lead in the arms race. The unopposed annexation of Austria was followed by Hitler's dismantling of Czechoslovakia in March 1939, where he recognised the independence of Slovakia and made the rest of the nation a protectorate.
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Frequently asked questions
Hitler's invasion of Austria, known as the Anschluss, was the Nazi German regime’s first act of territorial aggression and expansion. On 11 March 1938, Hitler gave the Austrian government an ultimatum: to hand over power to the Austrian Nazis or face an invasion. The ultimatum was set to expire at noon, but was extended by two hours. On 12 March, the German army crossed the Austrian border, unopposed by the Austrian military. The invading forces were greeted by cheering Austrians with Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, and flowers. The Austrian government had ordered the Austrian Bundesheer not to resist.
The international response to the Anschluss was publicly moderate. The British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, spoke about the "Austrian situation" in the House of Commons, noting that the British ambassador in Berlin objected to the use of "coercion, backed by force" that undermined Austria's independence. However, neither France nor Britain offered assistance to Austria, and Hitler faced no military response from the Allies for breaking the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany.
Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia was motivated by economic interests and the desire to seize control of key military defences in the Sudetenland region, which bordered Germany. On 29-30 September 1938, the Munich Pact was signed, conceding the Sudetenland to Germany in exchange for a pledge of peace. However, on 15 March 1939, Hitler invaded the Czech provinces of Bohemia and Moravia, breaking the Munich Pact. German troops met practically no resistance. By the end of 1939, Czechoslovakia had completely disappeared from the map.
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