Damon Mcknight
Czechoslovakia and Austria were defeated and annexed by Nazi Germany in the late 1930s. The annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, occurred in March 1938 and marked a significant breach of the post-World War I international order. This was followed by the invasion and occupation of Czechoslovakia, which began with the annexation of the Sudetenland in 1938 and culminated in the complete takeover of the country by March 1939. The defeat of Czechoslovakia and Austria by Nazi Germany was the result of a combination of economic, military, and political factors, and it had far-reaching consequences for the region and the course of World War II.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Czechoslovakia's defeat | 15 March 1939 |
| Date of Austria's defeat | March 1938 |
| Reason for Hitler's interest in Czechoslovakia | Economic and military |
| Czechoslovakia's status by the end of 1939 | Completely disappeared from the map |
| Reason for Austria's defeat | Annexation by Nazi Germany |
| Result of Austria's defeat | Austria ceased to exist |
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What You'll Learn
The Anschluss of Austria in 1938
In the 1920s and 1930s, Austria faced economic challenges and a sense of vulnerability following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I. Many Austrians questioned their country's ability to survive economically without the resources of the former empire. Some sought to restore a form of the empire, while others advocated for unification with Germany, a sentiment fuelled by Nazi propaganda. By 1936, the German boycott had severely impacted Austria's economy, making it increasingly difficult for the country to maintain its independence.
On March 11, 1938, the tension escalated as Hitler delivered a series of ultimatums to the Austrian government, demanding that Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg cancel a planned plebiscite on Austrian independence and resign from his position. Schuschnigg acquiesced, and on March 12, German troops crossed the border into Austria, encountering no armed resistance. The invasion, dubbed the "Blumenkrieg" ("Flower War") due to the warm welcome they received, was a watershed moment in Nazi Germany's foreign policy.
The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany violated the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of the two countries. However, the international community did not intervene or punish Nazi Germany for these violations, setting a precedent of appeasement that allowed Hitler to continue his expansionist agenda unchecked. The Anschluss marked the beginning of a process of "Nazification" in Austria, with Austrian and German Nazis working together to integrate all aspects of Austrian life into the Nazi regime. This included the persecution of Austria's Jewish population, who faced violence and oppression.
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The Munich Agreement
In the lead-up to the agreement, Hitler had threatened to unleash a European war if his demands were not met. Czechoslovakia, which was not a party to the Munich negotiations, was informed by Britain and France that it could either resist Nazi Germany alone or submit to the prescribed annexations. Realising the futility of fighting the Nazis without external support, the Czechoslovak government reluctantly capitulated on the 30th of September 1938.
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The Sudetenland annexation
However, over the next two decades, some Germans in the Sudetenland continued to strive for separation from Czechoslovakia. The Sudeten German population's initial resistance to Czechoslovak rule gradually shifted towards increasing approval of German nationalist, anti-Czech, and anti-Semitic propaganda disseminated by the Sudeten German (or Nazi) Party during the mid-1930s. Led by Konrad Henlein, the party exploited the dissatisfaction of unemployed workers in the Sudetenland, where the heavily industrialised economy had been impacted by the Great Depression. In the parliamentary elections of May 1935, the party received almost two-thirds of the Sudeten German vote.
In 1938, the Sudeten crisis was provoked by the Pan-Germanist demands of Nazi Germany that the Sudetenland be annexed. This demand was justified by Germany on ethnic grounds, asserting that the population of the Sudetenland was ethnically German and that annexation would return them to their 'home' country. On September 29, 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier, Italian leader Benito Mussolini, and German Chancellor Adolf Hitler met in Munich and agreed to cede the Sudetenland to Germany. No Czechoslovak representative was invited to these discussions. On October 1, 1938, Hitler annexed the Sudetenland, giving Germany control of the extensive Czechoslovak border fortifications in this area.
The annexation of the Sudetenland had significant consequences. It left the rest of Czechoslovakia with a largely indefensible northwestern border, and just six months later, in March 1939, Hitler invaded and occupied the rest of Czechoslovakia. This marked the end of Chamberlain's appeasement policy, and in response to Hitler's annexation of Czechoslovakia, Britain pledged military support to Poland in the event of a German attack. This became known as the Polish Guarantee.
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The fall of Czechoslovakia
Hitler's interest in Czechoslovakia was largely economic. Germany had the second-largest economy in the world, but its agriculture was insufficient to feed its population, and it lacked many raw materials. The Four-Year Plan, launched in 1936, aimed to prepare Germany for "total war" by 1940, but it strained the German economy, forcing the government to use its foreign exchange reserves to import food and raw materials.
Hitler's expansionist policies began with the annexation of Austria in March 1938, violating the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which forbade the unification of Austria and Germany. This was followed by the Sudetenland Crisis in the summer of 1938, where Hitler demanded the annexation of the Sudetenland, a region in Czechoslovakia with a majority German population. On September 29-30, 1938, the British, Italian, French, and German leaders met in Munich and agreed to the Munich Pact, conceding the Sudetenland to Germany in exchange for a pledge of peace. This effectively sealed Czechoslovakia's fate, handing over its resources and leaving the country vulnerable to complete German domination.
Hitler's ambitions were not appeased, and he continued to pressure Czechoslovakia. In March 1939, Slovakia, under threat of invasion, declared its "independence" (in reality, complete dependence on Germany). On March 15, 1939, Hitler met with Czech President Emil Hacha and threatened a bombing raid on Prague unless he obtained free passage for German troops. On the same day, German troops invaded and occupied the Czech provinces of Bohemia and Moravia, establishing a protectorate over Slovakia. This was the final concession of the policy of appeasement, and Britain and France began preparing for war.
By the end of 1939, Czechoslovakia had completely disappeared from the map. The German occupation of Czechoslovakia strengthened Germany's position and allowed it to invade Poland, leading to Britain and France declaring war on Germany on September 3, 1939, marking the start of World War II.
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The start of World War II
World War II, also known as the Second World War, was the largest and deadliest conflict in human history, involving more than 50 nations and resulting in an estimated 60 to 85 million deaths. The war was fought on land, sea, and air across the globe and was caused by various factors, including the economic crisis of the Great Depression, unresolved political tensions after World War I, the rise of fascism in Europe, and militarism in Japan.
In the lead-up to World War II, several key events set the stage for the global conflict. One significant event was the German annexation of Austria, also known as the Anschluss, in March 1938. This marked a significant breach of the post-World War I international order and demonstrated Nazi Germany's aggressive expansionist policies. The international community's failure to intervene or punish Germany for this violation set the tone for further appeasement.
Another important prelude to World War II was the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, which began with the annexation of the Sudetenland in 1938 and concluded with the invasion of the remaining Czech lands, including Prague, in March 1939. Czechoslovakia had a strong economy and a modern army, making it an important player in the global arms trade. Hitler's interest in Czechoslovakia was driven by economic factors, as he sought to exploit the country's industrial and agricultural resources to support his war efforts.
The invasion of Czechoslovakia marked a turning point in the lead-up to World War II. It signalled the end of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasement towards Hitler and led to a guarantee to defend Poland if Germany invaded. This promise would soon be tested as Hitler turned his attention to Poland, signing a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union in late August 1939 to secure his eastern flank.
On September 1, 1939, Nazi Germany, under Adolf Hitler, invaded Poland from the west, sparking the beginning of World War II. Two days later, France and Britain declared war on Germany, honouring their commitment to Poland. With the invasion of Poland, the world was plunged into a conflict that would rage until 1945, leaving behind a legacy of devastation and transformation in its wake.
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Frequently asked questions
Czechoslovakia was defeated by Nazi Germany in March 1939.
Czechoslovakia was surrounded by German territory following the annexation of Austria in March 1938. In September 1938, the Munich Pact was signed, sealing the fate of Czechoslovakia. This was followed by the German invasion of Czechoslovakia in March 1939.
The Munich Pact was signed on September 30, 1938, by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, French Premier Edouard Daladier, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, and Adolf Hitler. The pact handed over the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Germany, along with a significant portion of its natural resources.
The defeat of Czechoslovakia had far-reaching consequences. It marked the end of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasement towards Nazi Germany. It also led to the British pledge of military support to Poland, which became a major factor in the outbreak of World War II. By the end of 1939, Czechoslovakia had completely disappeared from the map.
