Czech leader Edvard Benes was appalled by Anschluss and wanted British and French promises for protection against the Germans. Both countries promised to protect Czechoslovakia.

Hitler's interest lay in the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia due to the heavy population of Germans. In May 1938, Hitler expressed support for Sudeten Germans, threatening invasion if Czechoslovakia did not hand the region over. Benes was prepared to fight. The Czechoslovakian's had a modern army and British support. Tensions rose and led to crisis talks in Munich in September 1938.

In a last attempt to avoid war, talks where held in Munich over German actions in Czechoslovakia.

On the 29th September 1938, Mussolini, Hitler, Daladier and Chamberlain gathered for the Four Power Summit in Munich
Under the Munich Agreement the leaders decided to give the Sudeteneland to Hitler
Neither the Czechs nor the USSR were consulted over the agreement
Chamberlain believed this agreement was necessary for 'peace for our time'

The media hailed the agreement as a triumph, although there were many critical voices of the agreement. Opinion polls from September 1938 in Britain demonstrated the public thought appeasement would not stop Hitler.

	Created by Andrew Burke almost 7 years ago

As part of our series examining Germany between 1918 and 1939, this slide set looks at Hitler's foreign power, which ultimately led to WW2. Learn about German rearmament, the Rhineland, Anschluss, Lebensraum and the Nazi-Soviet pact.

Hitler's Foreign Policy