= Munich Agreement = The '''Munich Agreement''', sometimes referred to as the '''Munich Betrayal''', was an international treaty partitioning [[Czechia/Democratization#First_Czechoslovak_Republic|Czechoslovakia]]. <> ---- == History == === Threats === [[Germany/AdolfHitler|Hitler]] supported separatist movements in the '''Sudetenland''', a borderland of [[Czechia/Democratization#First_Czechoslovak_Republic|Czechoslovakia]] that was ethnically [[Germany|German]]. There was popular belief that Germans were discriminated and persecuted in Czechoslovakia. [[Czechia/EdvardBenes|Beneš]] declared martial law to counter Germanic nationalism. Hitler declared that Germany would invade Czechoslovakia if the Sudetenland were not surrendered by October 1, 1938. Within the Sudetenland was the historic [[Poland|Polish]] region of [[WorldHistory/CieszynSilesia|Trans-Olza]], and '''Bohumin''' (''Bogumin'') in particular. As a strategic rail city and as a result of the rift created by the [[WorldHistory/SpaConference|Spa Conference]], [[Poland/IgnacyMoscicki|Moscicki]] also had been developing plans to seize this region. Hitler's overt political moves accelerated Polish plans. Moscicki made a parallel threat of invasion to the Hrad. Beneš appealed to the [[Russia/JosephStalin|USSR]], who had already begun mobilization in [[Ukraine]] and [[Belarus]] alongside threats to dissolve the '''Soviet-Polish Nonagression Pact'''. Soviet planes were moved into Czech airfields and Czechoslovakia began to mobilize its own army. === Arbitration === In late September, the [[UnitedKingdom/NevilleChamberlain|British]], [[France/EdouardDaladier|French]], and [[Italy/BenitoMussolini|Italian]] governments intervened diplomatically. By September 30th, they came to agreement that Germany could annex the Sudetenland; the surrender would be completed by October 10th. The Czechoslovak government was told that rejecting the agreement would lead to them being recognized as the aggressor in the ensuing war. Given the concurrent Polish invasion, Beneš was forced to comply. === Polish Invasion === Poland invaded Trans-Olza on October 2nd and rapidly annexed Trans-Olza. Hitler informally accepted this development. The international reaction to the Munich Agreement was now blunted by the reaction to the Polish invasion. Polinization policies were established and national governmental control was instituted over a locality that had previously enjoyed significant autonomy and multiculturalism as a way to maintain tenuous peace. Czech schools had generally been better funded and sociopolitically advantageous compared to the Polish schools, and the new administration had swiftly banned both the German and Czech languages. Socialists grabbed onto overt discrimination (as opposed to the covert discrimination of segregated schools) as a political platform. ---- == Legacy == The [[Czechia/Democratization#First_Czechoslovak_Republic|Czechoslovak]] defense strategy rested on mountain fortifications in the Sudetenland, so they were left largely defenseless. One month after the Munich Agreement, the [[WorldHistory/FirstViennaAward|First Vienna Award]] saw [[Hungary/MiklosHorthy|Hungary]] annex the southern parts of [[WorldHistory/Carpathia|Carpathian Ruthenia]] and [[Slovakia]] that were largely ethnically Hungarian. Spiš and Orava were also annexed by Poland. ---- CategoryRicottone