MUNICH AGREEMENT

Source: IndianExpress

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Context

On September 1, 1939, German troops marched into Poland, triggering the beginning of World War II.

Details

Background of the Munich Agreement 

Preceding events:

• Most of the intensification of tension in Europe, in the late 1930s, was driven largely by Adolf Hitler's expansionist ambitions.
• Hitler's demand for the Sudetenland to be incorporated into Germany was based on the belief that its ethnic German population was being maltreated by the Czechoslovak government. 
• Despite the fact that the Sudetenland played a strategic role in the territorial integrity of the state of Czechoslovakia, Britain and France, in desperation and unwillingness to engage in another large-scale war, pressed on Czechoslovakia to cede the territory to Germany.

Date and Participants:

• The Munich Agreement, signed on September 30, 1938, was a defining moment in the lead-up to World War II.
• It was a settlement whereby Germany, Great Britain, France, and Italy allowed Nazi Germany to annex the Sudetenland, a part of Czechoslovakia where a majority of the population was ethnically German.
• The agreement is often quoted as being the prime example of policy under appeasement, in which those powers of Europe sought to avoid war by giving way to Hitler's aggressive demands.

The key provisions:

• Czechoslovakia was compelled to cede the Sudetenland territory to Germany. This area had a high military buildup and industrial foundation, so giving this away depleted much of Czechoslovakia's strategic defensive capabilities.
• Czechoslovakia was not involved in the negotiations, and its leaders were not consulted before the agreement was signed.
• The agreement was supposed to guarantee peace in Europe by satisfying Hitler’s territorial ambitions, thereby preventing further German expansion.

Role in the Outbreak of World War II:

• The Munich Agreement is widely regarded as a failed attempt to appease Hitler and prevent a larger conflict.
• Rather than quelling Hitler's ambitions, it emboldened him to pursue further expansion.
• Several key factors highlight the agreement's role in precipitating World War II:
• Munich Agreement made quite clear that the British and the French were not even willing to engage Germany militarily.
• Thus, it gave Hitler a sense that he could perform his expansion without being hampered by the powers.
• As a result, less than six months later, the agreement was violated as Hitler occupied the rest of the territory in March 1939.

Outcome of the agreement:

• The agreement undermined the concept of collective security that was developed and implemented in Europe following World War I.
• The very fact that the Western powers allowed Germany to annex the Sudetenland without consequences tore apart the security structure of post-World War I Europe.
• The failure of the Munich Agreement damaged the credibility of Britain and France, both in the eyes of their allies and their enemies. This loss of credibility made it more difficult to build a united front against Germany in the lead-up to the invasion of Poland.
• The Munich Agreement delayed the start of World War II by less than a year.

Consequence:

• Germany's invasion of Poland forced Britain and France to declare war against Germany on September 1, 1939, considered the beginning of World War II.
• World War II turned out to be the deadliest military conflict in the history of mankind, involving an estimated 100 million people from 30 countries. 

Sources:IndianExpress

PRACTICE QUESTION Q: The Munich Agreement is cited as a cautionary tale about the risks of making concessions to aggressive powers in the hope of avoiding conflict. Critically analyse in the context of World War II. (250 Words)