On a fall day, distinguished guests gathered at the residence of German Chancellor Adolf Hitler Führerbau. The result of not very long negotiations was the so-called Munich agreement (1938). Betrayal or mistake - what was it? Until now, historians from different countries argue on this topic, and since the political interests of representatives of state science are different, each of them insists on its own. It is more profitable for Western scientists to present this agreement as a mistake of Daladier and Chamberlain. Well, gullible they were beyond measure, and the insidious Hitler deceived them. But what really happened? What is this same Munich conspiracy of 1938? Betrayal or mistake? Or just a crime?
Western version of the beginning of World War II
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, or rather, in the last years of its existence, the first mention of the mysterious events preceding the Hitler attack appeared in world military-historical literature. Moreover, amid demands to declassify the full text of the non-aggression pact signed by Molotov and Ribbentrop in August 1939, the purpose of these publications was clearly enough to share the blame between Nazi Germany and Stalin's USSR for unleashing the Second World War. Soon the emphasis was mixed even further. The Soviet Union was almost openly declared the main instigator, and Hitler was assigned the role of, rather, an innocent victim. As for the other countries participating in the war, everything seemed to be clear with them in this regard. France from the victims, to the surprise of signing Keitel's surrender, was among the winners. Britain, like America, which joined it in 1944, waged a righteous war for freedom and democracy. Poland innocently fell under the onslaught of the Red Army and the Wehrmacht, striking from two sides.
Here is such an interpretation of events, the countdown of which is conducted from the date of August 23, 1939. Why exactly with her? Because, if it is prudent to omit the previous agreements, the version looks harmoniously, logically and unambiguously. This is Stalin's fault. Well, of course, Hitler. So, just a little. And the whole hypothesis begins to crack at the seams, if we recall the events that occurred a year earlier, namely the Munich agreement of 1938. It was a betrayal or mistake, in this case it does not matter. Only facts matter.
initial situation
And the facts were as follows: in the Sudetenland, which was part of Czechoslovakia, the Germans lived - three and a half million people. In addition to them, there were still over ten million Czechs, and a powerful fortified defense line facing Germany. As for Czechoslovakia, this country had a developed industry, in particular arms, and was considered in many ways not the last in Europe, including by the strength of the armed forces. And in such not very favorable conditions, Hitler decided to appropriate the Sudetenland, together with everything that was in it. And then he planned to seize the rest of Czechoslovakia, however, he did not tell anyone about this when he signed the Munich Agreement of 1938. Actually, no one asked him about this. So he did it all.
Balance of power
The German chancellor applied a technique called bluffing among card players. He bluntly stated that he was ready to use military force if the Sudetenland did not give him peacefully and voluntarily. In fact, fascist Germany did not have such an opportunity. At that time, the German mobilization potential was 37 divisions against 36 Czech divisions, but the western border of the Reich in this case remained unprotected. It should be borne in mind that for a successful offensive, according to all military canons, attackers, at least three times superiority is required. And the Sudeten fortifications were a serious obstacle. Did Neville Chamberlain know about this? Or was British intelligence (which the British themselves really love to extol) ate their bread for nothing?
In addition to approximate numerical parity, Czechoslovakia in the autumn of 1938 had an advantage in armament. The country was a leader in the export of defense products, and tanks (later captured by the Germans) made up a significant percentage of German tank forces in June 1941.
Negotiators
The states that signed the Munich Agreement were able to reach a compromise. From Germany - Adolf Hitler, from Italy - Benito Mussolini. This is on the one hand. Today everyone knows that in the late thirties these countries had fascist regimes. Then, in 1938, this, too, was not a secret. And on the other, representing the democratic forces? Neville Chamberlain came from London, and Eduard Daladier from Paris. All! Nobody called representatives of the USSR, but there is nothing surprising in this. Another thing is strange - they did not invite the Czechoslovak President Edward Benes either. Indeed, what does he have to do with it?
Poland position
Undoubtedly, World War II is the most tragic page in Polish history. However, a year before its fall, under the pressure of the Wehrmacht, this country did not live in concern for strengthening its own borders - it even managed to expand them! Immediately after the occupation of the Sudeten by the Germans, the Poles put forward an ultimatum to Prague, the meaning of which in general terms repeated the Munich Agreement. Briefly, it can be formulated as a demand for the liberation of the Teshinsky region. They did not wait for an answer and sent troops into the indicated area, in which eighty of the two hundred thousand inhabitants were ethnic Poles. Churchill later called these actions "hyena greed."
Against whom Hitler was "appeased"
The essence of the Munich Agreement is simple: Great Britain and France obliged Czechoslovakia to make territorial concessions in order to appease Hitler. Chamberlain, having flown to London, shook the signed document and promised a long peace. As far as he was sincere, humanity will never know for sure, but assumptions about this are possible. The fact is that the general vector of the movement of the militaristic efforts of Germany was directed to the East, and this generally suited Western politicians. Hoping that, having felt the smell of profit, the Nazi leader would calm down would be too naive, even for Chamberlain and Daladier. Polish pranks did not embarrass the President of France and the Prime Minister of Britain, and Hitler did not attach any importance to them, knowing that all the same he would get not only Teshinsky region. As for Benito Mussolini, he came to Munich just to "support a friend."
results
Germany has achieved its goal. The Germans received high-tech production along with equipment and specialists, a raw material base, an almost open border, devoid of costly fortifications, and a large number of finished defense products — from rifles (a million pieces) to tanks that were not the most modern, of course, but the Wehrmacht then had them not better.
In Poland, patriotic moods reigned. The country's industrial potential (mainly metallurgical) simultaneously increased almost one and a half times, and this was achieved without any loss.
Czechoslovakia has lost a lot. And now it’s not entirely clear why Benesh acted so obediently and did not give the order to defend himself. But there was someone, there was something. Hitler personally appreciated the Sudeten fortifications, admitting that their assault would be a gamble. Field Marshal Keitel at the trial in Nuremberg argued that the Wehrmacht could hardly defeat the Czechoslovak army in 1938 in the current situation. And if third countries (France, Britain, the USSR) intervened in the matter, the war would end very quickly by defeating Germany. But all this did not happen ...
The meaning of today's manipulation
So what was the Munich agreement of 1938? “Betrayal or mistake?” - This issue would not be so important now, after almost seven decades, if not for some legal aspects. After the war, international treaties were concluded regulating the principles of the European and global structure. While the Soviet Union existed, it never occurred to anyone to review the outcome of the conferences in Yalta and Potsdam, but after 1991 a strange legal conflict arose. One of the parties to the agreements dropped out, an independent Russia took its place, and our “Western friends” apparently failed to resist the temptation to make any claims to it. That's when they remembered the secret applications, the year 1939 and other deceitfulness of Joseph Stalin. But they forgot about Munich in 1938. Probably out of distraction ...