Neville Chamberlain

• Foreign Policy
  • Is a conservative British Prime Minister (1937-1940)
  • Appeasement
  • He is convinced that German is unhappy for a good reason. He wants to remove causes of unhappiness to make Europe peaceful.
  • Chamberlain believes that German discontent is based on moral principle of self-determination.
  • There are 6 million Germans in Austria, 3 million in Czechoslovakia and 4 million in Poland mostly because France wanted to keep Germany small.
• Change in French Regime
  • Lord Halifax, the British Foreign Minister, met with Hitler in 1937 and convey Chamberlain's sentiments, similar to the British attitude towards Locarno East.
  • Georges Bonnet (Foreign minister) Bonnet Edward Doladier (French president) after the collapse of the Popular Front in 1938 become the right centrist leaders of France.
  • After the collapse of the Stresa Front, the League, and the Spanish Civil War the urgency is to come to terms, not resist, Hitler.
  • Bonnet will let the Germans know that France is amenable to change in Eastern Europe.
  • They want it to be peaceful and done with arbitration and to the satisfaction of all involved. They will sacrifice chunks of E Europe to maintain the peace.
• The Gentleman's Agreement of 1936
  • Austria and Germany's relationship was sour because of the Dolfus Murder (1934)
  • Austria has been backed by Italy, but no longer because of the Ethiopian Crisis.
  • Italy makes a deal with Hitler that lifts the bans on Nazis and frees the Nazi prisoners, which leads to a closer relationship with Germany. This is the Gentleman's agreement.
  • Kurt Schussnigg is the Austrian Chancellor (1934-1938). He is a world war 1 veteran who unsuccessfully attempts to balance Austria between powerful neighbors: Italy and Germany.
  • German ambassador to Austria is Franz von Papen who was fired in Hossbach purge is interested in a meeting to get closer relations.
• Schusnigg-Hitler Interview 1938
  • Hitler and Schussnigg meet at Berghof
  • Hitler verbally abuses and threatens Schussnigg with annihilation. Schussnigg acquiesces under buress agrees to appoint more Nazi ministers including control of the Police and align Austrian economic and military policy with Germans. They agree to become a German Satellite. Hitler gives him three days to gain agreement.
  • Schussnigg goes to Austria and rethinks his agreement and decides to hold a plebiscite while baking on the support of France, Italy, and Great Britain, but the support is not forthcoming.
  • Hitler is angered by Schussnigg's plebiscite and plans to invade Austria before plebiscite to prevent "internal disorder."
  • Schussnigg resigns in favor of a crypto-Nazi Artur Seyss-Inquant on the day before the invasion.
  • Hitler invades anyway, much to the pleasure of the Austrian people.
  • Hitler's triumphant return to homeland and makes an impromptu decision to make a speech before a massive crowd in Vienna. During the speech he says that he is going to incorporate Austria into the homeland.
  • Mussolini receives eternal thanks from Hitler.
  • Great Britain and France to not act.
• Annexation of Czechoslovakia
  • Background
    • Immediately with the annexation of Austria, C-S finds itself into a difficult geographical position in the jaws of the 3rd Reich.
    • C-s is not a national state, it is a state of nationalities, similar to Yugoslavia
    • Czechs, Slovaks, Ethnic Germans, Magyars, Poles, and Ruthenes (Ukranians)
    • Czech dominated state with democratic institutions, but the non-Czechs have limited rights and possess varying degrees of nationalism
    • C-s was a creation of the treaties of St. Germain and Trianon.
  • The Sudetenland Movement
    • The most restive element are the ethnic Germans (previous Austrians), who live in the Sudetenland.
    • The Sudetenland is a serpentine strip of C-s parallel to German and former Austrian borders. There are 3 million Sudetens in C-s and all clamor to join Germany after the Anschluss in March 1938.
    • Sudetens have developed a secessionist/ autonomous/ with equal rights independent of German influence.
    • The Nazis fund and support the Sudetens led by Konrad Heinlein doing constant peaceful protests. He never fully states his demands.
  • Alliances
    • Czechs are the dominant group in this democracy led by a seasoned politician Edouard Benes. The Czechs are allies of France after the Anschluss, and so the Brits ask France what they are prepared to do to help the Czechs.
    • The Czechs also have an alliance with the Soviets, but only if France intervenes first. The Czechs are also enemies of the Poles and the Hungarians because of territorial issues.
    • Internally and externally, the Czechs have a multitude of problems.
  • Positions
    • Czech position:
      • Benes is confident that France and Great Britain will not abandon them. In fact, he is aggressive towards Hitler to help garner their support.
      • He refuses to bow to Hitler's threats. The Czech army is strong and is equal to the Germany army in size and equipment.
    • The British position:
      • Under Neville Chamberlain are aware that France will not act without their support, but they feel morally obligated to defend the Czechs, and they wish to keep the Soviets out of Europe.
      • Chamberlain wants to make a deal and win a Nobel Prize. Britain realizes, along with France, that they can do little to aid the Czechs.
    • The French position:
      • We will not abandon our allies (we are insecure). French military policy has been defensive (Maginot Line) while much of their diplomacy has been offensive.
      • France will not act without Great Britain, and they would prefer to avoid war.
    • Hitler's position:
      • He is indifferent to the plight of the ethnic Germans. He really wants to destroy Czechoslovakia as a French ally. He wants to convert it to a German satellite.
      • The Sudetens are a means to an end. Hitler exhorts the German press to release details of the Czech atrocities directed at the German minority. This creates domestic and foreign support for oppressed Sudetens.
  • Results
    • In May of 1938, Benes will tell the world German invasion is imminent. He mobilizes his army and sends them to German border. This Enrages Hitler, but it scares Chamberlain to death because he wants to make a deal. This simmers all summer.
    • In early September 1938, Chamberlain will fly to Germany to meet Hitler at Berghof. Earlier, Hitler had ordered his generals to draw up plans for the invasion of Czechoslovakia. He did this knowing that he had generals who would pass this on to the British.
    • During this meeting, Hitler rages for a couple of hours and "Smash the Czechs," when he is really aiming for concessions. Chamberlain offers the annexation of the Sudetenland.
    • Chamberlain flies home and sells the deal to the French Cabinet and the reluctant Czechs
    • But Benes also has to repress massive Sudeten demonstrations in CS
    • This changes Hitler's attitude and the deal is off
    • Hitler now wants to annex Sudetenland and occupy CS militarily to prevent internal disorder
    • Chamberlain flies back to Germany and meets Hitler at Godesberg where Hitler violently enunciates his intentions to smash the Czechs
      • Germans must be allowed to invade CS
      • Chamberlain acquiesces and returns to London, only to discover Hitler wants more
      • Hungary and Poland (who have treaties with Germany) also have minority/territorial issues which must be fulfilled
      • Hitler announces his intention to invade on Oct 1
      • At the same time, Hitler contacts Mussolini and suggests that Mussolini convene a 4-power conference to solve the Czech problem at Munich
    • Germany, Italy, France and GB all convenes at Munich on Sep 27-29 (Munich Pact)
      • Hitler, Mussolini, Daladier, and Chamberlain meet without Czechs and Soviets
      • Mussolini plays the role of the impartial arbitrator (secretly fronts Hitler's demands)
      • They announce the Munich Pact on Sep 29
        • Germany annexes the Sudetenland
        • Militarily occupies CS
        • Remainder of CS will be broken up into 3 autonomous regions
          • Czech
          • Slovak
          • Carpatho-Ukraine
        • Hungarian and Polish demands will be arbitrated by Germany and Italy
        • All four countries guarantees remnant of CS
    • Soviets are particularly angry  because they feel that the western powers are purposefully pushing Hitler eastward
      • This agrees with the pain of Mein Kampf called Lebensraum, a movement to the east
    • Benes is forced out of office and replaced by the more sympathetic Emil Hacha
    • In Dec 1938, a joint Italo-German commission will award Czech territory to both Hungary and Poland
  • 2nd Czech Crisis
    • In March 1939, the Slovaks begin to revolt to gain full independence in the face of Czech reprisals
      • Another Spanish Civil War is imminent
    • Hitler summons Hacha to Berlin to demand that Hacha appeal for German military assistance to stop the violence in Czechoslovakia
      • Goes ape on Hacha who then suffers a heart attack
      • Hitler summons his doctor who gives Hacha an adrenaline shot and revives him wherein he signs the pre-written document inviting German intervention
    • Hitler intervenes militarily to save the Czechs
      • Establishes a protectorate and a Slovak satellite
    • This is the straw that breaks the camels back for the British, and the French follow them
      • GB, for the first time, will guarantee Poland (they will go to war if Hitler messes with Poland)
      • Poland ~ to Czechs
        • Post WWI state
        • Formed from old Prussia and Germnay
          • Upper and lower Silesia
          • German minority in Poland