Appeasement And The Road To War #15: The Events Of March 1939 Flashcards
When was Teschen given to Poland?
October 1938
When was South Slovakia given to Hungary?
October 1939
Who was Tiso?
Pro-German Slovak leader
What proposal from Hitler did Tiso after being summoned to Berlin relay on 14th March 1939?
If Slovakia declared independence, it would be protected by Hitler
What did Tiso say would happen if parliament opposed his proposal?
Hitler’s troops would simply March in and take Slovakia
What was the result of Tiso’s proposal at parliament?
Parliament agreed and so Slovakia became independent
Since when had Hacha been president?
Benes’ resignation on October 5th 1938
What did Hacha do on the night of 14th March?
He visited Hitler to dissuade him from making Slovakia a German protectorate, he was concerned about Czechoslovakia falling apart
What did Hitler tell Hacha at 1AM?
That troops would be invading in a matter of hours, but Hacha could make it less violent by signing the rest of Czechoslovakia over (Bohemia and Moravia)
Why did Hacha break down and what happened as a result of this?
- Hitler’s threat and a threat to bomb Prague from Goerig
- He suffered a heart attack and was kept alive by injections until his signing at 4AM
What did the German army do on 15th March?
They rolled in Prague in a ten vehicle convoy
Why was Hitler’s invasion of Czech (Bohemia and Moravia) significant?
Because it was his first invasion of a non-German state
When and by who was Ruthenia taken?
Hungary, March 1939
How did Hitler attempt to justify his takeover of Czechoslovakia?
By claiming that the Czechs were subject to a terrorist regime and needed Germans to protect them
How did Hacha attempt to defend his choice of giving up Czech sovereignty without a fight?
He was terrified of Goering’s threat and said he “realised that it was the devil himself talking to me”
How did Chamberlain respond to Hitler’s aggression on March 14th?
- He claimed that the British were not bound to protect Czechoslovakia since the country in effect no longer existed after Slovakia had voted for independence
- It’s notable that Hitler’s actions were the next day, the 15th
What was the reaction to Chamberlain’s statement on March 14th from the House of Commons?
- He was lambasted over his lack of moral outrage concerning Hitler’s gangster diplomacy
- Angry members vowed that Britain would never appease Hitler again
When did Chamberlain change his mind?
On a train from London to Birmingham on Friday March 17
What did Chamberlain decide on the train on March 17?
- Despite a prepared speech discussing routine domestic matters that he was to deliver in Birmingham, he scrapped it and outlined a brand new one concerning Hitler
What was Chamberlain’s memorable quote on March 17?
“Is this, in effect, a step in the direction of an attempt to dominate the world by force?”
What was so significant about Chamberlain defying Hitler?
It was the first time in the history of the Third Reich that Great Britain had finally declared it would stand up to the German dictator and was willing to fight
What did British Diplomats and the French do on March 18?
- British Diplomats informed the Nazis that Hitler’s occupation of Czechoslovakia was “a complete repudiation of the Munich Agreement… devoid of any basis of legality.”
- French also strongly protested saying that they “would not recognise the legality of the German Occupation”
What was Hitler’s reaction to the French and British opposition on March 18?
Hitler and the Nazis did not care. Hitler had seen these “enemies” at Munich and considered them to be little worms.
What action did Britain and France take on March 31st?
- They went beyond diplomatic protests
- Chamberlain issued a solid declaration, with the backing of France, guaranteeing Hitler’s next likely victim, Poland, from Nazi Aggression
- This was the anglo-polish guarantee
Why was Britain’s action on 31st March significant?
It was Britain’s first time actually protecting a country on the east
What did Lloyd George state in regards to Briatin’s promise to Poland? Why?
- “If we are going in without the help of Russia we are walking into a trap”
- This was the same situation as Czechoslovakia, and Britain had then failed to act
What had Hitler been doing since October 1938?
stirring up Polish and Hungarian claims to sections of Czechoslovakia, as well as the desire for Slovak independence
