Sudetenland and the rest of Czechoslovakia 1938 and 1939 Flashcards
What was the Czech army like compared to the Austrian army?
a substantial well-disciplined and well-equiped fighting force
What was the Czech army united in?
united in its determination to resist german invasion
What were German General’s reaction to the news of Hitler’s intention to invade Czechoslovakia?
panic-stricken
Why were german generals panic-stricken by Hitler;s intention to invade Czechoslovakia?
military preparation inadequate
rearmament short of target
the likelihood of foreign intervention and a general war were far greater than before
Why was the likelihood of foreign intervention far greater this time?
Czechoslovakia was formally allied to france
and the invasion could not be presented as anything other than an act of aggression against a sovereign state upon which germany had no claim (unlike austria) to suzerainty in the eyes of the world
Why did german generals have few objections in principle?
Czechoslovakia obtruded geographically into the newly created greater Germany
hatred and contempt for slavs
broader belief in the eventual creation of a german empire in east-central europe
How would he invasion of Czechoslovakia help alleviate the Third Reich’s increasingly dire supply situation?
the acquisition of the czech arms industry
skilled labour
plentiful raw materials
Why were Goring and the generals unconvinced that the moment was right for a move against the czechs?
it seemed to be a reckless foolhardy act running a real risk of a general war for which Germany in their view was quite unprepared
What did goring and the generals think would ave been a better plan of action?
be more prudent to wait, pile on the pressure and secure piecemeal concessions
5 May 1938?
General ludwig beck informed hitler that germany was in no position to win a war should britain intervene to protect the czechs
16 july 1938?
ludwig beck issued a memorandum warning of the dire consequences should the invasion go ahead
Why didn’t Ludwig Becks idea of getting the generals to resign en masse against hitler’s plans happen?
generals were still demoralised by the blomberg-fritsch scandal
locked in a tradition of belief that duty of soldiers was to obey orders and not to involve themselves in politics
they did not disagree with hitler’s aims of attacking czechoslovakia only its timing
what emerged as consequence of the notion of the superiority of the opponent?
a defeatism that escalated into the strongest criticism of the adventurous policy of the reich
What did the people fear would happen to the economy if the they destroyed sudetenland?
the incorporation of the sudetenland int Germany would impose severe economic burden on the reich
What did the people do for fear of the economic burden of the incorporation of sudetenland into germany?
people were withdrawing their savings from banks in panic
Did the people ideologically support hitler’s plans for Czechoslovakia?
most people believed the demands of the sudeten germans justified but they wanted them to be justified without war
what was the sentiments of some -ex-social democrats?
hoped for war as the only way to get rid of the nazis
what were the sentiments of some workers?
a fatalism emerged
what were the sentiments of some young people?
swept away by the vision of a great germany bestriding a vanquished europe
what were the sentiments of some old people?
confusion and felt they lacked detailed information
a phrase to describe the popular mood towards war?
war psychosis
What evidence is there in the late summer and eary autumn of 1938 of opposition to Hitler’s invasion of Czechoslovakia?
increased number of people brought to special courts for criticism of hitler himself
What was the popular response to the Munich Agreement?
wave of relief
everyone was relieved hitler had gained new territory without bloodshed
What did a social democratic agent report about the Munich agreement?
almost everyone saw it as a 100% success of hitler
