Rise of Nazi Germany and Territorial Ambitions:
- Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany, had long held the view that ethnic Germans living in other countries, including the Sudetenland, should be part of Germany.
- The Nazi government pursued a policy of territorial expansion, known as Lebensraum (living space), to acquire territories it considered rightfully German.
Sudeten Crisis and Munich Agreement:
- In the 1930s, tensions escalated as Nazi Germany began making demands for the Sudetenland.
- The situation reached a crisis point in September 1938 when Hitler threatened military action against Czechoslovakia if the Sudetenland was not ceded to Germany.
- The Munich Agreement, signed on September 29, 1938, appeased Hitler by requiring Czechoslovakia to cede the Sudetenland to Germany.
Appeasement and Failure of the League of Nations:
- The Munich Agreement was seen as an act of appeasement towards Germany, hoping that it would prevent war.
- However, it emboldened Hitler and revealed the weakness and inability of the international community, particularly the League of Nations, to effectively address aggression.
Prelude to War:
- The annexation of the Sudetenland was a major turning point in the events leading to World War II.
- It demonstrated the failure of appeasement and encouraged Hitler to pursue further territorial ambitions, including the invasion of Poland in September 1939, which ultimately triggered the outbreak of World War II.