The Munich Agreement and the End of Appeasement

The Munich Agreement of September 1938 is the most famous — and most controversial — act of appeasement. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain agreed to allow Hitler to annex the Sudetenland (the German-speaking border region of Czechoslovakia) in exchange for a promise of peace. Within six months, Hitler broke that promise, and appeasement was dead. This lesson covers the Sudetenland crisis, the Munich Agreement, the destruction of Czechoslovakia, and the end of appeasement.

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The Sudetenland Crisis (1938)

Background

The Sudetenland was a border region of Czechoslovakia with a population of approximately 3 million ethnic Germans. After the Treaty of Versailles, these Germans found themselves living in the new state of Czechoslovakia, created on the principle of self-determination.

Key Fact	Detail
Location	The western and northern border regions of Czechoslovakia
Population	Approximately 3 million ethnic Germans
Strategic importance	The Sudetenland contained Czechoslovakia's border fortifications, its main industrial areas, and significant natural resources
Konrad Henlein	Leader of the Sudeten German Party, which demanded union with Germany and was secretly funded by Hitler