Hitler Declares Czechoslovakia No Longer Exists

On march 16th, 1939 Hitler, speaking from Prague castle proclaimed a German ” Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia”. He was able to do this because the previous day in response to German threats of invasion Emil Hacha President of the now defenseless remnant of post-Munich Czechoslovakia surrendered to Germany. German troops moved in to secure the country with considerably more efficiency than they had displayed the previous year advancing into Austria. Hungary, a future German ally, invaded and received the Czech province of Ruthenia, quickly crushing sporadic Czech military resistance.

Slovakia, already semi-autonomous under the terms of the Munich agreement, declared its independence as the Slovak Republic and would in the future become another German ally. Poland, which had received Czech territory as part of Munich and was to be Hitler’s next victim, did nothing as was also the case with Britain and France – the usual diplomatic rituals aside.  Germany had now acquired Austria,  the  most militarily valuable parts of Czechoslovakia and with them influence and future allies throughout Eastern Europe

What it lost, was any remaining credibility to its claims that its territorial ambitions could be satisfied in a way that was acceptable to Britain and France. Even Neville Chamberlain understood that war with Germany was now inevitable. Allied rearmament was, belatedly, proceeding with vigor although Germany had clearly been going all out since the early 30’s and had been allowed to catch up substantially as a result. So, should Britain and France have gone to war in 1938? In retrospect, the answer seems obvious but a case can be made that the Allied historical course of action was rational. A few even argue that not going to war was the best course – attributing the results of 1939-1940 to other causes than German opportuities to grow in strength in 1938-1939. Expect a mini-essay on this question soon.