Munich agreement facts for kids

The Führerbau in Munich, where the Munich Agreement was signed in 1938.

The Munich Agreement was a special deal made in 1938. It involved four big countries: France, Italy, Nazi Germany, and Britain. This agreement happened after Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, took over a part of Czechoslovakia called the Sudetenland.

The leaders of Britain and France hoped to stop Hitler from using his army again. They offered him the land he had already taken in exchange for a promise of peace. Hitler agreed to this. Many people at first thought the agreement was a big success. However, Hitler broke his promise and invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia in 1939. This event helped start the Second World War.

Why the Agreement Happened

Areas with many German-speaking people (shown in black) in what is now the Czech Republic before 1945.

In 1938, Czechoslovakia was an independent country. It had been created in 1918 after the First World War. Adolf Hitler, the leader of Germany, wanted more "living space" (which he called Lebensraum). He wanted all German-speaking people to be part of Germany.

Most German-speaking people in Czechoslovakia lived in the Sudetenland. So, Hitler decided to take this area first. He also knew that Czechoslovakia would lose much of its factories and industries if the Sudetenland was taken. Britain, France, and the Soviet Union had all promised to help Czechoslovakia if it was attacked.

The Crisis Point

After the meeting, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain returned to the UK. He famously said the Munich Agreement meant "peace for our time."

On September 12, 1938, Hitler told the German people in the Sudetenland that he would support them. Three days later, on September 15, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain met with Hitler. This was a last try to avoid a war. Hitler seemed to calm down his demands. He said he only wanted certain parts of Czechoslovakia. Chamberlain thought this was reasonable and that Hitler would be happy with just those areas.

However, on September 22, Hitler changed his mind. He now demanded the entire Sudetenland. Britain's navy got ready for war, and it looked like war was about to begin.

The Munich Conference

On September 29, 1938, Benito Mussolini, the leader of Italy, convinced Hitler to attend a peace meeting in Munich. The meeting included four leaders: Hitler for Germany, Mussolini for Italy, Chamberlain for Britain, and Édouard Daladier for France. Neither the Soviet Union nor Czechoslovakia were invited to this important meeting.

At the conference, Mussolini presented a plan. This plan was actually written by Germany. It said that the Sudetenland would become part of Germany right away. The German army would march into the Sudetenland the very next day and claim it. Britain and France agreed to this plan. Czechoslovakia was not even asked for its opinion, and the Soviet Union was very upset.

Chamberlain went back to Britain and was welcomed like a hero. He believed he had achieved "peace for our time" through his policy of appeasement (giving in to demands to avoid conflict).

After the Agreement

Edvard Beneš, the president of Czechoslovakia, resigned. He felt that Britain and France had betrayed their promises to help his country. On October 1, Germans marched into the Sudetenland. Hungary and Poland also took parts of Czechoslovakia where people of their nationality lived.

Images for kids

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  Czech districts with an ethnic German population in 1934 of 20% or more (pink), 50% or more (red) and 80% or more (dark red) in 1935

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  Konrad Henlein, leader of the Sudeten German Party (SdP), a branch of the Nazi Party of Germany in Czechoslovakia

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  Edvard Beneš, president of Czechoslovakia and leader of the Czechoslovak government-in-exile

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  Czechoslovakia built a system of border fortifications from 1935 to 1938 as a defensive countermeasure against the rising threat of Nazi Germany.

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  Hitler greeting Chamberlain on the steps of the Berghof, 15 September 1938

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  Chamberlain greeted by Hitler at the beginning of the Bad Godesberg meeting on 24 September 1938

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  Czechoslovak Army soldiers on patrol in the Sudetenland in September 1938

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  Chamberlain with Benito Mussolini, September 1938

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  Czechs refugees from the Sudetenland

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  Admiral Horthy during the Hungarians' triumphant entry into Košice, November 1938

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  Poland annexed the Zaolzie area of Czechoslovakia inhabited by 36% of ethnic Poles in 1938.

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  "For 600 years we have been waiting for you (1335–1938)." An ethnic Polish band welcoming the annexation of Zaolzie by Poland in Karviná, October 1938

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  Adolf Hitler on his visit to Prague Castle after the establishment of a German protectorate, 15 March 1939

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  Map of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia

See also

In Spanish: Acuerdos de Múnich para niños