• Henlein, leader of the Sudeten German Party - financed and given orders by Hitler - organised disturbance in Sudetenland and demanded autonomy for the Sudeten Germans

May 1938:

• Chamberlain believed Hitler could be appeased - he genuinely felt the Sudeten Germans had had a raw deal
• Chamberlain told journalists off the record that Czechoslovakia must give up territory and that the new boundaries would be guaranteed by Britain, France, Italy, and Geramny - report got back to Hitler who thought Britain was giving him the green light.
• Reports that German troops were massing on the Czech border - This was a bluff by Hitler who created the crisis to frighten Benes, the Czech leader - Hitler had no intention of invading in May
• May crisis sparked a strong reaction from France and Russia who reaffirmed their guarantee to Czechoslovakia - Britain joined France in warning Hitler that they might be forced by circumstances to become involved
• Hitler angry and humiliated - impression given that he had backed down after firm resolve of Britain and France - Hitler now determined to seek revenge on Czechoslovakia

• Hitler told his generals: 'It is my unalterable decision to smash Czechoslovakia by military action in the near future.' He qualified this by saying that he would only invade Czechoslovakia if he was sure that Britain and France would not intervene
• A Times editorial inspired by the government stated that the Sudeten Germans ought that was only rectifying the injustice of Versailles to be given a plebiscite on their future - this might mean secession to Germany

July 1938:

• Hitler sent a message to Chamberlain that if Britain could persuade Benes to give in to the demands of the Sudeten Germans, Germany would not attack Czechoslovakia.
• Chamberlain worried that the French might become involved in a war with Germany because of their guarantee to Czechoslovakia and the Franco-Soviet Pact - he therefore decided to send a British mediator (Runciman) to Prague to ensure that Benes met German demands

August 1938:

• Runciman mission sets out to negotiate between the Sudeten Germans and Czechoslovakia - Runciman saw his role to get Benes to accept autonomy for the Sudeten Germans within a Czech state - almost succeeded

• Benes offers to sacrifice much Czech territory
• Sudeten Germans would have been satisfied but Hitler told Henlein to reject the offer - from then on, no further negotiations with the Sudeten Germans were possible
• The running was now made by Hitler who demanded dismemberment under the threat of war

• Sudeten Germans under Henlein started riots and the area was put under martial law
• Chamberlain now decided to intervene and negotiate with Hitler personally (Plan Z)

15 Sept. 1938

• Chamberlain meets Hitler at Berchtesgaden - proposed that Runciman should mediate between Benes and Henlein
• Hitler rejected this out of hand and demanded an immediate solution to the Sudeten problem - he claimed that 300 Sudeten Germans had just been killed (this was a lie). Hitler wanted 3.5 million Sudeten Germans to be returned to the Reich at once, otherwise there would be war
• He bluffed that the great German military machine once set in motion could not be stopped
• Chamberlain believed him - after discussions with the French, Chamberlain decided that the Czechs would give up the Sudetenland but that they would guarantee the rest of Czechoslovakia
• The Czechs had no option but to accept.

22 Sept. 1938

• Second meeting with Hitler at Godesberg
• Chamberlain set out the Anglo-French plan - territory where 80% were German would be ceded immediately and land where only 65% German would be decided by an International Commission
• Hitler replied: 'I am sorry but all that is no longer any use' and that 'the problem must be definitely and completely settled by 1 October'
• War seemed inevitable as the Czechs mobilised their army
• Public opinion in Britain was hardening - a poll showed that 22% were for but 40% against Chamberlain's policy
• Preparations for war began in Britain - Chamberlain told the Cabinet that Hitler had said that if war was avoided, it would mark a turning point in Anglo-Ger. relations.
• Chamberlain said he was satisfied that Hitler would not go back on his word once he had given it!
• Chamberlain determined to avoid war at all costs - backed by his military chiefs who said it would be 'madness to expose ourselves to annihilation for the sakes of the Czechs' - also fear that the Germans could effect a 'knockout blow' by causing catastrophic damage to London from bombing - little did they know that the German air force at this stage had no bombers capable of reaching London with a full bomb load!

29/30 Sept.1938

• Britain, France, Italy and Germany meet (Munich Conference)
• N.B. Czechoslovakia and Russia not invited
• A peaceful settlement was "negotiated" - actually, Hitler got what he wanted without a fight, namely the Sudetenland, the Czech fortifications, other parts of Czech given to Hungary and Poland
• Hitler got his propaganda coup by being allowed to march his troops immediately into the Sudetenland
• When the Czechs were told of the outcome of Munich, one British diplomat said: 'If you do not accept, you will have to settle your affairs with Germany direct'.

1 Oct. 1938

• German troops enter the Sudetenland