After the Munich Conference was over Hitler was granted the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia.
This left the future Czechoslovak state vulnerable for attacks because most of its
Industries, as well as defensive works, were located in the now gone Sudeten area. This
here is the story of the short-lived Second Czechoslovak Republic: Rump Czechoslovakia!
Welcome back on the channel. If you're new: I'm Stefan. I'm a Dutch history teacher. I like to
cover history on location in videos like this and here I'm gonna cover short-lived states and I'm
all about that, so if you find the stuff interesting, consider subscribing. Hit the
notification bell and when you're done watching this video, check out the other short-lived states
that I covered in the playlist. Czechoslovakia was proclaimed near the end of October 1918 when
the Austro-Hungarian Empire was crumbling. It was endorsed by the Allies. But Czechoslovakia did not
only contain Czechs and Slovaks; also many Germans, Ruthenes, Hungarians and Poles lived in the area and
this mixed population would lead to territorial disputes in the years to come. Before World War II
Czechoslovakia would be dismembered: in 1938 the Sudeten Crisis occurred. Hitler, now leader Germany,
wanted the Sudeten area from Czechoslovakia because of its many ethnic Germans living there.
France and Britain they applied an appeasement policy: they wanted to give in to Hitler hoping he
would stop making demands and the Munich Conference was organized where the prime ministers of Britain
and France came together to discuss the matter with Hitler. And Benito Mussolini was there also. Who
was not invited were representatives of Czechoslovakia. It was decided that Hitler
would get the Sudeten area; the Munich conference is here known as the 'Munich Betrayal'. The aftermath
of Munich was a disaster for Czechoslovakia as it raised questions about the fundamental aspects
of the state's Independence. This was particularly devastating for the Czechs who, unlike the majority
of Slovaks, Germans, Ruthenians, Hungarians and Poles viewed the state as synonymous for both
their national and political ambitions. The blow to Czechoslovak statehood was so severe that it
led to skepticism about the state's legitimacy and its very existence. “The crisis which struck
Czechoslovakia after Munich touched all imaginable areas and dimensions of social life. Wide strata of the population suffered intense depression, disappointment
and bitterness over the betrayal of their allies and shock that after a mere twenty years of independent statehood, its existence and future were shaken to its very foundations.”
Apart from social and political, there were economic
shocks as well since many of the Czechoslovak industries were located in the Sudeten area
that was now ceded to Germany. And the same goes for the defensive works. On the 2nd of November 1938
Slovakia and Subcarpathian Ruthenia had to deal with the aftermath of the First Vienna Arbitration
which resulted in Hungary being given control of a 41 098 square kilometer portion of their territory.
the decision had oppressive consequences for both regions. Poland which had already sent troops to
the disputed region of Těšín in early October, received designated areas in Silesia and Slovakia.
This all showed there was a radical break with the liberal Czechoslovak democratic system; its leaders
were clearly not able to defend basic national and state interests. Nationalist conservative forces
worked their way up to power. President Beneš abdicated and made his way to London. He would
later had the Czechoslovakia government-in-exile. On the 6th of October Slovakia got an autonomous
government with Joseph Tiso as the head of the Hlinka’s Slovak People’s Party (HSĽS). Three days
later politicians in Supercarpathian Ruthenia formed an autonomous government with Andrej
Brody as it head. A Second Czechoslovak Republic was in the works. Two new political groups made
things more complicated: the governing Party of National Unity, headed by Rudolf Beran, and the
National Labour Party, presided over by Antonín Hampl. The new president became Emil Hácha.
In January 1939 the results of Foreign Minister František Chvalkovský’s negotiations in Berlin
became clear and the conditions were as follows: the government of Czechoslovakia
had to declare their neutrality and sever their alliances. They were also
urged to leave the League of Nations; align their foreign policy with that of Germany and join
a pact against the Comintern. Additionally, they were asked to eradicate any remnants of
the Beneš regime and force anti-Jewish laws following the Nuremberg model. Scale back the
military by demobilizing and reducing both the budget and size of the army and finally meet the
demands of the Germans who still resided within the country's borders. The relationship between
Prague and Bratislava worsened as Jozef Tiso, the leader of the HSLS, had separatist tendencies
What Prague tried to do was to strengthen the bond between the two populations and they even declared
martial law. But this had the exact opposite effect. Mid-March Tiso traveled to Berlin. The Nazis
promised to protect Slovakia if he would declare independence. Tiso did not give in right away;
he traveled back to Bratislava to discuss the matter with his colleagues, but then on 12 o'clock
on the 14th of March Slovakia declared itself independent from Czechia. Carpatho-Ukraine
also declared its independence but the Hungarians took this state down within a day; also a very
short-lived state that I hope to cover in the future one day. Czech president Hácha went to Berlin to
discuss the future of his nation. “The situation in Czechoslovakia had now reached a critical stage.
Hácha must have realised that rumours of German, Hungarian and Polish military activity, as well as stories of civil unrest, originated in Germany.
Whatever Hitler was planning was also influencing Czechoslovakia’s diplomatic opponents Poland and Hungary. Faced with threats from so many quarters and aware of Czech military weakness,
Hácha decided to go to Berlin and appeal to Hitler.” When Hácha was in Berlin he was subjected to Nazi threats for three hours straight.
For example Luftwaffe Commander Göring he threatened to bomb Prague flat if Hácha did not
comply. It led to a physical breakdown of a man who was already in ill health, as he fainted. As
German troops massed near the Czech border it seemed imminent that a German takeover was coming.
Eventually the Czechoslovak troops were ordered to stand down, except for one brief confrontation
which took place at the Czajánek's barracks where Czech soldiers fought against the Germans,
most of the German takeover happened without much violence. Hitler endorsed on the 16th of
March to Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, which gradually came down to annexation...