Book Description

An analysis of Czech-German relations from 1918 until Munich from the standpoint of internal as well as international politics. Dr Bruegel describes the difficulties created by the existence of a 3 million strong German minority in Czechoslovakia after 1918 and, in this context, British foreign policy, British appeasement of Hitler and the Munich Crisis. After investigating the liability of the old Austro-Hungarian monarchy at the end of the First World War the author describes the birth of Czechoslovakia- a democratic state in the heart of Europe- whose rulers attempted to establish a regime of justice and equality towards the various nationalities in the country; by 1933 an ideal situation had not been reached but the great majority of the German population was loyal to the state and was far from any irrendentist leanings. Dr Brugel then examines British diplomacy and attitudes towards Czechoslovakia with the rise of Hitler and traces in detail British support of Konrad Henlein. He outlines the ways in which Britain ignored the German democratic element, the development of the policy of appeasement, and the eventual sacrifice of Czechoslovakia and its implications. The German edition of this book, published in 1967, was based on a wide range of German, Czechoslovak, British and French archival and published material as well as on the author's personal knowledge of pre-war Czechoslovakia. For this English edition Dr Bruegel has deleted some material of mainly German interest and incorporated much newly available material: Foreign Office files and the personal correspondence and memoirs of those involved. These stress how the British government persisted in its appeasement policy, despite contrary evidence of Hitler's intentions and often despite her allies' inclinations. This book sheds new light on the Munich Crisis, on the part played in British policy by Chamberlain and members of the diplomatic staff, the degree to which the Czechoslovak government and the German democrats were completely ignored and the results for Britain herself and for the whole of Europe.