'Axis' - Little Entente War?

Hey Guys,

Let's say that after the Munich Agreement, Czechoslovakia refuses to accept the end result. Now let's say this rapidly descends into Germany invading Czechoslovakia, and Britain and France stay out of it, even though France has a friendship treaty with Czechoslovakia. Let's say they stay out because the Czechoslovakians refuse to accept the Munich Agreement, thus the French think that what happens next is their fault. (in other words a good way to keep appeasement going).

Now, could we see the rest of the Little Entente going to war with Germany? If so what would happen? Germany would have a tough time and probably would need Italy's help. Could we see this as a much better situation for Italy? Seeing as they get to declare war on the 'Little Entente' and make gains along the Adriatic coast.

If the war is going to go well for Italy and Germany, might we see Hungary get involved and invade all of the Little Entente (seeing as it's surrounded by them). If so could they do well?

Yugoslavia and Romania had warned Hungary off and in general done what they could for Czechoslovakia, but I doubt we'd see any Heroic Last Stand's being actively supported. Personally, I think that in the event of a Czech death-ride, Horthy would wait until the fall of Prague and then move into southern Slovakia (a little more than the Vienna Award, with Bratislava) "to keep order", and Bucharest and Belgrade would let him. To explore the hypothetical, though...

Germany's got a hell of a job on hand in subduing Czechia. It's up-hill, through fortified passes, against a determined foe. I give the Czechs three weeks in which to land Germany a major bloody nose, and some people give them longer.

Three weeks is time for the Romanians to make short work of Hungary, reducing the remains to a government that exists where German armies carry it. The Hungarian army was peanuts at the time, and the Soviets, though they wouldn't immediately declare war (that was why their alliance was dependant on French involvement), would bless the Little Entente. Since the Romanians were willing to give them some transit rights, I think they'll take Stalin's word and empty their Russian frontier, since the Russian forces will in any case all be lining up against Poland. Horthy knew perfectly well that any Little Entente member could smash him.

Poland, though, is the first big question: when the Czechs decide to go out in a blaze of glory, will Poland still be ready to play the jackal to Germany? I don't think so. They can take Zaolzie anyway if the Czechs are clearly losing; but the Soviets had already warned them not to antagonise Prague.

Where things would get interesting, of course, is if by stupidity on all sides the Red Army entered Poland, forcing Warsaw into the arms of Germany...

Meanwhile, Italy and Yugoslavia slug it out. Germany has very little to spare, and the Alps aren't ideal country to develop an offensive. Amphibious operations were primitive at the time, so the Italians have to barge through Slovenia. They'll encounter setbacks, but once they get to Croatia, the Yugoslav state starts to fracture. When that happens, the Bulgarians will likely move in, and the Serb rump start searching frantically for peace.

So, week three, assuming no Soviet involvement: Czechia is fallen, the Poles have nabbed Cieszyn, the Germans are badly exhausted and need time to regain their breath. Italy is over the worst and Yugoslavia is starting to fail. Bulgaria is licking its lips, watched sternly by the Romanians, who have just entered Budapest. A Czechoslovak government of sorts is kept alive in the Carpathians by the Romanians. Romania is getting lots of favourable trade arrangements for the USSR.

Will France really pass up this opportunity? Britain wouldn't like it, but France is fond of Romania, and could end the war at a blow. Let's say no: then the Romanians probably start looking around for a negotiated settlement and have to concede Dobruja and bits of Transylvania, not unlike OTL, while Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia are both carved up.

If the Soviets enter the war, then by week three, they'll have pushed some way into the Kresy in spite of a lot of purge-related setbacks and be putting their act together. Poland will eventually flag and have to let Germans into the country where they will swiftly make de-facto annexations of some territories; but neither the green Red Army nor the xhausted Wehrmacht is ready for substantial operations against the other and they eye one-another suspiciously across the Pripet. Romania swallows the poison, accepts Soviet arms-aid, and withdraws towards its mountain frontiers.