Could the Little Entante prevent the dismemberment of Czechoslovacia

Would a more assertive Little Entante block the German ambitions over Czechoslovakia if, say all three, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Romania started mobilizing their armies in the summer and got ready to defend/intervene if Germany actually invaded? I'm not sure of German actual military capabilities in '38, but I presume they were not on the same level as during the Invasion of France. Also, would France intervene after a period (say 6 months to a year) if a war started and Yugoslavia and Romania kept reinforcing Czechoslovakia?
 
The Little Entente was aimed at keeping the Hungarians in their place. It never agreed on the more serious business of resisting Germany.
 
Would a more assertive Little Entante block the German ambitions over Czechoslovakia if, say all three, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Romania started mobilizing their armies in the summer and got ready to defend/intervene if Germany actually invaded? I'm not sure of German actual military capabilities in '38, but I presume they were not on the same level as during the Invasion of France. Also, would France intervene after a period (say 6 months to a year) if a war started and Yugoslavia and Romania kept reinforcing Czechoslovakia?
As Mikestone8 said Little Entente was aimed agianst Hungarians. Hungary was common threat to all 3 members. Romania had other concern then Germany - Soviet Union. That's why they had defense treaty with Poland. Yugoslavia worried about Italy.

To get more assertive Little Entente you need to make it all out defense pact against any possible attacker. This could then pull even Poland in despite Czechoslovak Polish territorial disputes.
 
The Little Entente was aimed at keeping the Hungarians in their place. It never agreed on the more serious business of resisting Germany.
You could try to engineer a crisis around more aggressive Hungarian participation in the partition of Czechoslovakia, but it's hard to imagine the Little Entente standing up to a Hungary that has German and Italian backing when Britain and France have just signaled that they aren't going to war over Czechoslovakia.
 
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There's probably too much dissatisfaction with the post-Trianon borders among pretty much every one of the Little Entente's neighbors for the alliance to hold together without French and British support. Germany, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria, the Soviets, and even Poland all want revision to it in some manner, and there is plenty of internal pressure in areas like Slovakia.
 
There's probably too much dissatisfaction with the post-Trianon borders among pretty much every one of the Little Entente's neighbors for the alliance to hold together without French and British support. Germany, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria, the Soviets, and even Poland all want revision to it in some manner, and there is plenty of internal pressure in areas like Slovakia.
Italy in Poland gained from Versaille treaty. Issues between Czechoslovakia and Poland were not unsolvable. Czechoslovak generality urged Benes for long time to improve Czechoslovak-Polish relations. Poles were probably more dissatisfied with Czechoslovak-Soviet treaty then with Tesin area dispute.
As to Slovakia, there was internal pressure to increase Slovak self government but not directly pro German. Even Hlinka's Slovak Peoples Party till Munich called and supported defense. And remember Benes was elected president with help of Hlinka's People Party deputies in Prague! Slovaks mobilized basically without problems and stayed with their units till demobilization. Actually before 1st Vienna agreement Slovak PM Tiso called Prague to refuse Hungarians demands and defend.
Romania partially mobilized in September 1938 and again in March 1939. in 1939 Prague after creation of Protectorate and Slovak declaration requested them to do nothing as Czechoslovakia does not longer exist and defense agreement is void.

Interestingly in war times Romania, Slovakia and Croatia were heading towards sort of defense cooperation and agreement against Hungary which would be sort of recreation of Little entente in German camp. This was shot down by Germans.

I guess there was room for more in my opinion. Either Czechoslovakia ignores Munich, is attacked and fights. In case Hungary attacks, Romanians and Yugoslavs would be in. Of course if Hungary waited till imminent Czechoslovak collapse they would probably just sent more troops on the border. As Czechoslovakia had defense agreement with Soviets, Poland would very likely either do nothing or move in only shortly before collapse and very likely with Czechoslovakia actually emptying territory for them to deny it to Germans. Poland wouldn't want to risk war against Soviets by directly attacking Czechoslovakia while Czechoslovakia fights Nazi Germany. There is of course second option. Shortly before Munich Benes offered Tesin area to Poles in exchange for their neutrality and by this finally doing something what was requested by Czechoslovak generals long time before.

Of course if Benes was not so stubborn by sticking to his idea not to join any defense agreement against Soviets and not enter defense agreement with Soviet Union, Czechoslovak-Polish relation would be much better. And actually Little entente could be enlarged by Poland. Of course objective would need to be defense of members against any aggressor.
And it didn't needed to much! After all Czechoslovakia had history of anti Soviet and anti communist military actions. First Czechoslovak legionaries basically took over most of Transsiberian railway in 1918. And in 1919 Czechoslovakia fought Red Hungarians. Huge White Russian emigre group lived in Czechoslovakia - some 25 000! Commander of Czechoslovak 1st Army in 1938 was Russian officers who was promoted in Czechoslovak army to rank General of Army Sergej Nikolajevič Vojcechovský and there were many other white Russian officers in Czechoslovak army who had connection to Czechoslovakia through Legionaries.
 
Of course if Benes was not so stubborn by sticking to his idea not to join any defense agreement against Soviets and not enter defense agreement with Soviet Union, Czechoslovak-Polish relation would be much better. And actually Little entente could be enlarged by Poland. Of course objective would need to be defense of members against any aggressor.
And it didn't needed to much! After all Czechoslovakia had history of anti Soviet and anti communist military actions. First Czechoslovak legionaries basically took over most of Transsiberian railway in 1918. And in 1919 Czechoslovakia fought Red Hungarians. Huge White Russian emigre group lived in Czechoslovakia - some 25 000! Commander of Czechoslovak 1st Army in 1938 was Russian officers who was promoted in Czechoslovak army to rank General of Army Sergej Nikolajevič Vojcechovský and there were many other white Russian officers in Czechoslovak army who had connection to Czechoslovakia through Legionaries.

Very interesting, didn't know that.

Italy's behavior would be the key. Mussolini had an old and solid relationship with Hungary.
If Italy is neutral, then Romania and Yugoslavia can contain Hungary - either by fighting it or by threatening and forcing it to stay neutral towards Czechoslovakia. Thus Czechoslovakia gets to fight Germany alone and might do pretty good. Probably not beat Germany, but I think it could hold its ground well until someone bigger steps in to help.
But if Italy sides with Germany and Hungary, then it's 3 vs 3 again, and things aren't looking so good for the Little Entente.

I think it would have been natural for the Little Entente to bring in Poland and become an alliance against both Germany, Hungary and the Soviets' revanchism. All members had a history of anti-Soviet and anti-Communist attitudes and activities; Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia also had a large White Russian emigre population (27 000 - 35 000 in Yugoslavia).
On the other hand, if it's natural to be stuck between two hostile giants, then maybe nature is overrated.
 
Mussolini wasn't really too friendly towards Hitler, and he wasn't really a fan of the Anschluss. If it would be enough to detract him from his plans towards Yugoslavia - I'm not really sure. But the onus of the situation would be centered on Czechoslovakia - so he may wait on the sidelines to see how the situation develops, and intervene maybe after the others are already spent.
I would wonder if simply the fact that what he expects to generally be a diplomatic affair (or even a pretty sharp, but short war) turns more problematic, with two other middle-sized countries gear up for war would give Hitler pause - but then I remembered who we are talking about and realized he would give the go-ahead either way.
But I'm curious - would Hungary fight? In a hot war situation I presume that while Czechoslovakia defends, Yugoslavia and Romania would double team Hungary without mercy (Romania probably 70% Hungarian front, 30% reinforcing Czechoslovakia).
 
Mussolini wasn't really too friendly towards Hitler, and he wasn't really a fan of the Anschluss. If it would be enough to detract him from his plans towards Yugoslavia - I'm not really sure. But the onus of the situation would be centered on Czechoslovakia - so he may wait on the sidelines to see how the situation develops, and intervene maybe after the others are already spent.
I would wonder if simply the fact that what he expects to generally be a diplomatic affair (or even a pretty sharp, but short war) turns more problematic, with two other middle-sized countries gear up for war would give Hitler pause - but then I remembered who we are talking about and realized he would give the go-ahead either way.
But I'm curious - would Hungary fight? In a hot war situation I presume that while Czechoslovakia defends, Yugoslavia and Romania would double team Hungary without mercy (Romania probably 70% Hungarian front, 30% reinforcing Czechoslovakia).
I don't think Romanians would sent their army to Czechoslovakia even against Hungarians. I believe though Hungarians would waited. Czechoslovakia planned to retreat to Slovak - Czech border. OTL Germans managed to slow Soviet-Czechoslovak-Romanian advance through Slovakia in 1944-45. It took from October to basically end of April till Germans were pushed from Slovakia. Slovak insurgents managed to hold in 1944 for 2 months with much more obsolete weapons. So I guess when Czechoslovak army in Slovakia start to collapse Hungary will jump in. At that time I guess Romanians and Yugoslavs would be less reluctant to do something about it.

I guess only way for Poland to become part of Little Entente would be to get rid of Benes. Maybe if it was him who died in accident in 1919, not general Stefanik. With somebody else in position of Minister of Foreign Affairs we may not see Czechoslovak-Soviet alliance and even push for better Czechoslovak Polish alliance.
Or, if in Czechoslovak presidential elections in 1936 Jozef Tiso wing does not support Benes and by some twist Prof. Dr. Bohumil Nemec is elected president. However i do not know much about Nemec. He was a scientist in botanic and deputy in Czechoslovak Parliament for Czechoslovak National Democracy till 1929. However I do not know much more about him.
 
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