Poland stands with Czechoslovakia in 1938

I have also heard a story that Stalin offered military aid to Czechoslovakia during the Munich Crisis and including basing bombing squadrons there. Is there any truth to that?
There were negotiation between Czechoslovakia and Romania to allow transfer of Soviet forces by rail to Czechoslovakia as well as some overflights.

Czechoslovak air force commander ask Soviet military attache if Soviets could sand planes but never got answer. Czechoslovakia would be possibly more interested in fighter planes. But as Czechoslovakia had some 60 SB-2 and was starting production definitely some replacement planes for bombers would be handy.
 

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Would Poland annex Lower Silesia with Breslau?
With no claim fresher than XV century? Perhaps if German generals coup fails and Nazis try to command their forces by themselves i.e. war with Germany becomes Battle of France in reverse. Honestly, Czechs would have more rights for lower Silesia then Poles.
 
With no claim fresher than XV century? Perhaps if German generals coup fails and Nazis try to command their forces by themselves i.e. war with Germany becomes Battle of France in reverse. Honestly, Czechs would have more rights for lower Silesia then Poles.

That doesn't matter as Much as all the Ethnic Poles Living there. . .About Half of Silesia had Ethnic Polish Majority or Plurality at this point, that Includes Breslau
 
But, in essence, how do we get the poles to actually decide aiding the czechoslovaks? From what i hear, polish-czechoslovak relations were sour in the interwar period, especially after the Teschen War of 1919.
 
I have also heard a story that Stalin offered military aid to Czechoslovakia during the Munich Crisis and including basing bombing squadrons there. Is there any truth to that?

Check out the thread this post is in:

David T: I too just encountered Ragsdale while googling and diving into online databases. I thought I had remembered somebody saying Romania had actually given permission for Soviet transit, but the first thing I found was actually Ragsdale disputing the fact that such an offer even existed.

I accessed the pdf, which I'd be willing to share if anyone wants to see the whole thing, but can't.
David T: I too just encountered Ragsdale while googling and diving into online databases. I thought I had remembered somebody saying Romania had actually given permission for Soviet transit, but the first thing I found was actually Ragsdale disputing the fact that such an offer even existed.

I accessed the pdf, which I'd be willing to share if anyone wants to see the whole thing, but can't.
 
But, in essence, how do we get the poles to actually decide aiding the czechoslovaks? From what i hear, polish-czechoslovak relations were sour in the interwar period, especially after the Teschen War of 1919.
You can go with what author of the thread proposed. Shorlty before Munich Czechoslovak President Benes indeed sent letter to Poland proposing Czechoslovakia would hand over Tesin and area for Polish neutrality. Actually Czechoslovak general begged Benes for better relations with Poland. From there maybe Poles will realize that if Czechoslovakia gives up after Munich soon Germans will gain armaments for some 40 division and Poland would be soon unable to defend itself. Add to it possible Polish realization that if France threw under the bus Czechoslovakia, they may do same with Poland.

Other possibility is what was my idea for my timeline (which I started and now I am unable to continue), Slovak General Stefanik (one of fathers of Czechoslovakia) survives (let say his plane didn't crash). There would be still Tesin war of 1919 as it started before his return and lasted only few days. As I said he was strongly anti communist. So let say he organize in 1920 Czechoslovak volunteers from Czechoslovak legionaries just returning from Siberia and sent them to Poland shortly before Miracle on Vistula where they gain some publicity.
Also I had idea Czechoslovak managed also to recapture Siberian town in late 1919 where retreating Polish soldiers of 5th Division were captured and save them from going Soviet POW where many died. That may help to improve future relation too.

Let say He also manage to convince protesting Czechoslovak railway workers not to block supplies of weapons for Poland transported to Czechoslovakia (or army takes over deliveries).
In 20-ties and early 30-ties there was some cooperation between Poland and Czechoslovakia. At least Poland was buying some weapons from Czechoslovakia (fighter planes, artillery, armored railway vehicles). So let say this go further. Czechoslovakia will start to buy some Polish weapons in 30-ties too. For example Pzl-23 Karas. Even if still not allied (due to Benes still having big say in Czechoslovak foreign policy) relations are much better. Munich comes Poles are firstly going with friendly neutrality, even offering their military hospitals for wounded Czechoslovak soldiers and civilians as well as saying they will continue to provide weapons Czechoslovakia already ordered in Poland. This may due to some incident, or due to Polish population feels obliged to repay debt from 1920 to sand volunteers and get directly involved.
 
The Czech's arms industry was really one of the best in Europe and they produced a lot of first rate weapons. In fact they had begun to produce a 47mm antitank gun that was more powerful than the 37mm gun previously used by its military and the 37mm gun used by Germany/45mm gun by Russia.
 
To be quite honest the German General Staff had serious doubts about going to war with just Czechoslovakia. The army was not properly equipped in 1938 to fight a war .There were serious shortages of modern weapons and a lot of the troops were not fully trained. The majority of the tank force were the Panzer I and II hardly a Match against the T-35 and the T-38. The Germans were using the 37mm ATG while the Czechs had adopted the 47mm gun. The Czechs had fortifications, which were as tough as the Maginot line. If Poland joins with the Czechs the Germans will be fighting a defensive war. If the Hungarians join the war on the German side, unlikely because Hungary had good relations with Poland, then one Might see Romania come into th war on Polands side.
 
So what happens if the war fizzles, if Germany backs down (with or without a coup against Hitler)? Would Poland and Czechoslovakia retain good relations, or would the Cieszyn issue drive a wedge between them again? Would Germany get belligerent again in the future?

Or would the success in making Germany back down pave the way for a renewed Little Entente, now including Poland? And what impact on the 1940s would such an alliance have, particularly with regard to Soviet and Italian aggression?
 

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So what happens if the war fizzles, if Germany backs down (with or without a coup against Hitler)? Would Poland and Czechoslovakia retain good relations, or would the Cieszyn issue drive a wedge between them again? Would Germany get belligerent again in the future?

Or would the success in making Germany back down pave the way for a renewed Little Entente, now including Poland? And what impact on the 1940s would such an alliance have, particularly with regard to Soviet and Italian aggression?
In this scenario it must be assumed that issues with Cieszyn were resolved already, one way or another. Otherwise it would be doubtful that events would go as described.
 

Archibald

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The vision of Poles and Czechs lifting their Flag over Berlin in 1944 :) (who needs Wallies or Soviets then ?)
 
It is likely that a Military Coup takes place in Germany and relations between the Germans and their neighbors remain peaceful. It is likely that the Military government leads to a possible restoration of the Monarchy but I doubt if Kaiser Wilhelm or his son would be considered. Thus it would either be the Kaisers Grandson or the former Bavarian Crown Prince.
 
So what happens if the war fizzles, if Germany backs down (with or without a coup against Hitler)? Would Poland and Czechoslovakia retain good relations, or would the Cieszyn issue drive a wedge between them again? Would Germany get belligerent again in the future?

Or would the success in making Germany back down pave the way for a renewed Little Entente, now including Poland? And what impact on the 1940s would such an alliance have, particularly with regard to Soviet and Italian aggression?
I guess Tesin town would go to Poland as Benes proposed and what Czechoslovak generals were willing to sacrifice for good relations with Poland. I can see even further plebiscit in areas around Tesin where Poles and Czechs were mixed. There would be however very likely not changes at Kysuce, Orava and Spis region as this came only after Munich.
 
I guess Tesin town would go to Poland as Benes proposed and what Czechoslovak generals were willing to sacrifice for good relations with Poland. I can see even further plebiscit in areas around Tesin where Poles and Czechs were mixed. There would be however very likely not changes at Kysuce, Orava and Spis region as this came only after Munich.

What I mean is, what if either side goes back on their word? 'Since Germany's backed down, we don't feel like having that plebiscite anymore' or 'we want Tesin back' or 'We just noticed a few more oppressed Polish minorities in your territory...'

Is that at all likely if Germany actually backs down? If a war does ensue between the Little Entente and Germany, the experience of shedding blood together might remove the incentive to renege, but without one...

As a side note, once Benes starts expelling the disloyal Germans, there will be a need for workers to replace them--could there be a wave of Slovak or Polish immigration to the Sudetenland? Poland had a chronic unemployment problem--jobs in Plzen could alleviate that, if something like a Schengen Area is implemented.

EDIT: I was also thinking a bit more about the plebiscite idea. I suppose the Czechs could agree to it, with some additional caveats (the right to use he railroad through Tesin/Cieszyn on a preferential basis), since the alternative is lacking allies at all, but the physical infrastructure in the area was just as much of interest as the people were. Specifically, the steel works south of the town itself were of great interest to both Poland and Czechoslovakia--an agreement might also need provisions for Czech assistance (financial or technical) in building more steel mills in Poland, if the mills themselves are not ceded. It won't be as simple as a plebiscite, and the full border adjustment treaty might take months to hammer out.

Still, in the short run, what's needed here is Poland to decide that neither Berlin nor Paris nor London can be trusted to preserve Poland, so she won't have a better shot in the future. If the Polish government realizes how dire the situation really is, they'd forego the steel mill until later.
 
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