Retrospective WI. Cezch War of 38

Recently declassified records from the British archives hit the news & revived the 75+ year old contraversy over the Cezch War of 38. In this case it centers on the question of Chamberlains judgement and final decision to stand firm against the German demands for the Studentland region of the Cezchoslovakian republic. The documents purportedly show, or "prove" in some views that Chamberlain ignored evidence that Adolf Hitlers government was ready to negotiate the matter and forcing the Cezchs to accept the 'reasonable' idea of parting with the German populated border region was possible.

As usual the 'Avoidable War' school points to the lesser evil of pressured separation of some questionable Cezch territory vs the bloody four month war (80,000) dead, and the decade of civil disorder and military dictatorship in Germany.

To my mind the over focus on Chamberlain tends to ignore the role of the French: fearful of a German military revival; of the Poles: actually encouraging Germany to take Cezch land; & Italy in not remaining with France on keeping Germany in line. In general the entire thing was final proof of the failure of the Versailles system, which should have enabled the halting of German military revival years earlier.

Unlike some folks I am nearly certain had a war to halt German revanchism not occured in 38 it would have occured within another few years. So WI Chamberlain had tried to negotiate away the crisis? It would require the French & Cezchs to agree to some portion of the German demands, which is a tough one. In this Chamberlain did have the support of his marshalls. Their views on the unreadiness of the Brit Army & RAF are well documented.

So, any opinions of is the newly publsihed Brit papers change anything about the arguments over Chamberlains role i starting the Cezch War?
 
Great idea

So your post basically is acting as if the Czechs stood up to Hitler with UK support. Sorry, new to this site and ideas herein. Is there a thread on the Czech War?
 
I posted the same OP on a couple other web sites. One turned into a five page flame war over who chickened out first in the 1938 Munich Crisis, the other puttered along with a few more posts than here. Obviously I've something to learn about spinning up DBWI.
 
OOC: I think someone has been reading The War That Came Early, If not I suggest it, as WWII basically starts here, resulting in massive butterflies.

IC: I think Chamberlain plaid a small war in starting the Czech war. The stubborn Czechs never would've given up the Sudetenland without some semblance of a fight.
 
OK. I think the Czechs with international support...or atleast not being pressured by France and UK...would have held the Sudetenland...possibly inviting the local Nazi's to return to the Fatherland. I have no doubt that Hitler was not ready in 38 and that the Czech's would have delivered the Wermacht a bloody nose...or the General Staff would have removed Hitler before or early in such a war.
 
...or the General Staff would have removed Hitler before or early in such a war.

That is the point where most of the discussions of this halt. But, to me the events after the overthrow of Hitler & a cease fire are more interesting. Just how hard will France come down on the German troublemakers this time?
 
That is the point where most of the discussions of this halt. But, to me the events after the overthrow of Hitler & a cease fire are more interesting. Just how hard will France come down on the German troublemakers this time?

I'm having trouble seeing the NSDAP Germany lasting long enough to be crushed by French strength of arms. France didn't intervene in any of the other Volkish junta governments of the 1940s in Germany despite the increasing industrial and political chaos. And they barely intervened during the Hot Summer when Poland provided limited police assistance in Gdsansk.

yours,
Sam R.
 
I'm having trouble seeing the NSDAP Germany lasting long enough to be crushed by French strength of arms..

Yes there is the possibility of a military coup, even as the war starts. The common assumption is the generals would have taken action imeadiatly. Despite a bit of reading on this I cant say one way or another.

France didn't intervene in any of the other Volkish junta governments of the 1940s in Germany despite the increasing industrial and political chaos. And they barely intervened during the Hot Summer when Poland provided limited police assistance in Gdsansk.

In OTL France had ceased a activist policy against Germany after the political failure of the 1923-24 Rhineland occupation. It would have required a a fairly confident and aggresive cabinet & prime minister to order the French army deep into Germany & further destruction of Germanys military capability. Perhaps if the Czech qar had lasted several months and French soldiers actually had fought their way into the Ruhr or across the Rhine the French citizen would hace supported or demanded a aggresice enforcement of German disarmament.
 
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