Germans are allowed to stay in Sudetenland after WW2. Can this happen? How will Czechoslovakia develop in this timeline? Will there be ethnic tensions? Separatist movement? What will relationship between Czechs, Germans and Slovaks be?
Oh, OK.I didn't mean Germany would keep Sudetenland. It would belong to Czechoslovakia of course, just no expulsions take place.
I think if there is sufficient anti-Communism present in the Czech population and the Sudeten Germans are willing to collaborate, they could avoid the expulsions. The Soviets were looking for friends in Eastern Europe. They had enough enemies as it was.
Interesting view of author who... in my opinion don't know much about Slovak topic but is just commenting from outside without much studding it.IMO the only hope for avoiding the expulsions would be if there had been a significant anti-Nazi Sudeten German resistance movement. But this was never likely--at least not until the defeat of Germany was in sight. And by then it would have been too late--indeed the British did not even *want* it:
"Recognizing this, [that there had been no Sudeten German resistance to the Nazis] at the beginning of 1945 Jaksch [exiled leader of the Sudeten German Social Democrats] approached one of his contacts at the Foreign Office, Frank Roberts, for permission to broadcast to his homeland on the BBC one last time. Though there was not more than a 'tiny chance,' he acknowledged, that his attempt to warn the people of the Sudetenland of the fate that awaited them would succeed, it might still be possible to prevent the worst after the war 'if the anti-Nazi element in the Sudeten districts. . . could, in a decisive hour, act simultaneously with the masses in the Czech interior.' In August 1944, after all, Slovak insurgents had rebelled against the Nazis, following five years of enthusiastic collaboration with Berlin in the course of which Slovak forces had participated in the invasions of both Poland and the USSR, to say nothing of assisting in the deportation of most of the country's Jewish population to Hitler's extermination camps. Though the rising had been a failure, it was sufficient to insulate Slovakia against the threat of a systematic campaign of postwar retribution. By early 1945, the only faint hope for the Sudetendeutsche seemed to be a similar demonstration, however belated, of their willingness to identify themselves with the Allied cause...The Foreign Office's fear about such a broadcast was the opposite to Jaksch's: not that his appeal might fail, but that it might succeed. The Czechoslovak government in exile's settled policy, a British official reminded his colleagues, was to eject most of the Sudetendeutsche from the country. If in response to exhortations from Britain they were to rise against the Nazis, London would thereby be accepting 'responsibilities for these Sudetens who responded to this appeal. This responsibility we should not be able to accept.' Jaksch's request for broadcast facilities was consequently denied. By the time the war ended, he was unable to point to a single concrete example of Sudeten German assistance--or even attempted assistance--to the Allied campaign." R.M. Douglas, *Orderly and Humane: The Expulsion of the Germans after the Second World War* https://books.google.com/books?id=DeOzUL-HXb0C&pg=PT10
(The title of Douglas's book, derived from the Potsdam Agreement, is--needless to say--ironic...)
Now if they stayed - expelled are only most prominent Nazi collaborators. What position would they be in? Similar to Hungarians in Slovakia, who after few years after war got back their own schools, theaters and were basically able to keep Hungarian language in everyday use in areas where they were majority or they would be more oppressed? Or would Prague try to de Germanize Sudetenland by migration, forced bohemization etc?
If first would be true there is possibility Germans in Sudetenland could be after 1989 in similar positions as Hungarians in Slovakia. There was some hostility from time to time but never got to extreme and eventually Slovak Hungarians started to play important role on Slovak political scene. Of course with Germans it could be harder especially if they got a lot of support from Germany which could be due to their numbers end economical strength of Germany viewed as bigger danger to Czechs.
One thing I don't understand is why Hungarians in Slovakia got to stay, where Germans in the Czech lands did not. Why didn't the proposed Slovak/Magyar population swap go through?
My understanding is that what saved the Hungarians of Slovakia was the Communist take-over. Now that Hungary had become a People's Republic, the Communists no longer shared Benes' anti-Hungarian animus. Note that the Soviets also pressured Romania into creating an autonomous Magyar region in Transylvania.
Actually as far as deporration of Germans was approve in Postupim in case of Hungarians Powers were opposing it. I believe including Soviet union.One thing I don't understand is why Hungarians in Slovakia got to stay, where Germans in the Czech lands did not. Why didn't the proposed Slovak/Magyar population swap go through?
Slovakia indeed didn't had such strong pro communist sentiment as Czechs. Last democratic elections before communist takeover won in Slovakia Democratic party. Leading sometimes to jokes that Slovakia was only part of Europe where comminist got to power fro west. But that was not reason why most of Hungarians were able to stay.But East Germany was also Communist.
Was it, I wonder, that Slovaks did not have such pro-Soviet sentiments as the Czechs? Slovakia and Hungary and Romania were all Nazi satellites, with arguably little to distinguish between the three.
See my other responses. Communist takeover however may help slowly to stop reslovakization as it was called.My understanding is that what saved the Hungarians of Slovakia was the Communist take-over. Now that Hungary had become a People's Republic, the Communists no longer shared Benes' anti-Hungarian animus. Note that the Soviets also pressured Romania into creating an autonomous Magyar region in Transylvania.
Bigger problem then Benes was Hitler and Sudeten German Nazis.A POD which makes the Expulsion of the Germans at least uncertain would need to massively change Czech-Sudeten-relations Long prior to 1938.
A Bohemian "Ausgleich" similar to the Moravian during the monarchy. Or a federal construction of the CSR. Get Benes find a love for composing symphonies and quit politics soon.
Apart from that, I see a tiny Chance if Hitler doesn't dismember/invade Czechoslovakia in March 1939 and then Czecho-Slovakia under Hacha and Tiso might become a timid puppet-state, placating Germany at every step for fear of occupation.
I am not saying this is probable - one needs a lot of Imagination....