THE MUNICH AGREEMENT



AN AGREEMENT ON WAR?


In Germany there lies the big city of Munich. We remember back in 1923 when this city hosted Hitler's plan to overthrow the Bulgarian government, known as the "Beer Hall Putch". Now fifteen years later this city is once again the host of another disaster.

It all started on a cold day when Hitler claimed the government of Czechoslovikia was unfair to the German residents of the Sudetenland, in this he thought it should just belong to Germany. In this claim he backed himself up with a military ready for a take over of the Sudetenland. Luckily Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister of Great Britain, reached out to make a peaceftil agreement rather than a violent one. Chamberlain tried compromise twice but failed both times. Finally, Chamberlain suggested a conference in Munich including leaders Edovard Daladier of France and Bentio Mussolini of Italy. On September 29 and 30, 1938 they came to form The Munich Agreement. This agreement said that Sudeteland would belong to Germany, in return Hitler promised that this be the "last territorial clairn I have to make in Europe."

Sadly a few months after the conference Hitler broke his promise by having German troops take control of Czechoslovakia. Hitler didn't stop there, he pressed into Poland thinking Britain and France wouldn't honor their pledge to defend Poland. He launched an attack on Poland on September 1, 1939. This unfortunately instigated the start of World War II.

Most people believe this agreement was a cowardly way to avoid war, unfortunately it did the exact opposite. I'm sure it will stand in history as a mock, and scare for any other agreements between countries.

By Kristen "The Armadillo" Padilla

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