Editing Neville Chamberlain (section)

==== Preliminary meetings ====
Lord Runciman continued his attempts to pressure the Czechoslovak government into concessions. On 7 September there was an altercation involving Sudeten members of the Czechoslovak parliament in the North Moravian city of [[Ostrava]] (''Mährisch-Ostrau'' in German). The Germans made considerable propaganda out of the incident, though the Prague government tried to conciliate them by dismissing Czech police who had been involved. As the tempest grew, Runciman concluded that there was no point in attempting further negotiations until after Hitler's speech. The mission never resumed.{{sfn|Faber|2008|pp=244–46}}

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H12486, Vorbereitung Münchener Abkommen, Chamberlain auf dem Flugplatz Oberwiesenfeld.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|alt=British prime minister Neville Chamberlain and German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, 1938|Chamberlain (centre, hat and umbrella in hands) walks with German foreign minister [[Joachim von Ribbentrop]] (right) as the Prime Minister leaves for home after the Berchtesgaden meeting, 16 September 1938. On the left is [[Alexander von Dörnberg]].]]

There was tremendous tension in the final days before Hitler's speech on the last day of the Rally, as Britain, France, and Czechoslovakia all partially mobilised their troops. Thousands gathered outside 10 Downing Street on the night of the speech. At last Hitler addressed his wildly enthusiastic followers:

{{blockquote| The condition of the Sudeten Germans is indescribable. It is sought to annihilate them. As human beings they are oppressed and scandalously treated in an intolerable fashion&nbsp;... The depriving of these people of their rights must come to an end.&nbsp;... I have stated that the "Reich" would not tolerate any further oppression of these three and a half million Germans, and I would ask the statesmen of foreign countries to be convinced that this is no mere form of words.{{sfn|Faber|2008|pp=263–66}}}}

The following morning, 13 September, Chamberlain and the Cabinet were informed by Secret Service sources that all German embassies had been told that Germany would invade Czechoslovakia on 25 September.{{sfn|Faber|2008|p=277}} Convinced that the French would not fight (Daladier was privately proposing a three-Power summit to settle the Sudeten question), Chamberlain decided to implement "Plan Z" and sent a message to Hitler that he was willing to come to Germany to negotiate. Hitler accepted and Chamberlain flew to Germany on the morning of 15 September; this was the first time, excepting a short jaunt at an industrial fair, that Chamberlain had ever flown. Chamberlain flew to Munich and then travelled by rail to Hitler's retreat at [[Berchtesgaden]], (see [[Berchtesgaden meeting]]).{{sfn|Self|2006|pp=310–12}}

The face-to-face meeting lasted about three hours. Hitler demanded the annexation of the Sudetenland, and through questioning him, Chamberlain was able to obtain assurances that Hitler had no designs on the remainder of Czechoslovakia or on the areas in Eastern Europe which had German minorities. After the meeting Chamberlain returned to London, believing that he had obtained a breathing space during which agreement could be reached and the peace preserved.{{sfn|Self|2006|pp=312–14}} Under the proposals made at Berchtesgaden the Sudetenland would be annexed by Germany if a plebiscite in the Sudetenland favoured it. Czechoslovakia would receive international guarantees of its independence which would replace existing treaty obligations—principally the French pledge to the Czechoslovaks.{{sfn|Smart|2010|p=242}} The French agreed to the requirements. Under considerable pressure the Czechoslovaks also agreed, causing the Czechoslovak government to fall.{{sfn|Faber|2008|pp=319–24}}

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H12751, Godesberg, Vorbereitung Münchener Abkommen.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|alt=Chamberlain and Hitler leave the Bad Godesberg meeting, 1938|Chamberlain (left) and Hitler leave the Bad Godesberg meeting, 23 September 1938]]

Chamberlain flew back to Germany, meeting Hitler in [[Bad Godesberg]] on 22 September.{{sfn|Self|2006|p=316}} Hitler brushed aside the proposals of the previous meeting, saying "that won't do any more".{{sfn|Self|2006|p=316}} Hitler demanded immediate occupation of the Sudetenland and that Polish and Hungarian territorial claims on Czechoslovakia be addressed. Chamberlain objected strenuously, telling Hitler that he had worked to bring the French and Czechoslovaks into line with Germany's demands, so much so that he had been accused of giving in to dictators and had been booed on his departure that morning. Hitler was unmoved.{{sfn|Self|2006|p=316}}

That evening, Chamberlain told Lord Halifax that the "meeting with Herr Hitler had been most unsatisfactory".{{sfn|Faber|2008|p=334}} The following day, Hitler kept Chamberlain waiting until mid-afternoon, when he sent a five-page letter, in German, outlining the demands he had made orally the previous day. Chamberlain replied by offering to act as an intermediary with the Czechoslovaks, and suggested that Hitler put his demands in a memorandum which could be circulated to the French and Czechoslovaks.{{sfn|Faber|2008|p=337}}

The leaders met again late on the evening of 23 September—a meeting that stretched into the early morning hours. Hitler demanded that fleeing Czechs in the zones to be occupied take nothing with them. He extended his deadline for occupation of the Sudetenland to 1 October—the date he had long before secretly set for the invasion of Czechoslovakia. The meeting ended amicably, with Chamberlain confiding to Hitler his hopes they would be able to work out other problems in Europe in the same spirit. Hitler hinted that the Sudetenland fulfilled his territorial ambitions in Europe. Chamberlain flew back to London, saying "It is up to the Czechs now."{{sfn|Faber|2008|pp=340–42}}