Editing Munich Agreement (section)

==== German invasion of rump Czechoslovakia ====
{{main|Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)}}

In 1937, the ''[[Wehrmacht]]'' had formulated a plan, "Operation Green" (''Fall Grün'') for the invasion of Czechoslovakia. It was implemented shortly after the proclamation of the [[Slovak State]] on 15 March 1939.{{sfn|Herzstein|1980|p=184}} On 14 March, Slovakia seceded from Czechoslovakia and became a separate Nazi-subordinate state. The following day, [[Carpatho-Ukraine]] proclaimed independence as well, but after three days, it was completely occupied and annexed by Hungary. Czechoslovak President [[Emil Hácha]] traveled to Berlin and was left waiting, and orders to invade had already been given. During the meeting with Hitler, Hácha was threatened with the bombing of Prague if he refused to order the Czech troops to lay down their arms. That news induced a heart attack from which he was revived by an injection from Hitler's doctor. Hácha then agreed to sign the communiqué accepting the [[Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)|German occupation of the remainder of Bohemia and Moravia]], "which in its unctuous mendacity was remarkable even for the Nazis."<ref>Noakes, J. and Pridham, G. (eds) (2010) [2001] "Nazism 1919–1945", Vol 3, ''Foreign Policy, War and Racial Extermination'', University of Exeter Press, Exeter, p. 119</ref> Churchill's prediction was fulfilled, as German armies entered Prague and proceeded to occupy the rest of the country, which was transformed into a protectorate of the Reich. In March 1939, [[Konstantin von Neurath]] was appointed as Reichsprotektor and served as Hitler's personal representative in the protectorate. Immediately after the occupation, a wave of arrests began, mostly of refugees from Germany, Jews and Czech public figures. By November, Jewish children had been expelled from their schools and their parents fired from their jobs. Universities and colleges were closed after demonstrations against the occupation of Czechoslovakia. Over 1200 students were sent to concentration camps, and nine student leaders were executed on 17 November ([[International Students' Day]]).<ref>N.J.W. Goda, ''Tales from Spandau. Nazi Criminals and the Cold War'' (2007). pp. 161–163.</ref>

By seizing Bohemia and Moravia, Nazi Germany gained all of the skilled labour force and heavy industry located there as well as all the weapons of the Czechoslovak Army. During the 1940 [[Battle of France]], roughly 25% of all German weapons came from the protectorate. Nazi Germany also gained all of the Czechoslovakia's gold treasure, including gold stored in the [[Bank of England]]. Of a total 227 tons of gold found after the war in salt mines, only 18.4 tons were returned to Czechoslovakia in 1982, but most of it came from Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia was also forced to "sell" war material to the ''Wehrmacht'' for 648&nbsp;million of prewar [[Czechoslovak koruna]], a debt that was never repaid.<ref>David Blaazer,  "Finance and the end of appeasement: the Bank of England, the National Government and the Czech gold." ''Journal of Contemporary History'' 40.1 (2005): 25–39.</ref>

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-2004-1202-505, Prag, Burg, Besuch Adolf Hitler.jpg|left|thumb|Adolf Hitler on his visit to [[Prague Castle]] after the establishment of a German [[Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia|protectorate]], 15 March 1939]]
Chamberlain claimed the Prague annexation was a "completely different category" that moved [[Second Thirty Years War#The move beyond legitimate Versailles grievances, 1938-9|beyond the legitimate Versailles grievances]].<ref>McDonough, 2002, p. 73</ref> Meanwhile, concerns arose in Britain that Poland, which was now encircled by many German possessions, would become the next target of Nazi expansionism. That was made apparent by the dispute over the [[Polish Corridor]] and the [[Free City of Danzig]] and resulted in the signing of an [[Anglo-Polish military alliance]]. That made the Polish government refuse to accept German negotiation proposals over the Polish Corridor and the status of Danzig.<ref>Władysław W. Kulski, "The Anglo-Polish Agreement of August 25, 1939", ''The Polish Review,'' (1976) 21 (1/2): 23–40.</ref> Chamberlain felt betrayed by the Nazi seizure of Czechoslovakia, realized that his policy of appeasement towards Hitler had failed and so began to take a much harder line against Germany. He immediately began to mobilize the British armed forces to a war footing, and France did the same. Italy saw itself threatened by the British and French fleets and started its own [[invasion of Albania]] in April 1939.<ref>Winston Churchill, ''The Gathering Storm'' (1948) pp 381–401.</ref>