Editing Wilhelm Canaris (section)

===Munich Agreement and intrigue===
Canaris and his associates were not necessarily committed to the overthrow of Hitler's regime, but they were loosely allied to another more radical group: the "anti-Nazi" faction, led by Colonel [[Hans Oster]] and [[Hans Bernd Gisevius]], which wanted to use the crisis as an excuse for executing a ''putsch'' to overthrow the Nazi regime.{{sfn|Müller|1985|pp=162–163, 166–167}} The most audacious plan contemplated by Canaris, in collaboration with [[Ewald von Kleist-Schmenzin]], was to capture and to unseat Hitler and the entire Nazi Party before the invasion of [[Czechoslovakia]]. At that particular moment, Kleist visited Britain secretly and discussed the situation with British [[MI6]] and some high-ranking politicians.{{sfn|Hoffmann|1977|pp=60–63}}

The high-ranking German military leaders believed that if Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia or any other country, Britain would declare war on Germany.{{sfn|Evans|2006|pp=668–670}} MI6 was of the same opinion. The British declaration of war would have given the General Staff, it thought, both the pretext and the support for an overthrow of Hitler, which many of them were planning because of the prevailing "anti-war sentiment of the German people".{{sfn|Bassett|2011|p=159}}

The reaction of the British government to Hitler's demands on the [[Sudetenland]] was more cautious. At a meeting with Hitler in Munich, British Prime Minister [[Neville Chamberlain]] and French Prime Minister [[Édouard Daladier]] chose diplomacy over war.{{sfn|Waller|1996|pp=56–58}} The [[Munich Agreement]] was thus a severe disappointment for Kleist and Canaris.{{sfn|Bassett|2011|pp=160–162}} It gave Hitler's reputation an important boost and his popularity soared, as he appeared to have brought peace. However, Hitler was scornful of his generals for resisting his plans since he had wanted war. [[Hermann Göring]] fell out of favour with him for negotiating peace, but Hitler's drive for war remained unabated although the Western powers had granted him concessions.{{sfn|Kershaw|2001|pp=123–126}} Canaris was relieved that war was averted and sought to re-establish contact with Hitler since many of the ''Abwehr'' reports submitted on the Sudeten crisis had proven to be grossly inaccurate. To Hans Oster and his circle, Canaris suddenly appeared recommitted to Hitler.{{sfn|Höhne|1979|pp=311–312}}