Author: Michal Lehuta
Instructor: Johannes Paulmann
States of War and States of Peace - 850210-A
International University Bremen
Spring Semester 2003
Date of Submission: 10 June 2003

























Introduction
The Second World War can be seen as starting step by step with the German recovery followed by its’ international re-recognition, military reconstruction, several breaches of the Versailles treaty and an intimidating territorial expansion.
The last tactic was its’ fatal one, although successfully pursued until 1939. It started with the reoccupation of the Rhineland in 1930, following with the regaining of Saarland in 1935, both regions industrially extremely important. Them came the remilitarization of the Rhineland, region bordering France and Belgium. After that achieved Germany the largest territorial gain before war – Austria (March 1938), followed by the last appeased attainment before the start of the Second World War – the destruction of Czechoslovakia in 1938/1939. The first step to it, perceived as the more important one, took place in October 1938, when the Third Reich expanded to Czechoslovak German-speaking border regions after the four-power conference held in Munich on September 29 and 30. This meeting was a result of the longer period of British conciliating foreign policy towards aggressive Germany. France, although having binding treaty to protect Czechoslovakia depended on British support in case of war, played a minor role in this process.
Appeasement policy lasting until 1939 is seen by some as the deadly approach, by others as a wise strategy. The critics point at its’ consequences, the advocates on its’ reasoning in the particular setting, and both seem to be to a certain degree right.
In this essay, I will try to depict the British appeasement policy, its’ origins and manifestation in the situation leading to the Munich agreement of September 1938. I will stick to chronological order starting with a description of the international setting, followed by the actual development and resolution of the conflict over the Sudeten issue.

1930s in the International Perspective
1930s started with the greatest economic depression in the world’s history, leading to downfall of production, extremely high unemployment and rise of the extremist movements. Europe suffered probably the most.