The 22nd of July, 1938, all major powers in the West are at attention.
Only a few months prior, Czechoslovakia had concentrated their military on the border which they share with Germany. Hitler sent diplomats to meet with the Czech government and to reassure them that Germany had no interest in invading Czechoslovakia. This was pure politicking, and a farce. Hitler had every intention to invade Czechoslovakia, and near the end of July, the rest of the world had discovered this intention and was trying to deal with it.
With that background in mind, we find ourselves once again on the 22nd of July. Europe’s attempts at diplomacy are in shambles. Great Britain refuses to enter diplomatic relations as long as Russia has a seat at the table. No one quite trusts Germany, the Czechs especially, and rightfully so. In November of that year, Czechoslovakia was forced to cede a portion of its land in the south to Germany and Italy.
They say hindsight is 20/20. Want to learn more about Czech-German relations and the murmurs of war to come? Check out the book, Confrontation in central Europe : Weimar Germany and Czechoslovakia, found in the General Collection section of the Library!