1941 German occupation of Czechoslovakia / Cycling pin badge

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Events leading to
World War II
The
German occupation of Czechoslovakia
(1938–1945) began with the
German
annexation
of
Sudetenland
in 1938, continued with the March 1939 invasion of the
Czech lands
and creation of the
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
, and by the end of 1944 extended to all parts of the former
Czechoslovakia
.
Following the
Anschluss
of
Austria
to
Nazi Germany
in March 1938, the conquest and breakup of Czechoslovakia became Hitler's next ambition, which he obtained with the
Munich Agreement
in September 1938.
Adolf Hitler
justified the invasion by the purported suffering of the
ethnic Germans
living in these regions. The seizure of Sudetenland by Nazi Germany was detrimental to the future defense of Czechslovakia as the extensive
Czechoslovak border fortifications
were also located in the same area. The incorporation of the Sudetenland into Germany that began on 1 October 1938 left the rest of Czechoslovakia weak, and it became powerless to resist subsequent occupation. Moreover, a small northeastern part of the borderland region known as
Zaolzie
was occupied and annexed to
Poland
ostensibly to "protect" the local
ethnic Polish
community and as a result of previous territorial claims (
Czech-Polish disputes
in the years of 1918–20). Futhermore, by the
First Vienna Award
,
Hungary
received the southern territories of Slovakia and
Carpathian Ruthenia
, largely inhabited by Hungarians.
As the
Slovak State
was proclaimed on 14 March, the next day Hungary occupied and annexed the remainder of Carpathian Ruthenia and the German
Wehrmacht
moved into the remainder of the Czech Lands. On 16 March 1939 from the
Prague Castle
, Hitler proclaimed the
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
after the negotiations with
Emil Hácha
, who remained as technical head of state with the title of State President. However, he was rendered all but powerless; real power was vested in the
Reichsprotektor
, who served as Hitler's personal representative.
[1]
In March 1944, during
Operation Margarethe
Hungary was occupied by Germany, while beginning at the end of August 1944 with the
Slovak National Uprising
, Slovakia shared the same fate. The occupation ended with the surrender of Germany following World War II. During the occupation, 265,000 Jews were murdered, making up most of the casualties of the occupation.
[2]