The Munich Agreement

The Munich Agreement was a 1938 settlement reached between Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy, permitting Nazi Germany to annex the Sudetenland, a region of Czechoslovakia with a significant ethnic German population. The leaders believed this concession would prevent another major war, as tensions in Europe were rising. However, the agreement is often criticized for enabling Hitler’s aggression, ultimately failing to maintain peace. Instead of averting conflict, it showcased the limitations of appeasement, as Germany later invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia and other countries, leading to the outbreak of World War II in 1939.