As part of its ambition for a world empire, Germany invaded Czechoslovakia along with several other countries. However, this conquest was not executed all at once. Instead, Germany systematically undermined the Czechoslovak government, gradually seizing control piece by piece while attempting to justify its actions to the international community.

The situation began with Hitler’s annexation of the Sudetenland, a region along the border of Czechoslovakia that had a substantial German-speaking population. He asserted that his actions were intended to protect the ethnic Germans in Czechoslovakia from a perceived threat posed by the Czechs. This move significantly weakened Czechoslovakia’s defenses but faced minimal opposition from the international community.

On March 15th, 1943, Hitler summoned Czech President Emil Hácha to Berlin to discuss the future of Czechoslovakia. When Hácha arrived, he was kept waiting for hours. Once he finally met with Hitler, the dictator informed him that German forces were already positioned to invade Czechoslovakia. He presented Hácha with two options for the invasion: it could proceed peacefully and quickly, or with maximum violence and destruction. The graphic descriptions of the devastation Germany planned caused Hácha to suffer a heart attack. As a result, he decided to “voluntarily” place the fate of his country in the hands of the Führer.