This episode serves as a prologue to our upcoming discussions about the deep-rooted connections between Czechs and Britain, particularly through the lens of London.
It was the late summer of 1938, and the clouds of war loomed ominously over Europe. The Sudetenland, home to a significant German-speaking minority, became the flashpoint in an international crisis. These Czechoslovak citizens found themselves at the heart of a contentious debate: remain part of Czechoslovakia or join Nazi Germany. Adolf Hitler’s aggressive demands threatened not just peace in our homeland but across the continent.
In a desperate bid to avoid conflict, Britain and France, though bound by treaties to support Czechoslovakia, were eager to appease Hitler. Into this tense atmosphere stepped a British diplomat—Walter Runciman, 1st Viscount of Doxford, or as he is commonly known, Lord Runciman.
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Author: Vít Pohanka