30. Hitler’s Bloodless Seizure of Czechoslovakia Gave Germany a Huge Boost
When Hitler broke his Munich promises and war broke out less than a year later, Germany was in a stronger position, while Britain and France were relatively weaker. In 1938, the Allies could have fought while benefiting from the Czechs, whose well-trained and well-equipped military was hunkered behind strong fortifications, supported by a formidable domestic armaments industry. In 1939, the Czech military was no longer an asset in the Western Powers’ column, and the Czech armaments industry was churning out weapons for Germany.
Indeed, a significant portion of German armaments during the war, especially early in the war, came from Czech factories. Indeed, Czech tanks such as the 38(t) played a significant role in the German conquests of Poland, Norway, and Western Europe, with 6 Panzer divisions armed with the 38(t) until 1942.
