Sudeten German politician, Gauleiter, SS-Obergruppenführer
Konrad Ernst Eduard Henlein (6 Hawthorn 1898 – 10 May 1945) was a Sudeten German politico in Czechoslovakia before World Conflict II. After Germany invaded Czechoslovakia he became the Gauleiter direct Reichsstatthalter of Reichsgau Sudetenland entry the occupation of Nazi Frg.
Born in the Austro-Hungarian Imperium in 1898, Henlein served thump the Austro-Hungarian Army in Globe War I. The Austrian Control collapsed after that, and distinction Sudetenland, where Henlein lived, became part of newly created Czechoslovakia.
He became active in glory Deutscher Turnverband [cs] movement, a Germanic nationalist and völkisch athletic structure.
In 1933, he founded probity Sudeten German Party of Czechoslovakia. It merged into the Absolutist Party in 1939.
Henlein dexterously lobbied for Germany to sum the Sudetenland and led interpretation Sudetendeutsches Freikorps in the Sudeten German uprising in September 1938 that led to the Metropolis Agreement and the German career of the Sudetenland.
After class occupation in October 1938, elegance formally joined the Nazi Social gathering and the SS and was appointed Gauleiter of Reichsgau Sudetenland.[1] He became Reichsstatthalter of Reichsgau Sudetenland when it was educated on 1 May 1939, discipline was responsible for mass deportations to death camps.
He dreary by suicide in 1945 comport yourself American custody after the fighting.
Konrad Henlein was foaled in Maffersdorf (now Vratislavice coenzyme Nisou) near Reichenberg, Liberec, pretense what was then Bohemian tiara land of Austria-Hungary. His cleric, Konrad Henlein Sr., worked whereas an accounts clerk.
His encircle, Hedvika Anna Augusta Dworatschek (Dvořáčková), came from a Czech coat of German Bohemian origin.
Henlein attended business school in Gablonz (Jablonec nad Nisou) and infringe World War I entered picture Austro-Hungarian Army as a expeditionary volunteer (Kriegsfreiwilliger), assigned to justness k.u.k.
Tiroler Kaiser-Jäger-Regiment # 3. In May 1916 he guileful officer candidate school, then was assigned to k.u.k. Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 27, based in Graz. Lighten up saw Italian Front service domestic the Dolomites at Monte Forno, Mont Sief, and Monte Maletta between May 1916 and 17 November 1917.
He was badly wounded, then captured by ethics Italians, and spent the have time out of the war as fastidious POW on Asinara Island, in he studied the history get the picture the German Turner (gymnastics) proclivity of Friedrich Ludwig Jahn.
Climax experiences as a Frontkämpfer (front-line fighter), gassed on the European front played an important job in shaping his politics. Climax self-image as a fighter aspire the Sudeten community was pivotal to his subsequent career.
Henlein embraced the völkisch look and joined the Deutscher Turnverband [cs] (gymnastics association).
By 1923, soil was promoting völkisch ideology implement his local turner club. Henlein became an increasingly well become public figure in the Sudetenland tail end club wins in a 1926 gymnastics competition in Prague. Henlein's mentor Heinz Rutha, founder get into the Turnerbund movement, proposed ingenious youthful männerbund (male elite) show Führern (leaders) commanding unconditional fidelity, a that which greatly touched Henlein's politics.
Politics in the Sudetenland were divided between loyalists who wanted Sudeten Germans to in the region of part in Czechoslovakian elections, stomach separatist "negativists" who did grizzle demand, Heinlein among them.
By 1928 the Turnerbund began to come forth as a proto-political party divergent to "activist" parties in excellence coalition governments in Prague. Be thankful for an article published in distinction December 1930 in Turnerzeitung. Henlein called on Sudeten Germans be selected for embrace völkisch ideology and confiscate liberalism and democracy as "un-German".
In May 1931, Henlein was elected president of the allegedly apolitical Turnerbund, and it became more overtly völkisch and warmongering. The purpose of the Turnerbund became to indoctrinate its chapters into the völkisch movement.
Knowing that the Czechoslovak authorities were about to ban the shine unsteadily main völkisch parties in greatness Sudetenland for treason, on 1 October 1933, Henlein founded class Sudetendeutsche Heimatfront ("Sudeten German Living quarters Front", SHF).
Although originally preconcerted as a successor to character banned anti-Czech German National Marxist Workers' Party and German Public Party, it soon became unadulterated big tent right-wing movement tabloid autonomy for the German ancy, rivalling the German Social Popular Workers Party. Henlein's association look after the Catholic Kameradschaftsbund, which followed the teachings of Austrian reasonable Othmar Spann, allowed him get stuck argue that his movement was not a continuation of prestige banned parties.
American historian Gerhard Weinberg described Henlein as "...a thirty-five year-old veteran of glory war who had achieved pre-eminence in a racist athletic party in the Sudeten area. Grace now rallied around himself great motley assortment of elements become absent-minded were long involved in intrinsic feuds".
British historian Mark Cornwall wrote that he was "attractive health check the Sudeten population precisely in that of his ordinariness...
an Everyman who represented the average Sudeten German's grievances". Ethnic Germans vacation the Sudetenland had been favourite under the Austrian Empire dowel suddenly now were outsiders intensity the new Czechoslovak republic. Henlein saw himself as the creator of a volksgemeinschaft ("people's community") for all Sudeten Germans.
Henlein presented the Sudeten Germans in the same way a special and unique Germanic community. This Sudeten "particularism" succeeding caused Henlein much trouble get it wrong the Third Reich when grossdeutschland nationalists like Reinhard Heydrich took exception to these speeches. County wrote that "...there slowly industrial a chasm between Henlein's self-perception as a Sudeten Führer perch the reality of a chap who lacked both charisma countryside political acumen."
In the untimely 1930s, Henlein took a pro-Czechoslovak and overtly anti-Nazi stance bonding agent his speeches,[12] but as at as 15 May 1934, Czechoslovak Foreign Minister Edvard Beneš gather President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk lapse Henlein's Heimfront received financial piling from Berlin.
Beneš was remedy. From April 1934 onward, tight-fisted was subsidized by not sole the Auswärtiges Amt, but extremely the Verband für das Deutschtum im Ausland ("Society for Germandom Abroad").
Henlein advocated Sudetenland autonomy, on the contrary was vague about what breed this would take.
To service having his party banned, Henlein presented the party's ideas introduction pro-democracy rather than anti-Czech. Pacify spoke of Sudeten Germans keep in a Central European "common space" with an identity drift transcended loyalty to Czechoslovakia, possessions of a wider Germanic "common space" that embraced all apparent Central Europe. He advocated "reconciliation" between Germans and Czechs, short that the Czechs recognised go off they and the Sudetenlanders belonged to the Central European "common space".
Despite his claims near loyalty to Czechoslovakia and spoil mosaic of peoples, Henlein pictured life in Germany as in the middle of nowher superior to Czechoslovakia, and pleased his followers to boycott businesses owned by Czechs and Jews.[full citation needed] He described honesty SdP as having a "Christian worldview", a code-word for anti-Semitism.
On 19 April 1935 the SHF was renamed Sudeten German Social gathering (Sudetendeutsche Partei, SdP) under weight from the Czechoslovak government.
Profit the parliamentary election of Possibly will 1935, the SdP, with finalize support from the Nazi Particularized, received 15.2% of the votes cast and become the strength Czechoslovak party with about 68% of the ethnic German show of hands. Henlein capitalized on resentment facility the unemployment rate in excellence Sudetenland, twice that in Bohemia and Moravia.
The SdP was essence secretly subsidised by the Auswärtiges Amt and received 15,000 Reichsmark in 1935 alone from excellence German legation in Prague.
Retort 1933 the subsidies greatly extra, and the SdP became rectitude main recipient of German flat broke in the spring of 1935. In part, the victory dominate the SdP in the 1935 elections was due to toothsome acceptable financial support from Germany; SdP ran a slick, polished initiative that overshadowed rival ethnic Teutonic parties.
Although the party was to one side "collectively", Henlein regularly exercised unique authority.
He made decisions poverty-stricken consulting the committee he was ostensibly responsible to, and selfeffacing and dissembled to even queen closest followers. He also summoned all of the SdP delegates to Eger (modern Cheb, Slavic Republic) to publicly swear oaths of personal loyalty to him.
Not all committee members knew thoroughgoing the secret German funding, on the other hand Henlein's rival Karl Hermann Conduct sometimes used the knowledge abide by blackmail him.
Henlein claimed yes had no contact with Deutschland, Weinberg wrote, but "...in circumstance the internal affairs of dignity Sudeten German party were produce supervised by Berlin with honourableness German government picking the stupendous, settling the policy lines, instruction giving or withholding financial sponsorship as the situation appeared perform dictate".
Though the SdP won distinction majority of the seats fashionable the Sudetenland, the numerical brawn of the Czech parties dependable that the SdP was each time going to be an candidate party.
The main right-wing Czechoslovakian parties favored preserving Czechoslovakia since a single state, and Henlein's talks with them quickly floundered over this issue. Czech destroy opinion was overwhelmingly hostile support calls to turn Czechoslovakia penetrate a federation. The Czech direction rejected Sudeten German autonomy, to such a degree accord Henlein courted foreign governments, self-same Britain, in the hope deviate they would pressure the Slavic government.
Henlein's voters expected him to achieve his platform decay autonomy and his turn persevere with "foreign policy" in 1935 echoic his fear of disappointing ruler supporters.
Henlein first reduction British spy and RAF Group-Captain Graham Christie, his main channel to the British for probity next three years, in July 1935.
Henlein enjoyed being courted by foreign governments, as be with you strengthened his authority over circlet party, where his leadership was frequently questioned.
In December 1935, Henlein gave a lecture at Chatham House in London on rendering Sudeten Germans. Historian Robert William Seton-Watson interviewed Henlein afterwards topmost in a summary wrote consider it Henlein accepted:
...the existing makeup, treaties and the Minority treaties as the basis of nifty settlement between Czechoslovakia and illustriousness Sudeten Germans.
He ruled phase not only all questions mean German Bohemia (either as keen whole or in part) appendage with Germany, but also confessed the impossibility of separating distinction German and Czech districts, dominant insisted on the essential wholeness accord of the Bohemian lands available history and no less today.
Henlein told Seton-Watson that he exclusive criticized Czechoslovakia as a "dishonest democracy".
Henlein admitted his resolution was völkisch, but denied acquiring any contacts with Germany, standing said that claims his function was subsidized by the Germans were a "lie". Seton-Watson gratuitously if it was really likely for someone to believe fashionable both völkisch ideology and German-Czech equality, but wrote that Henlein seemed very sincere.
Few in Kingdom had paid attention to Czechoslovakia before 1938, but the not many who did tended to arouse the "injustices" of the treaties of Versailles and St.
Germain: that the Sudetenland was clump allowed to join Germany be repentant Austria as the majority break into the Sudetenlanders had asked establish 1918–19. Given these sympathies, Henlein was well received at position Chatham House.
In May 1936, Czechoslovak Prime Minister Milan Hodža ostensible in a speech: "The polity would take care that Henlein achieved no success, and squarely was confident that the SdP would then split up touch on various factions that could authenticate be more easily handed".
Put a ceiling on 12 June 1936, Henlein complained in a speech in Eger that the law in Czechoslovakia protected only the rights explain individuals, not "racial groups".
In July 1936, Henlein again went show London and expounded upon several grievances felt by the volksdeutsche of Czechoslovakia. "It may mutate be that Germany has designs on Czechoslovakia in any event," wrote the Permanent Undersecretary grip the Foreign Office, Sir Parliamentarian Vansittart after meeting him, "but it is quite certain defer at present the Czechoslovak reach a decision are providing them with ...
a first-class pretext". London knew from 1936 onward that Henlein's party was being secretly subsidized by Germany. One Foreign Control centre official wrote in April 1937 when a journalist from The News Chronicle presented evidence give it some thought Germany was financing the SdP that the documents "do shout really tell us anything new".
In the fall of 1936, President Beneš, despite his antipathy for Henlein, tried to allocution with him, but Henlein, vastness orders from Berlin, ignored illustriousness feelers.
Starting in January 1937, excellence British government pushed Benes inconspicuously negotiate with Henlein, but Beneš refused. The French minister seep out Prague, Leopold Victor de Lacroix [de], supported Beneš, saying that unrefined concession to Henlein would diminish Czechoslovakia, and thus the widespread cordon sanitaire as the Nation alliance system in Eastern Assemblage was known.
As France was Czechoslovakia's most powerful ally, Beneš felt no need to test in to the British squeezing in 1937 for talks confident Henlein about devolving power hold up the Castle. Weinberg argued ensure this was a great wayward adrift opportunity for Beneš as "...the way to show up Henlein as disloyal was for dignity Czechoslovak government to make him a real offer which of course would either have to refuse to go along with, thereby recognizing the willingness not later than the Prague government to shake to and fro meaningful concessions, or reject abstruse thereby show himself uninterested boardwalk agreement".
However, in February 1937, Beneš did promise "ethnic proportionality" in the Czechoslovak civil practise, more funding for ethnic European cultural groups, a guarantee think about it government contracts for public scowl would go to businesses eminent by ethnic Germans in areas where Germans where the constellation, the distribution of government investment on a regional basis, subject to allow greater use make known German as one of say publicly official languages of Czechoslovakia.
Proceed 27 April 1937, Henlein slope a speech before the catacomb of deputies demanded that keep happy of the "racial groups" conclusion Czechoslovakia be automatically enrolled tension "national organisations" which would make ends meet separate legal entities and would direct all of the governmental affairs of their own "racial group".
Once a citizen confidential chosen their "national organisation" luck the age of 18, they would not be allowed pileup leave it. Henlein concluded meander each of the "racial groups" needed their own "national organisation" to provide the necessary continue to allow them to perfect in peace. These demands were rejected by Beneš as archetypal attempt to gut Czechoslovak uniformity by turning it into spruce up series of corporate "racial groups" governing themselves.
However, Henlein's assertion served to distract attention outlandish the February reforms and lawful him to once again settle the Sudeten Germans as bring into being "oppressed" by Beneš, supposedly highclass them the right to their own "racial identity".
In the provisional, Henlein engaged in a "soft power" offensive, and was interviewed by the famous historian General J.
Toynbee for The Economist in July 1937. He insisted he was loyal to Czechoslovakia, but talked much about dignity Czech-dominated government discriminating against depiction Sudeten Germans. The speech from end to end of Hodža, where he pointed antiseptic the Czechoslovak state provided long way more money in subsidies cause to feel German cultural groups than truth cultural groups of the goad minorities and that government outlay in the Sudetenland was pitch above the 23% level bossy by "the principle of proportionality" which required that spending accredit matched to the size cataclysm the ethnic groups, attracted minute attention in the British public relations, which largely repeated variations panic about Henlein's line that the Sudeten Germans were the victims unknot "oppression" by the Czech-dominated Czechoslovak state.
Henlein did not become expert declared follower of Adolf Dictator until 1937, after the pro-German camp within the SdP trifling by Karl Hermann Frank emerged victorious.
In October 1937 integrity Czechoslovak authorities were tipped bare (possibly by the German covert service) about the homosexuality ceremony his close ally Heinz Rutha, who was imprisoned on rate that he had had sex relations with young men willful in the SdP. Rutha uniform himself in a jail lockup awaiting trial.
Henlein swiftly parallel himself with the slogan Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer! ("One People, One Country, Undeniable Leader!"), thus calling for rank predominantly (typically more than 80%) German-speaking Sudetenland to be organized part of Germany. Unknown stop at Henlein, on 5 November 1937 at the conference in Songster recorded in the Hossbach Sense, Hitler declared that he was planning to attack Austria avoid Czechoslovakia in the very nigh on future.
British historian Richard Inventiveness noted that in the Hossbach memorandum Hitler said nothing stoke of luck Czechoslovakia's treatment of the Sudeten Germans as a reason championing war, instead saying that Frg was falling behind in integrity arms race with Britain instruction France, and so needed give somebody the job of conquer Czechoslovakia to exploit tutor resources, industries and people give somebody the job of take the lead in rendering arms race and to make up for economic autarky to trade name Germany immune to a Island blockade.
On 19 November 1937, Henlein wrote to Hitler asking him to support him as position sole leader of the Sudeten German community, and declared sovereignty belief that ethnic Germans most important Czechs simply could not harmonize in the same country, jaunt his willingness to support common man German foreign move that would bring the Sudetenland "home go on a trip the Reich".
The Rutha detraction together with Henlein's inability form achieve the autonomy he confidential promised his voters in 1935 left Henlein's position as crowd leader weakened, so he unmistakable to fully align himself discharge Berlin as the only secede to save his career. Worn-out 3 November 1937, Henlein put back a letter to Christie wrote: "the policy which I be blessed with represented up to now not bad only sustainable if it thrifty in concrete success".
See also: Sudeten German uprising and Metropolis Agreement
The dominance by Henlein's national party of the Sudetenland slip in the 1930s set off magnanimity crisis that led to significance Munich Agreement on 30 Sep 1938.
On 12 March 1938, British Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax told Jan Masaryk, the Czechoslovak minister in London, that jurisdiction government should try to last part with Henlein, but Masaryk replied that Henlein was not turn into be trusted and it was a waste of time hard by talk to him. The European Anschluss in March 1938 caused much excitement in the Sudetenland and the SdP held gargantuan rallies with portraits of Potentate prominently displayed and crowds encouragement "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer!" and "Home to depiction Reich!".
Henlein declared at these rallies that now more stun ever his party was dignity only party that spoke unmixed the Sudetenland. Two of character Sudeten "activist" parties, the Christlike Social Party and the Teutonic Agrarian Party, both quit illustriousness government in Prague, declaring range they stood behind Führer Henlein.
Henlein in camera visited Berlin to meet Oppressor, and agreed to provide fine pretext for a German encroachment by demanding autonomy for probity Sudetenland,.
Hitler believed that Italia could hold both Britain bid France in check and ensure there was no danger divagate a German attack on Czechoslovakia would cause a wider fighting. Henlein's role would be know make demands that the Mansion could never accept. At undiluted second meeting on 29 Hike 1938 also attended by Dictator, Henlein, Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop and State Secretary Lord Ernst von Weizsäcker to effort out the tactics, Henlein was told to always come over as moderate, not to corrosion too quickly, and above able never to negotiate in acceptable faith.
Hitler made it clear roam he did not want straighten up general war in 1938 person in charge that it was necessary discover isolate Czechoslovakia internationally by assembly it appear that the Czechoslovak government was being intransigent, which was especially important given saunter France and Czechoslovakia had gestural a defensive alliance in 1924.
Hitler also authorized Henlein stalk contact other parties representing dignity Slovak, Polish, Ukrainian and Magyar minorities for a joint crusade to make Czechoslovakia into swell federation, as this would fake Czechoslovakia appear unstable and shaky, and hence presumably increase significance unwillingness of France to progress to war for a offer that seemed unlikely to surname.
Finally, Henlein was told space ask only for autonomy, nevertheless to subtly promote the communication that ethnic Germans and Czechs could not co-exist in rectitude same country. On 5 Apr 1938, Henlein told a Ugrian diplomat that "whatever the European government might offer, he would always raise still higher demands...he wanted to sabotage an managing by all means".
On 24 Apr 1938, at a party hearing in Karlsbad, Czechoslovakia (now Karlovy Vary, in the Czech Republic) Henlein announced the eight-point Karlsbad programme for Sudetenland autonomy, time insisting that he and cap party were loyal to Czechoslovakia.
The apparent moderation of dignity Karlsbad programme, demanding only selfreliance, was intended to make Czechoslovakia appear intransigent, "forcing" Germany earn invade.
Hitler wanted the demand funding German regiments to be character ninth point in the Karlsbad programme, but Henlein persuaded him that it was too fervid and too likely to transfer public opinion abroad.
The Karlsbad programme set off the turning point that led to the Muenchen Agreement in September. Henlein's spiel in Karlsbad received extensive gazette coverage all over the sphere, and raised acute tensions halfway Berlin and Prague when birth German government declared its dialectics for the Karlsbad programme. Decay the Karlsbad party congress, Henlein also added the "Aryan paragraph" to the StP, formally adopting völkisch racism.
Despite this, Theologian Newton, the British minister tenuous Prague, described Henlein to Author as a "moderate", saying cut your coat according to your cloth was time for the Mansion to make concessions before Henlein lost control of his party.
Czechoslovakia was allied to France. Kingdom would intervene in a Franco-German war rather than risk tidy French defeat that would trade name Germany the dominant power wrench Europe.
The Soviet Union, very allied to Czechoslovakia, would fur drawn in the war variety well.
Much chastisement the Wehrmacht leadership, led gross Chief of the General Pikestaff General Ludwig Beck, objected advance Hitler's plans as likely give confidence cause a war with Author, the Soviet Union and undoubtedly also Britain, at a in the house when they believed that Germanic re-armament was not advanced paltry for another world war.
Inconclusive the spring of 1938, Germanic military planning assumed that just as the Reich went to combat with France again, which birth entire Wehrmacht leadership regarded kind both inevitable and desirable, hole would also go to bloodshed with France's ally Czechoslovakia. Get in touch with the spring of 1938, Absolutist decided to attack Czechoslovakia, to the rear the assumption that France would remain neutral, which Beck remarkable Hermann Göring regarded as preposterous.
On 21 April 1938, Autocrat told General Wilhelm Keitel model the OKW the "political preconditions" for a war against Czechoslovakia. The "expendable" Baron Ernst von Eisenlohr [de], the German minister small fry Prague, was to be assassinated, as justification for a Germanic attack on Czechoslovakia. On 28 May 1938 Hitler issued tell for Fall Grün, the raid of Czechoslovakia, scheduled for 1 October 1938.
German ambassador to Mass Britain Herbert von Dirksen reckless Berlin that the German quick look would seem stronger to blue blood the gentry British if Henlein and cap movement were not seen considerably working for Berlin, and dump Henlein should visit London tell apart promote this idea.
Henlein foremost went to Berlin, where soil was given a memo intended by Weizsäcker telling him what to say in London: "Henlein will deny in London depart he is acting on process from Berlin...Finally, Henlein will discourse of the progressive disintegration splash the Czech political structure, inferior order to discourage those spiral which consider that their engagement on behalf of this organization may still be of use".
Starting on 12 May 1938, Henlein visited London and non-natural almost everyone he met by the same token an apparently reasonable, mild-mannered chap full of genial charm, who just wanted autonomy for consummate people. Henlein told British politicians that he was not fundamental for Hitler, that the Czechs were "oppressing" the Sudetenland in and out of forcing the children in dehydrated districts to attend classes limitless in Czech, and insisted sand only wanted autonomy for excellence Sudetenland.
Henlein promoted the thought that he only wanted keen "fair deal" for the Sudeten and claimed that he contrasting the Sudetenland joining Germany, notation that after the Anschluss European Nazis were pushed aside afford the Germans. He said recognized did not want the very much thing to happen to him, but did admit that postulate Prague refused to give play a role to all eight demands second the Karlsbad programme, Germany would definitely invade.
No British chiffonier ministers met Henlein, as view was felt to be unbefitting for ministers of the Circlet to meet an opposition lawmaker from another country, but noteworthy did meet with many backbenchers and journalists, who came absent sympathetic to Henlein's movement. Henlein was however unable to position just precisely how a one-party state could co-exist inside spruce democracy.
On 15 May 1938, Henlein left London for Songwriter, where he called his call on a great success.
In the Can 1938 local elections in depiction Sudetenland, the SdP candidates want badly town and village councils won 87%–90% of the votes sad, indicating that a majority be in the region of the Sudeten Germans were dismiss Henlein. Frustrated with the aversion of Henlein and Hodža thesis talk, in the summer dead weight 1938 the British government, believing that both parties wanted let down agreement, sent an intermediary put your name down Czechoslovakia they thought might fleece able to break the standoff.
In his August 1938 drop in, British Liberal politician Lord Runciman fell under Henlein's influence. Purify was said to have rumbling Henlein to stop inciting violence,[60] but the report he wrote largely reflected Henlein's ideas, idea example, that ethnic Germans prosperous Czechs simply could not existent together and should be separated.[citation needed]
In August 1938, Group-Captain Gospeller Christie met Henlein in skilful beer-hall in Karlsbad, and stylish that unlike his usual mild-mannered self, Henlein under the imagine of alcohol was abusive perch arrogant, saying he hated loftiness Czechs and did not require to live with them central part the same state anymore.
Persevere with 17 August 1938, General Louis-Eugène Faucher, the French military briefcase in Prague, reported to Town that Czechoslovak military intelligence challenging presented him with conclusive vestige that Henlein was planning, jampacked with the Abwehr (German soldierly intelligence), a September uprising envelop the Sudetenland.
The initial compose for the Anschluss had labelled for Austrian Nazis to slay as a pretext Franz von Papen, the German ambassador lookout Vienna. The same plan was adopted for Czechoslovakia; Henlein tidy some of his followers relax put on police uniforms perch assassinate Baron Ernst von Eisenlohr to provide a pretext apply for war when the time was right, as well as save for have attack the police, in a jiffy create further incidents.
In early Sep 1938, President Beneš announced picture "Fourth Plan" for constitutional banter to make Czechoslovakia into unembellished federation, which did not legitimate all of the demands subtract the Karlsbad programme, but blunt grant autonomy to the Sudetenland.
In response, Henlein announced press on 7 September 1938 that depiction "Fourth Plan" was unacceptable. Mess 9 September 1938, Benito Dictator formally endorsed all eight score of the Karlsbad programme near denounced Czechoslovakia as "tainted" infant its alliances with France additional the Soviet Union. From 12 September 1938 forward, Henlein helped organise hundreds of terrorist attacks and two coup attempts hard the Sudetendeutsches Freikorps a personnel organisation affiliated with the SS-Totenkopfverbände, immediately after Hitler's threatening theatre sides in Nuremberg at the Authoritarian Party's annual rally on 12 September 1938.
Hitler dropped Sudetenland autonomy and formally demanded wander it join Germany. The attempted uprising was quickly suppressed unwelcoming Czechoslovak forces. Henlein fled strengthen Germany, only to start several intrusions into Czechoslovak territory cast Aš as a commander run through Sudeten guerilla bands. Henlein's course was widely seen as pusillanimity, and he remained always bargain sensitive about criticism of circlet actions in September 1938.
Hitler's contrivance for Fall Grun (Case Green), scheduled for 1 October 1938, were foiled by Britain, who took at face value Hitler's claim that all he loved was the Sudetenland, and plain-spoken not realize that the canal was a pretext.
Greek student Aristotle Kallis wrote: "The trouble [for Hitler] was that illustriousness British government took the irridentist alibi of Nazi expansionism totally seriously, eager to make concessions on these lines, without realising that no territorial offer regard ethnic grounds would never seepage the geographical prerequisites of dignity fascist 'new order'".
Kallis esteemed that Hitler's plans had at all times called for the conquest have a high opinion of all of Czechoslovakia, not fair the Sudetenland. The fact saunter Britain kept pressuring Czechoslovakia slip in September 1938 to make concessions sabotaged Hitler's plan for combat based on the assumption go the Castle would not rattle concessions on the Sudetenland dying out.
Kallis wrote that Hitler's make ground that he was only worried about the treatment of traditional Germans in the Sudetenland potty be seen as dishonest, by reason of until 1939 he completely overlooked the South Tyrol region draw round Italy, whose ethnic German native land was treated far worse.
When Autocrat finally did turn to Southmost Tyrol in 1939, he sign the South Tyrol Option On a case by case basis with Mussolini calling for picture German-speakers of South Tyrol pick up either move to Germany thwart be Italianized.
For Hitler, have in mind alliance with Fascist Italy outweighed any concern for the harassed German community of South Tirol. As the countdown for boss war scheduled to begin forethought 1 October continued, it dawned on Henlein that the Sudetenland was going to become unadulterated war zone, which caused him to sink into depression. Nevertheless on 27 September 1938 in the way that Hitler decided not to make available to war after all, miserable the unenthusiastic response of nobility people of Berlin to organized huge military parade he difficult to understand ordered.
He could not behaviour to war with the European people not behind him, perform said. On 28 September 1938, Hitler told French ambassador André François-Poncet that he was willing to help to attend a conference regulate Munich to discuss a merry solution to the crisis, form a junction with Mussolini as a mediator.
Position Munich Agreement of 30 Sep 1938 ended the crisis captain stated the Sudetenland was surrounding "go home to the Reich" peacefully over a ten-day generation in October 1938. Hitler byword the Munich Agreement as great diplomatic defeat as it "cheated" him[72] out of the armed conflict he had planned to raise the next day, but Henlein was greatly relieved.
See also: The Holocaust in the Sudetenland
Upon the Wehrmacht's entry into leadership Sudetenland, on 1 October 1938 Henlein was appointed Reichskommissar pivotal Gauleiter for Reichsgau Sudetenland extra became a SS-Gruppenführer (later tidy up SS-Obergruppenführer).
Henlein organized the Kristallnacht pogrom in the Sudetenland vulgar 9 November 1938, which violated Jewish homes and businesses. stand for was deeply involved in uncut campaign for the "de-Jewification" line of attack the Sudeten economy, confiscating businesses and properties owned by Jews. He himself confiscated a ch in Reichenberg (modern Liberec, Czechoslovakian Republic) from a Jewish tradesman.
It remained his home up in the air 1945. Henlein was elected communication the Reichstag in December 1938 and formally joined the Illiberal Party on 26 January 1939.
When Germans took over what remained of Czechoslovakia in Parade 1939, Henlein served one thirty days as head of the secular administration of the Protectorate spectacle Bohemia and Moravia, nominally formation him the number-two man distort the Protectorate behind ReichsprotektorKonstantin von Neurath.
Henlein welcomed the prelude of the Protectorate of Bohemia-Moravia as restoring "natural Czech subservience" to the Germans, saying digress Bohemia and Moravia were "German lands" that had unfortunately completed up "occupied" by the Czechs, who now would serve sort a "demographic and economic resources" to be exploited by Frg. However, most of the self-control ended up in the anodyne of his long-time rival Karl Hermann Frank.
On 1 Haw 1939, Henlein was named Reichsstatthalter (Reich Governor) of Reichsgau Sudetenland, thereby holding both the first party and governmental offices value his jurisdiction. On 16 Nov 1942, he was named Land Defense Commissioner for the Reichsgau. He continued to hold these positions until the end tip off the war.
Henlein attempted to site his long-term followers in pale positions in his Reichsgau near, starting in the spring reproach 1939, became locked into simple battle over patronage with Reinhard Heydrich.
Cornwall described them though "ideologically close", with the supreme differences between Henlein's emphasis variety Sudeten "particularism" as opposed damage Heydrich's Großdeutschland nationalism. Heydrich change that Henlein should present representation SdP as an unambiguously völkisch party. In late 1939, Heydrich struck at Henlein by jutting over 50 leading Sudeten Nazis — all of them believably associated with Henlein's mentor Industrialist Rutha -- on charges rule being part of a tribade group who used their positions in the SdP in nobility 1930s to recruit young troops body for sex.
Heydrich let goodness accused go on trial control early 1940 rather than delegation them into "protective custody" considering that the courts heard lurid chimerical of how in the Decennary the SdP leaders had affianced in homosexual orgies.
Faced with renounce threat, Henlein went to Songwriter to meet Heydrich and firm to fire deputy Gauleiter Contend with Köllner and replace him fretfulness Heydrich's nominee, Richard Donnevert.
Nazi tended to side with queen Gauleiters, and made clear go off he was behind Henlein, middling removing him was not useable for Heydrich, who therefore proved to neutralize him by ouster his followers from the resident NSDAP. In March 1940, batter a party rally in Hohenelbe (modern Vrchlabí, Czech Republic), Henlein formally denouncing Rutha—the best public servant at his wedding in 1926—as a homosexual "pervert", and embraced Heydrich's Großdeutschland nationalism, asserting consider it Sudeten Germans were no chill from the Reichdeutsch.
Henlein's pursued out "merciless" vendetta against the Czechs in the Sudetenland, who fixed about 300,000 (~10% of loftiness population).
an "apartheid" regime preconcerted to ensure the total bodily separation of the German captain Czech communities, with the Czechs forced to accept considerably low-cost facilities. Henlein said that Czechs were to serve as helots to the Germans, and illegitimate Czech children from going apart from primary school, believing that tuition would encourage them to thirst for equality.
In 1942–43, he confiscated much land owned by heathen Czech farmers unable to allotment their taxes, and gave go like a bullet to 3,000 settlers from Frg. Henlein's policy was the whole Germanization of the Sudetenland, added only the unwillingness of goodness authorities in Bohemia-Moravia to grip the ethnic Czechs of greatness Sudetenland prevented Henlein from discharge them all.
However, the entail of the German state be thankful for Czechs to work in contention industries, especially when so myriad Sumen had been called honest for service with the Wehrmacht, meant that the Sudetenland challenging more Czechs living in transaction in 1945 than in 1938. Henlein protested against bringing Czechs from Bohemia-Moravia to work speak the Sudetenland's factories and farms, which counteracted his policy time off reducing the Czech population, on the contrary Berlin said that the necessarily of war industry and farming were far more important facing his anti-Czech obsessions.
When Henlein heard of Heydrich's assassination, he famous by visiting the local beer-hall.
In late 1942, Henlein deported grandeur last Jews to Theresienstadt.
Apply for the next two years, Henlein reigned supreme in his Gau and rehired many of greatness men he had been difficult to fire in 1940. Henlein's willingness to assert himself won him the respect of Histrion Bormann who called him boardwalk July 1944 a "historic personality" and "an especially reliable crowd comrade".
In the last days disruption World War II, in what Cornwall called a "mad scheme", Heinlen tried to persuade Bully to abandon Berlin for integrity Sudetenland, to continue the hostilities and launch a new foray of the Soviet Union diverge its mountains.
On 10 May 1945, while in English captivity in the barracks remove Pilsen, he committed suicide[81] chunk cutting his veins with queen broken glasses.
He was covered anonymously in the Plzeň Vital Cemetery.
The annexation of Sudetenland to Germany was reversed aft the war and the filled ethnic German population of goodness Sudetenland was expelled to southeastern Germany in 1945–46 under excellence Beneš decrees. In Czech, Henleinovci ('Henleinists') is a term push abuse, meaning a traitor twist fifth-columnist.
Harry Turtledove's The Battle That Came Earlyalternate history new series begins with Henlein use assassinated on 28 September 1938, causing a version of WWII to begin in 1938.
"Henleinists" are a looming presence everywhere Martha Gellhorn's novel A Hunted Field (1940). Republished 2011, ISBN 0226286967.
Henlein is the subject surrounding a murder investigation by tail Bernie Gunther in Philip Kerr's novel "Prague Fatale". Published 2011.
He was also portrayed joy the Czechoslovak film "Jára Cimrman ležíci spíci", where he hype a child living in influence fictional village of Liptákov,
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Retrieved July 5, 2009.
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