Trial of the Major War Criminals before International Military Tribunal ...

Treaties of Czechoslovakia with France and the Soviet Union
were for Germany pacts with her enemies from the West and from
the East as well. Strategically Czechoslovakia formed the link of
the potential two fronts against Germany.
Field Marshal KEITEL, when interrogated by Dr. EEer, Czecho-
slovak Representative on the United Nations War Crimes Commis-
sion and Chief of the Czechoslovak War Crimes Investigating
Mission attached to War Crimes Branch, USFET, on August 3rd,
1945, in Mondorff, confirmed that the Agreement of Munich was ­
directed against the Soviet Union because "Czechoslovakia was
considered as a possible stepping-up area (Aufmarschgebiet) of the
Soviet Union with operationally dangerous consequences".
General HALDER saw the strategic meaning of Munich in forcing
the Czechoslovak Army to retire from its extremely strong Line of
prepared fortifications, in handing over these fortifications to the
enemy without Aght, and in confining the Czechoslovak Army in a flat,
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narrow and wholly indefensible space.
(b) Politically.
Czechoslovakia was the last democratic bastion in Central Europe.
It had its free democratic organisations and institutions, unfettered
political parties, a free press etc. It had a democratic constitution
which vouchsafed to every citizen complete equality before the law
without any discrimination with regard to,language, race or religion.
In the heart of Europe there was left a small independent country
as a democratic and anti-fascist outpost of the West and East as well.
(c) Racially.
Czechoslovakia was, in the overwhelming majority of its inhabit-
ants a- Slavonic state with a strong conscience of all Slav-solidarity.
We mention the Tenth Sokol Congress held in the critical time
of Summer 1939 in Prague, where once again the Sokol Congress
became a demonstration of international Slav brotherhood even
more than in past years.
(2) The Realisation of the Plan.
Thus Nazi ~erman~ decided to "liquidate" Czechoslovakia first
as an independent state and later as a nation.
The first part of this plan was realised by invasion and partial
occupation from October 1st to October loth, 1938, apparently