Hitler and Czechoslovakia in World War II: Domination and Retaliation: 52 (International Library of Twentieth Century History) - Hardcover

'Patrick Crowhurst's new book on the topic of the tragic developments in Czechoslovakia leading up to World War II and then culminating with the expulsion of the Sudeten Germans in 1946 is impressive, and it should be read by anyone interested in the Munich Conference and subsequent events. His account of the German exploitation of Czechoslovak resources, based on extensive new research, is an important addition to the history of this era. It is interesting that he ends by citing examples of subsequent cooperation between the Czechs and Germans.' Clinton Machann, Editor, Kosmas, 2000-2012

The invasion of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany in March 1939 helped to precipitate Europe's descent into World War II sis months later. The move, supposedly to protect the Sudeten Germans, shocked many in Europe, who saw it as a clear statement of intent by Hitler. Here, Patrick Crowhurst argues that occupation of the Sudetenland and the Czech lands was also crucial to the Nazi war machine. The armaments, factories and raw materials that Hitler seized accelerated Germany's capabilities; Czech tanks would prove crucial in the Ardennes and, as the Wehrmacht fought at Stalingrad, Armaments Minister Albert Speer was corralling Czech industrial machinery to produce engines, aircraft and equipment in support. In addition, new Slovakian and Czech primary material are used to give a new in-depth account of the German reaction to the assassination of Reinhardt Heydrich on the streets of Prague in June 1942. The recriminations were brutal, and dovetailed with Hitler's plans for the genocide of Czech Jewry. This is a new side of the History of Nazi Europe, and argues for the centrality of the Czech occupation in the overall narrative of World War II.