Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia: A Tragic Chapter in Post-WWII History
During the tumultuous period following World War II, the fate of ethnic minorities in Central and Eastern Europe became a contentious issue among various governments. One of the most significant and debated cases of post-war population movements involved the expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia. This article explores the reasons behind this large-scale displacement and examines the broader context of post-war policies and agreements.
Pre-World War II Proposals and Discussions
Even before the onset of World War II, governments in exile began to propose the expulsion of ethnic Germans from their territories. The Polish government, under the leadership of the state in exile, first suggested the expulsion of Germans in the autumn of 1939.
In 1942, the British government drew up a memorandum on the transfer of German minorities from Central and South-Eastern Europe. On July 7, 1942, Czechoslovak President Edvard Bene was informed of this by British Foreign Minister Anthony Eden. The British government further recommended to Bene that future deportations should focus less on the guilt or innocence of individual Germans and more on the practical aspects of the process.
The idea of expelling ethnic Germans from Czechoslovakia was supported by both Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister, and Anthony Eden, the British Foreign Secretary. The Czechoslovak Government-in-Exile received formal support from the United Kingdom for the expulsion of Germans in 1942, and in March 1943, President Bene received support from Moscow.
strasman and Roosevelt’s Support
President Franklin D. Roosevelt provided support for the evolving expulsion plans during a visit to Washington D.C. in June 1943. However, the final agreement for the transfer of the German minority was not reached until August 2, 1945, at the end of the Potsdam Conference.
British and American Support for the Hungarians
A similar proposal for the Hungarian population was also considered during World War II. The United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union all gave their permission for the expulsion of Hungarians in 1943. However, when American and British leaders saw the specifics of Bene's plan at the end of the war, they did not support it.
The Czechoslovak government attempted to apply the Potsdam Agreement to the Hungarian population as well, but the Western powers rejected this conception. The Allies, including the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the Soviet Union, supported solutions to the minority problem through negotiations rather than unilateral expulsion. Consequently, the Czechoslovak government resettled more than 40,000 Hungarians to the Czech borderlands, which provoked a protest from the United States and a warning from Hungary about the potential reannexation of solidly Hungarian areas that had been achieved in 1938 under the First Vienna Award.
The Potsdam Agreement and Final Decisions
After the Second Vienna Award and the subsequent annulment of the reannexation in the Treaty of Paris on February 10, 1947, Czechoslovakia continued to press for a bilateral population exchange to remove Hungarians and increase its Slovak population, thus changing the ethnic makeup of the country.
This plan was initially rejected by Hungary. However, Hungary soon realized that the Allies were not genuinely interested in the fate of the Hungarian minority and that they would not halt the deportations. The peace treaty signed in 1947 did not include any provisions concerning the protection of minorities.
Conclusion
The expulsions of Germans from Czechoslovakia, a crucial chapter in post-WWII history, were part of a broader wave of population movements and forced relocations. The reasons behind these expulsions, including political, economic, and security concerns, are complex and multifaceted. The eventual agreements and policies highlight the interplay between international politics, national aspirations, and humanitarian considerations.