![]() ![]() ![]() Poland decided to utilize this geopolitical development to settle an old score with Czechoslovakia by demanding the Teschen region. At the Munich Conference (called in response to the German demands), British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced "peace in our time" - Czechoslovakia would cede to Germany the Sudetenland and Germany would not go to war. In September of 1938, Hitler would demand the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia. However, Lithuania, mistrusting of Stalin's intentions, relented to the Polish ultimatum. Stalin endeavored to remedy that isolation by forcing the other European nations to engage diplomatically with the Soviet Union and used the Lithuania ultimatum crisis as an attempted means to this end. The Soviet Union informed Poland that an attack on Lithuania would result in the non-aggression pact between the two nations being voided. In 1938, the Soviet Union was still (for the most part) diplomatically isolated on the European continent. ![]() Ultimately, only one nation would lift a finger in defense of little Lithuania - the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The United Kingdom and France, still convinced of the merits of appeasement, appeared willing to throw Lithuania to the wolves if it meant a Second Great War would be averted. Lithuania's problems were compounded by the fact that Hitler's Germany made it clear that in event of a Polish invasion of Lithuania, Germany would "be forced to intervene to protect the Germans of Memel" - meaning Lithuania faced an invasion from two sides. To give teeth to this threat, the Polish government mobilized part of the Polish army along the Lithuanian border. On March 17th, 1938, the Polish Government delivered an ultimatum to Lithuania, giving the country 48 hours to recognize Polish territorial claims over Wilno/Vilnius and establish diplomatic relations. ![]()
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