Permanent or Provisional? The Sudeten Germans

Abstract

Abstract This chapter provides a case study of the German minority in interwar Czechoslovakia, studying the positions of German political representatives from 1920 to 1938. Using historical sources as well as quantitative analyses of all parliamentary speeches of German representatives, the chapter highlights two central arguments. First, it emphasizes the significance of the Germans’ status as a provisional versus permanent ethnic minority. In doing so, the chapter underscores the circumstantial nature of ethnic minority liberalism. It shows the centrality of perceived permanence of ethnic minority status, which determines political strategies. Second, the chapter underscores the role of interethnic cooperation. It demonstrates the systemic benefits of cooperative endeavors between moderate minority and majority representatives as a driving force for ethnic liberalism, particularly in the pursuit of shared non-ethnic political goals, promoting democratic cooperation in the face of extremist threats. The chapter reveals how, during the early days of the Czechoslovak state, the Sudeten German minority hesitated as a provisional minority, inclined toward association with Austria. However, as the state solidified and their minority status became permanent, their pursuit shifted toward establishing peaceful relations with the ethnic majority. Despite the onset of the Great Depression, cooperation between Czechs and Germans thrived, but collapsed with the rise of Nazism, leading to the breakdown of Czech-German collaboration due to Hitler’s policy of offering Sudeten Germans an exit from minority status. The chapter maintains a nuanced perspective on the Sudeten Germans, acknowledging the diversity among their elites’ affiliations, encompassing both committed Nazis and dedicated anti-Nazi activists.