The Munich Agreement:

A Failed Attempt at Peace

NHD Process Paper

Zoe Granger, Molly Masson, and Christina Zhang

495 Words
How we chose our topic:

We were reading historical fiction books at school and really seemed to enjoy books on World

War II. We wanted an interesting topic that we could really look at in depth and wanted to learn

more about some of the causes of the war. So, we researched more about WWII and started

learning about the Munich Agreement. All three of us were interested in it so we ended up

deciding on the Munich Agreement as our topic.

How we conducted our research:

In conducting our research, we browsed through online databases including Gale and Salem

Online History. We also found information in online encyclopedias like World Book Online.

There, we were able to find many articles relating to our topic. The United States Holocaust

Memorial Museum website also provided us with multimedia including photographs and videos.

While online, we uncovered the document of the Munich Agreement and speeches given by

those who signed the document. Additionally, we visited our local libraries including the

Broward County Library and the Alvin Sherman Library for books relating to our topic and were

able to find different opinions on the compromise in those books. Furthermore, we interviewed

renowned historian and professor Gerhard Weinberg who specializes on Nazi Germany and the

origins and course of World War II. We conducted our interview through email and had him give

his opinion on the Munich Agreement.

How we created and developed our exhibit:

For our project on the Munich Agreement, we all decided upon creating a website. This was

because with a website, we could efficiently organize the information and multimedia that we
obtained when researching. We could also collaborate on our project without having to meet up

so often. With the Weebly website, we were able to create a layout and add quotes, text, pictures,

and videos to our website. First, we organized the website into pages and subpages that

represented key ideas. We then added text from primary and secondary sources to support the

theme. By also adding photographs and videos, we were able to fully develop our topic and

convey our message to viewers.

How our project relates to the theme “Conflict and Compromise”:

The British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain sought to find compromise to avoid going to

war because Hitler wanted the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia and was willing to go to war if he

didn’t get it. Chamberlain and Hitler, as well as leaders from other countries like France and

Italy, met to discuss an agreement. Multiple times these attempts failed; however, on September

30th, 1938, they finally agreed to sign a compromise known as the Munich Agreement.

Unfortunately, the Munich Agreement was violated by Hitler soon after being signed, as he

invaded the whole of Czechoslovakia. The Munich Agreement is now used as an analogy of

failed attempt at peace. It may have been an unsuccessful agreement, but it still represents a

conflict that was resolved, or held off, by a compromise.