Jaroslav Stribny | |
Fictional Character | |
The War That Came Early POD: July 20, 1936; Relevant POD: September 29, 1938 | |
Appearance(s): | Hitler's War |
Type of Appearance: | Contemporary and posthumous references |
Nationality: | Czechoslovakia (presumably born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire) |
Date of Birth: | 20th century |
Date of Death: | 1938 |
Cause of Death: | Executed |
Jaroslav Stribny (d. 1938) was a citizen of Prague, Czechoslovakia, and the assassin of Sudeten German Party leader Konrad Henlein.
In September 1938, the Munich Conference was held, where British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and French Premier Edouard Daladier were preparing to accede to German Chancellor Adolf Hitler's demands for the secession of the Sudetenland, and impose this demand on Czechoslovakia, their ally.
Czechoslovakia itself was pointedly excluded from the conference which would determine its fate. Representatives of the Czechoslovak Government were reduced to waiting passively and helplessly for the German, Italian, British and French leaders to inform them of what was decided.
Against this backdrop, Stribny followed Henlein to Berlin, and fatally shot him.
News of Stribny's act came just as Britain and France was forcing Czechoslovakia into capitulation. Hitler was, in fact, not happy with this outcome, since he regarded Chamberlain and Daladier's attitude as proof that the UK and France were weak and could be easily beaten; however, he had no pretext for starting a war. With Henlein's death at Stribny's hand, Hitler declared that negotiations were at an end and that his army would invade Czechoslovakia immediately to avenge Henlein's death. Chamberlain and Daladier believed Hitler had engineered the assassination. Hitler had not, but was happy to let them believe so. Thus, much as Gavrilo Princip had inadvertently started the First World War, Jaroslav Stribny started the Second. Hitler took great delight in noting both assassins were Slavs.[1]
References[]
- ↑ Hitler's War, pgs. 8-16, HC.
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