In September 1938, the heads of state of Britain, France, Germany and Italy sat together, and this meeting was not for anything else, but mainly for the previously concluded deal, signing a formality. In fact, czech representatives also came, but they were not allowed to attend, and they had to wait for the result in the next room. The result was the ceding of the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Germany, the notorious Munich conspiracy in history.
Of course, during this time period, both Britain and France, as well as Germany and Italy, had their own plans. Britain and France hoped that the disaster would lead to the east, and although this was only wishful thinking, Britain and France chose to betray their allies for their own interests.
The German aim was also obvious, the Czech position was very special, once the German army occupied Czechoslovakia, the door of Europe was open. To the east, it was possible to attack both the Soviet Union and to the west, britain and France.
After the signing of the Munich Agreement, the Soviet Union expressed its willingness to provide military assistance to Czechoslovakia, but Beneš rejected the Soviet proposal on the grounds that it was unrealistic.
Western countries have betrayed the Czech Republic and fallen into the well, which makes the Czechs feel cold. But there was a country that was not afraid of Germany's arrogance and dared to openly support the Czech Republic and even provide help, but the Czechs even refused. So what's going on?
Czechoslovakia was actually founded very late, as a nascent state after World War I. After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Czech Republic united with Slovakia to form the Czechoslovak Republic. The Czech Republic's independence after World War I was indispensable to the help of Western countries, and the Czech Republic also had a mutual assistance treaty with France.
Although the Czech Republic was the world's top industrial power, its national strategy was small, its population was small, its agriculture and light industry were relatively weak, and its strength was much worse than that of Germany at that time.
Seeing that Western allies have abandoned the Czech Republic, this makes the Czechs feel cold and lose the confidence to resist. But President Beneš refused, as President Beneš said: The Soviets will not leave when they come.
Because of Benes's prejudice against socialism and his illusions about Britain and France, he still pinned his hopes on the "help" of Britain and France, but unfortunately he recognized the wrong person.
It was during his exile, especially at the end of World War II, that his concept changed, and he no longer believed in the West, but instead began to tend to cooperate with the Soviet Union, although he did not accept the Soviet system, especially from the Czech geographical location, he hoped to be able to do both things and began to pursue his policy of balance.
So Beneš eventually chose to cooperate with the Soviet Union, signing with Stalin a mutual protection treaty between Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union, which also provided for post-war cooperation, so that the Soviet Union became a guarantor of Czechoslovakia.
After the end of World War II, Beneš spent the rest of his life in desperation, resigning from the presidency in 1948 because he watched the Soviet Union take control of Czechoslovakia, and died of grief that year.
I am afraid that Benes never dreamed that what he said when he rejected Stalin had become a reality.