Memorandum on a meeting of Foreign Office and Sudeten German Party leaders on the party's strategy in Czechoslovakia

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Notes on the Conference on 29 March 1938, 1200 hours, in the Foreign Office on Sudeten German Questions
In this conference the gentlemen enumerated in the enclosed list participated.
The Reichsminister [Ribbentrop] started out by emphasizing the necessity to keep the conference which had been scheduled strictly a secret; he then explained, in view of the directives which
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the Fuehrer himself had given to Konrad Henlein personally yesterday afternoon, that there were *two questions which were of outstanding importance for the conduct of policy of the Sudeten German Party:
1. The Sudeten Germans must realize that they are backed up by a nation of 75 million which will not tolerate a continued suppression of the Sudeten Germans by the Czechoslovak Government.
It is the task of the Sudeten German Party to formulate such demands from the Czechoslovak Government as it deems necessary in order to obtain the privileges desired by it.
The Foreign Minister explained in this connection that it could not be the task of the Reich Government to give Konrad Henlein, whose position as the leader of the Sudeten Germans has been expressly acknowledged and again confirmed by the Fuehrer, detailed suggestions about what to demand from the Czechoslovak Government. It is essential to propose a maximum program, which as its final aim grants full freedom to the Sudeten Germans. It appears dangerous to be satisfied prematurely with the consent of the Czechoslovakian Government; this on the one hand would give the impression abroad that a solution has been found, and on the other hand would only partially satisfy the Sudeten Germans. In any case, caution is the proper thing, because one cannot have any confidences in the assurances of Eenes and Hodza according to past experiences. The aim of the negotiations to be carried out by the Sudeten German party with the Czechoslovakian Government is finally this: to avoid entry into the Government by the extension and gradual specification of the demands to be made. It must be emphasized clearly in the negotiations that the Sudeten German Party alone is the party to the negotiations with the Czechoslovakian Government, not the Reich cabinet [Reichsregierung]. The Reich cabinet itself must refuse to appear toward the Government in Prague or toward London and Paris as the advocate or peacemaker of the Sudeten German demands. It is a self-evident prerequisite that during the impending discussion with the Czechoslovak Government the Sudeten Germans would be firmly controlled by Konrad Henlein, would maintain quiet and discipline, and would avoid indiscretions. The assurances already given by Konrad Henlein in this connection were satisfactory.
Following these general explanations of the Reich Minister the demands of the Sudeten German Party from the Czechoslovak Government as contained in the enclosure were discussed and approved in principle. For further cooperation, Konrad Henlein
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was instructed to keep in the closest possible touch with the Reichminister and the Head of the1* Central Office for Racial Germans [mit dem Leiter der Volksdeutschen Mittelstelle], as well as the German Minister in Prague, as the local representative of the Foreign Minister. The task of the German Minister in Prague would be to support the demands of the Sudeten German Party as reasonable, not officially, but in more private talks with the Czechoslovak politicians without exerting any direct influence on the extent of the demands of the Party.
In conclusion there was a discussion whether it would be useful if the Sudeten German Party would cooperate with other minorities in Czechoslovakia, especially with the Slovaks. The Foreign Minister decided that the Party should have the discretion to keep a loose contact with other minority groups if the adoption of a parallel course by them might appear appropriate.
Berlin, 29 March 1938. _ _ .
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List of those present in the conference on Sudeten German Questions on Tuesday, 29 March 1938, 1200 hours Present:
Reichsminister von Ribbentrop State Secretary von Mackensen Ministerial Director Weissaecker Ambassador Eisenlohr—Prague I FOREIGN
Ambassador Stiehe f OFFICE
Vortr. Legationrat von Twardowski Legationrat Altenburg Legationrat Kordt
SS Obergruppenfuehrer Lorenz "1 Central Office for Racial
V Germans [Volksdeutsche
Prof. Haushofer Konrad Henlein Karl Hermann Frank Dr. Kuenzel Dr. Kreissl
J Mittelstelle]
SUDETEN GERMAN PARTY