The events of 1938 in Silesia as a prelude to the outbreak of the Second World War

The article presents the genesis of the Second World War in Central and Eastern Europe from the perspective of 1938, highlighting in particular the area of Silesia, which in the 20th century belonged to the German Reich, the Czechoslovak Republic and the Republic of Poland. The text focuses primarily on the diplomatic situation in which Silesia became an object of a political game, both of the great powers and of the actions taken by small and medium-sized Central European states (including Poland), seeking to guarantee their sovereignty in the new geopolitical conditions. The main role in these events was played by Nazi Germany, which occupied Czechoslovak Silesia, treating this fact as a preliminary to future territorial conquests during the Second World War.