Throughout history, negotiation has been a powerful tool used by world leaders to avoid violence and resolve conflicts. When negotiations are successful, all parties may feel that they have achieved their goals and met their expectations, but when negotiations go badly, countries and relationships can be damaged beyond repair. The Munich Agreement of 1938 is a clear example of this type of failure, which was one of the catalysts for the start of the Second World War and the loss of Czechoslovakia's independence. The Czech people were very neglected during this agreement process, which in some cases still affects the country today. The 1930s were a difficult time for Europe and the powers within it due to the consequences of the First World War and the worldwide economic depression. Meanwhile, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party continued to dominate Europe and threatened to invade Czechoslovakia, which many believed would most likely spark another world war. To prevent this, England, France, Italy and Germany made an agreement that would allow Germany to take control of the Sudetenland and is now known as the Munich Pact. The Sudetenland had a large German population and its borders were in strategically strong areas for the German army. For negotiations to be successful there are many components one must be aware of, such as the personalities of all parties, each person's end goals, and the history of the country. England led the process with a policy of appeasement in an attempt to mollify Hitler and the Nazi Party and prevent war, which this pact did not do. The Munich Pact is a perfect example of how negotiations can fail when all the pieces don't fall into place. When beginning the negotiation process it is important... middle of paper... phew... Hitler using self-control and a calm approach when Hitler lost his temper. In one of the first meetings Prime Minister Chamberlin managed to show restraint with Hitler and allowed the negotiation process to proceed positively. he was still focused on solving the problem at hand and did not take Hitler's rants personally. By remaining in the negotiations after Hitler had adopted an aggressive and combative position, particularly Hitler's intention to go to war over the Sudetenland crisis unless an adequate agreement was quickly reached, Chamberlain showed a willingness to "see the situation how the other side sees it, "[which] as difficult as it may be, is one of the most important skills a negotiator can possess" (Warshauer 255).