News for this day in May 1938 was unsettling. The crisis between Nazi Germany and Czechoslovakia was heating up and the goings on in Prague were taking center stage for the rest of the world.

This broadcast, an English language newscast from Radio Prague on May 16th, 1938 deals with results from the elections held the previous day. Of primary concern was just how influential pro-Nazi Konrad Henlein and his Deutsche Sudeten Party were in securing enough seats in Parliament and how this would eventually effect the proposed land-grab by Berlin.

Negotiations were still going on between England, France and Germany over the Sudeten question, and things would heat up considerably more over the coming weeks before an appeased settlement was brokered by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. The outcome didn't favor the beleaguered Czech people, but it did promise "Peace In Our Time" for the moment.

And that's what happened in Prague, this May 16, 1938.

The rest is history.

The news on this May 10th in 1940 was totally consumed with the goings on in Europe. The German Army staged a massive invasion of the Benelux countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) and the airwaves were filled with bulletins flying in every few seconds. It was also, coincidentally, the day Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigned from Number 10 Downing Street and former First Lord of The Admiralty Winston Churchill assumed the position.

No small task, considering there were rumors rife of an imminent invasion of Britain and citizens were warned to be on the lookout for German paratroopers.

Here is an hour, almost continuous, of news reports and bulletins as they occurred via NBC and the BBC, containing both the resignation address of Chamberlain and an urgent appeal for aid from Dutch Foreign Minister John Loudon to the U.S.

Strange and unsettling times, and all on May 10th in 1940.

The crisis that became a harbinger of things to come in Europe. German territorial demands for annexation of the Sudeten (or perceived as rightfully German) region of Czechoslovakia by Adolf Hitler immediately set off alarms throughout Europe and the U.S. that war may be in the wings. Adamant in their refusal to yield an inch, the Czechs mobilized, fearing an armed invasion by the Nazis.

As diplomatic channels went into overdrive, speculation on just when a shooting war would erupt became the buzz of most commentators throughout the world. Analogies were drawn with the days prior to World War 1. Breathless reporters scrambling from State Department Press Rooms to report whatever shred of information they could on this quickly escalating story.

As a piece of broadcasting history, this event was significant as it became the initial foray into International on-the-spot reporting from a number of different worldwide locations. Prior to this, news came via written dispatches which were read hours and even days after an important event had taken place. Because of the Transatlantic cable and Shortwave, news could be gathered quickly and changed at a moments notice and it was the Munich Crisis of 1938 that heralded a significant innovation in news reporting. One which changed the entire landscape of journalism forever.

Here are the initial bulletins and reports as given on September 12th and 13th (the time difference between Europe and the U.S.) by the Red Network of NBC Radio.

(Belgian prisoners and German captors - a common sight in May 1940)

Seventy years ago this week, the war in Europe inched closer to the brink when Germany launch a full-scale invasion of Belgium, Luxembourg and Holland on May 10th. On the same day, Neville Chamberlain offered his resignation and the duties of Prime Minister went to First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill.

H.V. Kaltenborn: “Let us, in this evening hour, attempt to summarize what has happened during the day, in which three neutral countries were invaded; Luxembourg. Belgium and Holland. In which there were two cabinet changes. A complete change of leadership in England and the addition of further parties to the cabinet in France.”

All signs were pointing to an eventual invasion of Britain as each country was invaded and fell under Nazi rule. And, despite assurances to the contrary, it was only a matter of time before the U.S. would get involved. But that wouldn't be for another year.

(Neville Chamberlain - Peace In Our Time an ironic, faded echo)

(Apologies for not posting this yesterday. Living in Southern California during the Heat and Fire season makes for optional breathing and migraines - both which came in ample supply yesterday)

With Berlin's rejection of Britain's "White Paper", calling for an end to Germany's invasion of Poland and a restoration of Versailles Treaty provisions at the end of World War 1, it was clear Prime Minister Chamberlain had no alternative other than to declare War on Germany - setting the stage for a conflict few thought would be avoided, yet none wanted to face. It was a crushing defeat for the Chamberlain Government and raised an alarming thought that Britain may not be able to survive.

Prime Minister Chamberlain: “This morning, the British Ambassador in Berlin handed the German government a final note stating that, unless we heard from them by eleven o’clock, that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would exist between us. I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received. And that consequently, this country is at War with Germany.”

This clip starts with Berlin Radio reacting to the Chamberlain note, followed by Chamberlain declaring War and then ending with a recap from Berlin Radio.