<P> The Munich Agreement was a settlement permitting Nazi Germany 's annexation of portions of Czechoslovakia along the country 's borders mainly inhabited by German speakers , for which a new territorial designation , the `` Sudetenland '' , was coined . The agreement was signed in the early hours of 30 September 1938 ( but dated 29 September ) after being negotiated at a conference held in Munich , Germany , among the major powers of Europe , excluding the Soviet Union . Today , it is widely regarded as a failed act of appeasement toward Germany . The purpose of the conference was to discuss the future of the Sudetenland in the face of demands made by Adolf Hitler . The agreement was signed by Germany , France , the United Kingdom and Italy . The Sudetenland was of immense strategic importance to Czechoslovakia , as most of its border defenses and banks were situated there , as well as heavy industrial districts . </P>
when did british and french leaders agree to turn sudetenland over to germany
the early hours of 30 September 1938