The Sudetenland is a region in the western part of the present-day Czech Republic. It is named after the Sudetes mountain range and is known for its significant population of ethnic Germans before World War II. The area became a focal point of tension in the 1930s due to the demands of the Nazi Party for the annexation of territories with German-speaking populations. In 1938, the Munich Agreement allowed Nazi Germany to annex the Sudetenland without military intervention, leading to the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia. This event is often cited as a key moment in the lead-up to World War II, highlighting the failures of appeasement policies by European powers.