The Munich agreement of September 29, 1938 significantly weakened Czechoslovakia, which on November 7 recognized the desire of Slovakia for autonomy and, on the following day, that of Carpatho-Ukraine, which formed a government on November 11.
Carpatho-Ukraine's importance was seen as geopolitical.
Various commentators discussed the possibility of Carpatho-Ukraine being a prelude to the creation of a large Ukrainian state.
In view of the open hostility to the Ukrainian political aspirations of Poland, Rumania and Russia in their respective states, and in view of the lack of sympathy to [sic] those aspirations by the Western Democracies, is it at all surprising that the Ukrainians look with favor on the German promises of assisting them in establishing the Ukrainian State on the territories now within the [sic] Soviet Russia, Poland, Rumania and autonomous Carpatho-Ukraine?
The German foreign office instructed two researchers to analyse the issue of Carpatho-Ukraine. They recommended making the territory into a "mecca of Ukrainianism," or, in other words, a Piedmont and rallying-point for Ukrainian national consciousness through the creation of a strong publishing and educational centre (ibid.
Ironically, already in November, 1938, Hitler had dropped both the idea of Carpatho-Ukraine as a Piedmont, and the concept of a Greater Ukraine.
Many Ukrainians hoped that Carpatho-Ukraine would receive enough political and economic support from Germany to survive.
When Carpatho-Ukraine was established, pro-German sympathies began to grow among OUN supporters.
However, those who believed that Carpatho-Ukraine would be protected by Germany were deceived.
OUN activity in Carpatho-Ukraine (Carpatho-Ruthenia), which was granted autonomy after the Munich accord, created an ever-widening chasm between the Ukrainian Bureau and the radical Nationalists.
When the inevitable happened and Carpatho-Ukraine was annexed by Hungary with Hitler's blessings on the same day that the Germans marched into Prague, Makohin cursed and disavowed the OUN (LAC, MG31 D69, vol.