In 1 October 1938, German forces entered Czechoslovakia and seized control of the Sudetenland, thus changing its frontier for the first time since the 20th century. Two days before, Britain and France signed the Munich Pact with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy in an attempt to avoid war over Czechoslovakia. After the negotiations, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain declared that there would be "peace in our time". However, peace lasted less than a year: in September 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland, igniting World War II in Europe.

In the post war settlement, the Federal Republic of Germany won self-determination with its first free elections. In 7 October 1949, the Democratic Republic of Germany is proclaimed within the Soviet occupation zone and this

German troops marched into Vienna when they took over Austria in 1938.

became an unautonomous Soviet creation-the East Germany. Approximately half the size of West Germany, East Germany consists of the German states of Mecklenburg, Brandenburg, Lusatia, Saxony, and Thuringia.

With nearly 50 years of division, East Germany opened its borders to the Westwith the Berlin Wall dismantled. In 3 October 1990 East and West Germany became a united sovereign state -the Federal Republic of Germany. Nearly a million people gather at the Reichstag in Berlin, and at midnight a replica of the Liberty Bell, a gift from the United States, was rung, officially proclaiming reunification.

Editor's note: With the October issue, a new column called "Milestone" will be added, showing a historical review of one country or several events in the publication month. Quotes are included to let readers know more about others' viewpoints.

"Get lost! Don't you guys have the slightest bit of decency? Don't you realise you embarrass yourself doing this?"
Rudy Ginliani, New York City mayor, telling a pack of reporters asking him about various women not his wife

"The most problematic thing, is that they don't know their so-called problem, is not a problem at all!"
Dr. Lee Tien Ming, Department of Philosophy at the Chinese University, writes in his book Lee Tien Ming-Thought and Thinking

"Between conscience and money, I choose money! As pirated VCDs are really so cheap, of course I will buy them!"
Mr. Alpha Yu from Homantin, told Varsity the reason of buying pirated VCDs in the May issue on intellectual property rights

"In the absence of a better medicine, love is for now the best medicine."
Mother Teresa, saying at a convention in Rome attended by 500 AIDS experts when she prayed that researchers would discover a cure for the disease

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