The Czech Lands in World War II, 1939-1945



The negotiations leading to the MUNICH PACT (29. 9. 1938), where Czechoslovakia's protectors (France, Britain) - Czechoslovakia itself was not represented - decided that the republic should cede the SUDETENLAND to Germany, the OLSA TERRITORY to Poland and UPPER HUNGARY to Hungary, spelled the end of the Little Entente, the system of collective security guaranteeing the post-World War I-order in Europe.
The remainder of Czechoslovakia, without the mountains surrounding Czechia, was impossible to defend. Hitler secretly gave the order to prepare the "liquidation" of Czechoslovakia on Oct. 21th 1938. Slovakia proclaimed political autonomy on October 10th 1938, under JOSEF TISO, a fascist. On March 14th it declared independence; on March 16th German troops invaded, transforming the remainder of Czechia into the "Protectorate" of BOHEMIA AND MORAVIA. CARPATHO-RUTHENIA, which was autonomous since Oct. 8th 1938, now was annexed by Hungary (March 23rd). The Czechoslovakian state had been dissolved; Britain and France again did not move.

The years of German occupation were marked by brutal oppression. With the outbreak and escalation of World War II the German administration had less and less reason to moderate their actions with a view at world opinion. Under governor REINHARD HEYDRICH, things were worst; he was assassinated by Czech patriots trained in Britain and flown in (May 27th 1942). In retaliation, Germans executed the entire male population (16 and elder) of the town of LIDICE; women and children were sent to the concentration camps.
Nazi policy aimed at the GERMANIFICATION of Czechia; German was to be the language of education, administration and jurisdiction; the Czech language and identity were to be exterminated (thus the name "Bohemia and Moravia"). People regarded "racially unfit" for Germanification were sent to the concentration camps, one of which, THERESIENSTADT, was established on Czech soil. The country's large Jewish community, which in the past had contributed so much to Prague's cultural life, was also sent to the concentration camps, which few survived.
Many Czechs were sent to Germany to replace German workers (FORCED LABOUR). Czechia provided Germany with valuable natural resources, among them the URANIUM which German scientists used for their experiments in the context of Germany's nuclear bomb project.

After the events of March 1939, a Czechoslovak exile government had been established in London. Czech pilots, a number of whom had made it to Britain, joined the RAF in defending the island in the BATTLE OF BRITAIN.
During the war, Czechia saw relatively little fighting. Most of the country remained occupied by the Germans until the day of their surrender (May 8th 1945). Days before Allied troops arrived, Czech patriots rose in rebellion, liberating some of their country. Czechis was only rarely targetted by Allied air raids; Prague's inner city survived the war with comparatively little damage.





EXTERNAL
FILES 		World War II, from Radio Prague's History Online
The Liquidation of Lidice, from The History Place, illustrated
Biography of Reinhard Heydrich, from The History Place
Theresienstadt (Terezin), from Andel 3w's Guide to Prague, the Golden City
The first Theresienstadt film of 1942, from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Czech Rep.
Gallery (ed.), Geschichte Verstehen, Die Entwicklung der Deutsch-Tschechischen Beziehungen in den Böhmischen Ländern 1848-1948, in German
DOCUMENTS Flag of Bohemia and Moravia, from FOTW
Banknotes of Bohemia and Moravia, from Ron Wise's World Paper Money
Images : Adolf Hitler visits Czechoslovakia, posted by Geoff Walden
REFERENCE Article : Bohemia and Moravia, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1944 p.113, 1945 p.110 (on events in 1944) [G]
Article : Bohemia and Moravia, in : New International Year Book, Events of 1940 pp.76-78, 1941 pp.66-68, 1942 pp.77-80, 1943 pp.67-68 [G]
Article : Bohemia and Moravia, in : Funk & Wagnall's New Standard Encyclopedia Year Book 1940 pp.66-67, 1941 pp.65-66, 1942 pp.62-63, 1943 pp.69-70 [G]



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2000, last revised on August 25th 2007

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