Figure 1.--Czech boys like boys all over Europe were fascinated by air planes. Here we see a Prague boy with his little brother in 1936. They wear short pants suits and long stockings. Czechoslovakia had a small air force, but it was no match for the Luftwaffe. Hitler threateing to destroy Prague and other Czech cities forced elderly President Hacha to surrender (1939). A few years later, Propaganda Minister Goebbels would be shrieking about the barbarity of bombing German cities. Hitler for his part refused to be seen viewing the destruction.

Czechoslovakia was created after World War I as part of the Allied commitment to support natioinal self determination. It was largely surrounded by unfriendly states carved out of the former Central Powers. This was why the German populated Sudetenland was trasferred to the country so that it would have defenseable borders. The country was a land-locked country. So leaders coined the motto, "Our sea is the air," meaning that Czechs could remain in contact with other countries through air connections. The Czechs had a very small aviation industry. Several relatively small aviation industry companies were formed during the inter-War era. The Czechs, however, were no match for the much larger German aviation indusry financed by the NAZIs after they seized power. The Czechs seem ready to fight after the British and French abandoned at Munich (September 1938). The Czechs had a substantial industrial base and the Army was well equipped with artilery and armored vehicles. It was the threat of aerial bombardment, however, that ultimately forced the Cechs to submit. The Czechs had a small air force, but the plane types were lrgely obsolete biplanes. the threat of Luftwaffe bombardment of Prague and other cities forced them to accept the terms forced upon them. The NAZIs subsequently occupied the rest of the country (March 1939). Slovakia seceeded and became a slavish NAZI puppet state. The NAZIs turned the Czech lands into the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and began to plan the deportation of Czechs and their replacement with German settlers. Some Czech pilots managed to escape to France, where they helped first to fight the NAZI invasion (May 1940) and then on to Beitain where they fought with the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain and subsequent air war. Czech airmen were formed into fighter and bomber squadrons, part of Czechoslovak army in exile. Czech fighter ace Josef František was one of the top scoring Allied fighter pilot of the Battle of Britain. Other Czech pilots managed to escape east and fight against the Germans after they invaded the Soviet Union. The Germans in occupied Czechoslovakia absorbed the Czech arms industry into the German war industry. The Skoda complex played a major role in tank and artillery prodution, but the aviation industry was use to produce German aircraft and engines.

Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia was created after World War I from the Austro-Hungarian Empire as part of the Allied commitment to support natioinal self determination. It was largely surrounded by unfriendly states carved out of the former Central Powers. This was why the German populated Sudetenland was trasferred to the country so that it would have defenseable borders. The country was a land-locked country. So leaders coined the motto, "Our sea is the air," meaning that Czechs could remain in contact with other countries through air connections.

Aviation Industry

The Czechs had a very small aviation industry. Several relatively small aviation industry companies were formed during the inter-War era. The The Czech government promoted the domestic aviation industry. The also obtained licensing rights for engine and aircraft designs from friendly nations, mostly Britain and France. This was omportant for a small country like Czechoslovakia which had only a limited capability of developing high-performance air cradt types. One of the most important Czech aviation companies was A. S. Walter in Prague. The Aero Company (Aero továrna letadel) had a plant in the Vysočany neighborhood of Prague. It began with mixed construction (wood, metal and fabric covering), but in the 1930s began all metal contruction. The company, however, fell behind the raid progress made by the much larger and well-financed German companies. At the time of the Munich crisis, most of its production was obsolee. The one exception was the Bloch design MB-200 medium bomber. The Avia Company (Avia akciová společnost pro průmysl letecký Škoda) was a unit in expansive Škoda Works (Škodovy závody) which manufactured heavy machinery and heavy armament (tanks and artillery). Avia was founded after World war I in the Prague suburbs of Letňany and Čakovice (1919). Avia constructed entire airplanes complete with the engines. Avia licensed Hispano-Suiza designs. They built 514 B-534 pursuit planes for the Czech Air Force. It was an excellent bi-plane, one of the best nd last produced. It was not, however, capable of taking on the new modern Luftwaffe front-line fighters like the ME 109. There was also a state-owned aircraft company, Letov (Vojenská továrna na letadla Letov) located in Letňany. It had awork force of about 1,200 workers by the late 1930s. Its primary output was the S-328 biplane. The company delivered 450 to the Czech Air Force. It was an exceedingly sturdy plane. The airframe was welded rather than bolted or riveted together. Letov also manufactured metal propellers.

Czech Air Force

The Czech aviation industry was no match for the much larger German aviation indusry financed by the NAZIs after they seized power. The Czechs had a substantial industrial base and the Army was well equipped with artilery and armored vehicles. They also had a competent air force, although it was equipped with largely obsolete bi-planes. The Czech Air Force at the time of the Munich Conference had about 800 operational planes and about 230 in reserve and about 110 in the planes about to be delivered. This included about 325 fighters, including 250 B-534s and 20 BK 534s. The B-534 was very fast for a bi-plane. There were also some bombers. There were about 100 light bombers, mostly B-71s and a few Aero 100s. The Czechs also had about 55 medium bombers, the MB 200. The Luftwaffe was so rapidly expanded by the Germans that even Britain and France could not keep up, let alone tiny Czechoslovakia. Thus the Czechs Air Force would be unale to protect ciries from the Luftwaffe bombers. It was the threat of aerial bombardment, however, that ultimately forced the Cechs to submit. The Czechs had a small air force, but the plane types were largely obsolete biplanes.

Munich (September 1938)

The next target after the Anschluss, was Czechoslovakia which had beeen created by the Versailles Peace Treaty. Hitler began to escalate his tirades against Czecheslovakia, claiming that the erhnic Germans in the Sudetenland were being mistreated. The NAZI rearmament program, the remilitarization of the Rhineland and the Anchluss with Austria came as a shock to Czecheslovakia. Even more so, the lack of response from Britain and France. The Czechs who had defensive alliance with France were prepared to fight. Even with the Anchluss, many Europeans chose to see the NAZI actions as domestic German matters. This changed with Hitler's next target--Czecheslovakia. Hitler in 1938 demanded the Sudetenland in Czecheslovakia which had a minority German population. Neville Chamberlin, the British Prime Miniister mused how terrible it was that war should be threatened by a "... quarel in a far away country by people of which we know little." A prominent member of the British parliament displayed even more ignoramce when he told the press, "Why should we bother with those gypsies in the Balkans?", meaning the Czechs who were of course not located in the Balkans. In the end, The British and French gave in at talks held in Munich. Vhamberlain flew back to London and stepping off the plane waved the agreement signed ny Herr Hitler which he assured the waiting repoters guaranteed "Peace in our time." Churchill was apauled. Most British anf French people were releaved. One European leader, Soviet Marshall Stalin, who was not at the conference drew the conclusion that the British and French could not be trusted as potential allies against Hitler. Less well recognized is the impact on the United States. There are many unanswered questions about Munich. Some maintain that if the Allies had honored their treaty obligations that the Wehrmacht would have arrested Hitler rather than gone to war. Others argue that if Hitler had gone to war in 1938, he wluld have not only overrun France, but the Luftwaffe would have defeated the RAF.

Czech Capitualtion (October 1938)

The Czechs seem ready to fight after the British and French abandoned at Munich (September 1938). the threat of Luftwaffe bombardment of Prague and other cities forced them to accept the terms forced upon them. The Czech Government with out British and French assistance had little real option, but to comply with Hitler's demands. The Czechs deserted by its allies, capitulated the following day and agreed to abide by the agreement forced upon (September 30). Czech historians debate the issue of whether their country should have resisted like the Poles were to do the follwing year. An editorial in The Times of London explained that the capitulation to Germany was for the Czech's on good. President Benes was afraid to face Germany with only Soviet backing. The terrible war which devestated Spain (1936-39) with Communists fighting Fascists terrified them. The Czech's had a not unsubstantial military, well entrenched in the Sudetenland. What they did not have was a creditable air force. Not only did they face a powerful army that they could not hope to sucessfully resist without the Allies, but they faced the prospect of having their cities ravaged by the Luftwaffe. President Benes, deserted by the Allies, agreed to the German demands and resigned. The Wehrmach moved into the Sudentenland without resistance (October 1938). The Czechs even had to turn over anti-NAZI Sudetenlanders to the NAZIS.

NAZI Invasion (March 1939)

The NAZIs, only a few months after seizing the Sudenland, in total violation of the Munich Accords Hitler signed, occupied the rest of Czechoslovakia (March 1939). Hitler threatened the Czechs with military action on several occassions after Munich. Finally he summoned elderly President Dr. Emil Hacha to Berlin (March 14). There after midnight Hitler haranged him. No precise account exists of what Hitler said. One account reports that Hitler reminded Hacha of the beauties of Prague, and told him what a shame it would be if the Luftwaffe had to flatten the ancient Czech capital. Then Göring apparently offered a mocked applogy for having his bombers destroy Prague, but said it would be a good lesson to the British and French. Hacha fainted, perhaps a minor hear attack, and had to be revived. Hitler demanded that the Czech lands be incorporated into the Nazi Reich as a "Protectorate". A broken Hacha telephoned Prague, ordering that there should be no resistance. Göring and Ribbentrop bullied him into signing a paper asking for German intervention. [Black, p. 512.] The text "... placed the fate of the Czech people and nation in the hands of the Führer of the German Reich". Neither Hacha or the Czech people understood at the time the dully villiny of what the NAZIs planned for the Czechs. The Wehrmacht crossed the border and occupied the country in one day (March 15). Slovakia seceeded and became a slavish NAZI puppet state. The NAZIs turned the Czech lands into the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and began to plan the deportation of Czechs and their replacement with German settlers. This was a total violation of the Munich Agreement. Slovakia had succeeded the day before and became Hiler's most slavish puppet state. Hungary with Hitler's approval seized Ruthenia. All of Czechoslovakia was now in the NAZI orbit. The Czechs would pay a terrible price. They would be Hitler's last bloodless victory. They would not, however, be his last stunning victory.

Czech Pilots

Some Czech pilots managed to escape to France, where they helped first to fight the NAZI invasion (May 1940) and then on to Britain where they fought with the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain and subsequent air war. Czech airmen were formed into fighter and bomber squadrons, part of Czechoslovak army in exile. Czech fighter ace Josef František was one of the top scoring Allied fighter pilot of the Battle of Britain. Other Czech pilots managed to escape east and fight against the Germans after they invaded the Soviet Union.

Czech Industry in the German War Effort

The Germans transferred the planes in the Czrch Air Force to its Axis allies. Thy transfeered 12 B-534 fighters to the Bulgarian Air Force. The Bulgarians refused to participate in Barbarossa, but played arole uin the Air War. Some of the American B-24s attacking the Ploesti oil fields had to fly over Bulgaria. The B-534s proved ineffective against the B-24s. The Germans transferred 24 B-534s to the Slovakian Air Force. These were used by the Slovaks in the Soviet Union. The Germans also gave most of the B-71 light bombers to the Bulgarians. The Germans in occupied Czechoslovakia absorbed the Czech arms industry into the German war industry. The Skoda complex played a major role in tank and artillery prodution, but the aviation industry was use to produce German aircraft and engines. I am not sure at this time as to the importance of Czech air cradt production in the German war effort.

Created: 7:41 PM 11/1/2007
Last updated: 10:03 PM 10/18/2009