World War II: Liberation of Czechoslovakia (August 1944-May 1945)


Figure 1.--Here Czech boys are playing on a German Panzer V Panther tank--considered by many to be the best German tank of the War. Note the long barrel 75-mm gun and tge slopeing armor. Unlike the Soviets and Americans, however, the Germans could not build very many of them, less than 5,000. The tank here does not seem to be damaged. It may have well run out of fas (petrol). When the Germans occupied Czechoslovakia (March 1939), the Skoda arms factory near Pilsen became an important part of their war industry, producing tanks, artillery, and other weaponry. This scene comes from a Russian film. We think it was shot when the Red Army entered Prague after the Prague Rising (May 1945). Hitler had committed the small number of SS armored units left to both Prague and Budapest meaning that they were not available for the defense of Berlin. We see the word 'Kasse' on the building. Undoubtedly it is part of the German word Sparkasse. That means Savings Bank, so it could have been very well in Prague where German used to be a second language. Whether it refers to a pre-War German business or one that had opened during the German occupation, is hard to tell. Note the out of focus words to tghe right. They look more like Czech.

Czechoslovakia is a long, but relatively narrow country. Thus the liberation of the country was prolonged and was accomplished by the most diverse forces of any country during the War. Stalin's focus was to the north in the drive though Poland to Berlin. The Red Army moving from east to west thus took some time to liberate the country. The process began even before the Red army reached the Czech border. The Beneš Government-in exile signed an agreement with the Soviets providing that that Czech territory liberated by the Red Army would be turned over to Czech civilian control (May 8, 1944). Czech troops and the Resustance participated in the process as did the RussianLiberation Army (RLA). The Red Army destruction of Army Group Center opened up the liberation of Czechoslovakia (July-August 1944). The Slovaks rose up as the Red Army approached (August 1944), but as in Warsaw, Stalin ordered the Red Army to hild to allow the Germans to eliminate non-Communist nationalist groups. Czech troops fighting with the Red army reached Czechoslovakia (September 1944). The Soviets detached Sub-Carpathean Ruthenia. The toughest fighting was in Prague (May 1945). Hitler commited an SS Armored Division to hold Prague, a division which could have been used to defend Berlin. Because of the stiff German resisance, in Hungary and Slovakia, and Stalin'sc focus on Berlin, it was the American Third Army which liberaed western Czechoslovakia. Except for the fighting in Prague in the final days of the War, Czechoslovakia suffered relstively little damage in the War.

Slovak National Rising (August 1944)

Slovakia had been a compliant NAZI puppet during the War. That of course does not mean that there were not Slovaks opposed to the Germans. As the Red Army moved west, the liberation of Czechoslovakia became possible. And the Slovaks woulld be the first to rise up. The geography of Czechoslovakia meant that the Red Army would reach Slovakia first. The Slovak National Council authorized Lieutenant-Colonel Jan Golian to organize a national coup (March 1944). The plan was to coordinate with the advancing Red Army. President Beneš approved the operation. Golian set up a headquarters at Banska Bystrica and organized Slovak partisan units made up primarily of escaped POWs and Army deserters. The Slovak National Uprising began (August 29). It proved a dissaster. The Soviet Government did the same as they were also to do when the Polish Home Army struck in Warsaw. The Soviets saw the Slovak resistance as politically unreliable, meaning that it was not controlled by the Communists. The Americans attempted to help, but could offer little real assistance. The NAZIs reponded by formerly occupying Slovakia. The Slovaks held out for 2 months. The Germans finally took Banska Bystrica (October 27). It was, however, a Pyrrhic victory. The NAZIs had crushed the Slovak National Uprising, but reverses in France and the Red Army destruction of Army Group Center meant that NAZI military power in the East had been greatly reduced. They could slow, but no longer stop thre Red Army advance west. Local patisan groups continued to strike at the Germans while the Slovaks waited the arrival of the Red Army. The NAZIs took advantage of the occupation to round up the few remaining Jews and deport them to the concentration camps in western and central Poland still under their control.

Eastern Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovak troops organized in the Soviet Union and fighting with the Red Army crossed the pre-War Czech borddr and liberated the village Kalinov close to the Dukla Pass in northeastern Slovakia (September 21, 1944). Czechoslovakia was primarily liberated by the Red Army, supported by the Czech and Slovak resistance.

Subcarpathian Ruthenia (October 1944)

The Red Army entered Subcarpathian Ruthenia, the extreme east of pre-War Czechoslovakia (October 1944). Ruthenia was the pre-World war I Austrian term for Ukrania. The Austrians used a differeht term so as to discourage Ukranian nationalism. The Czech London-based Government dispatched a delegation headed by František Němec to set up a civilian government and mobilize the liberated population to form a reconstituded Czechoslovakian army. Czechoslavakia was a multi-ethnic state and the Ruthenians (Ukranians) there felt little connection with the Czechs. Beneš's proclamation concerning collaboration excluded former collaborationist Hungarians, Germans and the Rusynophile Ruthenian followers of Andrej Brody and the Fencik Party (who had collaborated with the Hungarians) from participating in the new government. This eliminated a considerable portion of the population. The Communists also were not supportive of the Czech Government. Němec set up the Czech Goivernment headquarters in Khust. He issued authorized a mobilization proclamation (October 30). Soviet military forces, however, prevented the printing and posting of the proclamation. Instead they began to organize the local population. The Beneš's government protested from London, but were ignored. Soviet actions convinced the local population that the Soviets were preparing to annex the region. The Soviets even prevented Němec's Czech delegation from establishing any relationship with the local national committees set up by the Soviets. The Communists conclving in Mukachevo adopted a resolution requesting that Subcarpathian Ruthenia be separated from the Czech Repblblic and be incorporation as part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (November 19). The Congress of National Committees unanimously accepted the Communist resolution (November 19). The congress elected a National Council and disptched a delegation to Moscow to discuss union (November 26). They also requested Němec's delegation to leave. Negotiations began between the Czechoslovak government in London and the Soviet Union. Czech and Slovak Communists encouraged Beneš to cede Subcarpathian Ruthenia to the Soviets. The Soviet Union agreed to postpone formal annexation until after the War ended. the postwar period to avoid compromising Beneš's policy based on the pre-Munich frontiers. A treaty ceding Carpathian Ruthenia to the Soviet Union was signed shortly sfter the end of the War (June 1945). Czechs and Slovaks living in Subcarpathian Ruthenia and Ruthenians living in Czechoslovakia were allowed to choose Czechoslovak or Soviet citizenship.

Soviet-backed Provisional Government (April 1945)

The Soviets set up a puppet provisional Czechoslovak government in the eastern Slovak city of Košice (April 4, 1945). National committees, closely supervised by the NKVD, in violation with the agreement signed with the Beneš London Government set up local governments in the towns liberated by the Red rmy as it moved west. The Red army reached Bratislava (April 4).

Americans Enter Bohemia (April 1945)

Because of the stiff German resisance, in Hungary and Slovakia, and Stalin'sc focus on Berlin, it was the American Third Army which liberaed western Czechoslovakia. American armies after crossing the Rhine drove east through central Germany against declining German resistance. The 90th Infantry Division of Third Army's XII Corps reached the pre-War Czech border (April 18). This cut thec Reich in two. A small force was sent on araid into The Sudenten region of Czechoslovakia. Within days, the 90th Division was joined by more Third Army units (the 2nd Cavalry Group and the 97th Infantry Division). General Eisenhower knowing that Czechoslovakia fell within the Soviet areao liberate, ordered Patton to shift the Third's Army's operations south. At the time there was great concern that NAZIs were constructing an Alpine redoubt. Major General S. LeRoy Irwin commanding XII Corps ovedrsaw an advance parallel to the pre-War Czechk border to protect thegrowing left flank of Third Army. While Third Army's principal effort was launched to the southeast, 2nd Cavalry Group, and the 90th and 97th Infantry Divisions conducted some limited operations to the east along the border. The 2nd Cavalry Group fought a sharp engagement in seizing the town of Asch. The 90th Infantry Division liberated the Floessenburg Concentration Camp just west of the border (April 23). The 11th Panzer Division surrendered en masse to the advancing Americans, knowing what would happen if they surrendered to the Soviets. It opened a huge gap. Patton were first to reach south-western Bohemia, and they decisively liberated Plzeň itself after the workers at the Škoda factory rose up (May 5). There was nothing standing between Third Army and Prague. Patton wanted to takec Third Army east. He on several occasions sought permission from Twelfth U.S. Army Group commander General Omar N. Bradley and from General Eisenhower. Both denied him permission, He thus withdrew Third Army west back into Germany.

Prague Uprising (May 5, 1945)

Czechslovakia was dismembered by the Germans and had endured over 6 yeaes of brutal occupation. Prague was still in NAZI hands when Hitler shot himself in his Berlin bunker. Hitler had inexplicably dispatched an SS armored division to hold the city, a division which could have helped defend Berlin. Resistance forces in Prague decided to rise up ro throw off German rule on their own. It would prove to be the final action of the War. They began attacking German units--the Prague Uprising (Pražské povstání) (May 5). The Czecha after being abandoned by the Allies had little ability to resist German occupation. Any attempt at resistance was brutally suppressed by the Germans with massive actions including the shooting of hostages. This was the final opportunity of the Czech resistance to strike at the Germans. Czech police officers attacked the German-controlled radio station at Vinohradská Street, fighting with SS soldiers guarding it. The Czech announcer, hearing the fighting, immediately switched sides and encouraged the Czechs to rise up against the Germans. Vicious street fighting began. Resistance fighters attacked and seized Gestapo and SiPo headquarters. Civilians tore down the German street signs. Those with guns attacked the Germans. Some surrendered. Other fought back. Barricades went up all over the city. Utilities ceased to function. German communication were disabled. The NAZI puppet mayor, Josef Pfitzner, switched sides and pledged allegiance to the Czech National Committee. The small German German garison in the city was hardpressed, but the SS-armored division on the outskirts of the city came to their aid. The Germans retook the main radio station, but Czech partisans resumed broadcasting from another location (May 6). The German Luftwaffe still had a few planes. German planes bomved the city (May 7). They destroyed the centuries-old Old Town Hall. An estimated 2,000 Czechs were killed in the fighting. The Czechs succeed in liberating not only Prague, but large areas of central Bohemia. The Czechs of course could have waited for the Soviets, but the Czech Resistance wanted to liberate the city before the Red Arnmy arrived so a govrnment could be established. And they wanted to prevent the kind of detruction of Prague that the Germans had visited on Warsaw. Many acted out of hatred for the Germans as a result of the brutal pccupation. Moving south in an entirely unrelated development, the Russian Liberation Army's (ROA) First Division to the surprise of both the Germans and resitance, came to the support of the Prague Uprising. The ROA was formed by the Germans, but amblivelent toward them. They were, however, ardently anti-Sovieet. The well armed First Division and the lightly armed partisans fought the SS units and were a factor in preventing the destruction of the city. A ceasefire was arranged between the Czech resistabce fighters and the Germans who were anxious to move West before the Red Army arrived (May 8). The ROA First Division did not stay in Prague knowing their fate if captured by the Soviets. The Communists played a major part in the Uprising and the Red Army was approaching Prague and entered the city (May 9). The city had was saved. Its beautiful medievl buildings were mostly intact. The war was finally over. But for the Czechs the situation was bittersweet. They were exchanfing one brutal occupier for another.







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Created: 7:10 AM 10/29/2011
Last updated: 5:09 AM 5/23/2017