Why didn’t the Americans come to liberate Prague? The legend of the agreement with the Soviets has fallen
The defeat of the Nazis is about to fall. There are only two options that individual European countries can take after the war. Establish a parliamentary democratic system with a market economy, or the Soviet model of communist totalitarianism with a nationalized and centrally known economy. Political games begin.
Legend of the agreement
So far, it has been said that everything was decided in January 1945 in Yalta at the conference of the so-called Big Three (Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill). Czechoslovakia was to be “extradited” to Stalin. Unfortunately, this legend still has a very hard root. And yet there was no talk of us there at all.
There was no reason: all three great powers recognized Beneš’s London government and maintained good relations with it. Moreover, the meeting paradoxically guaranteed all liberated countries the same right: “Choose the government form in which they want to live.”
Churchill against all
Perhaps only some naive Americans could believe that. Churchill he knew his. The policy of the Soviets in the occupied territories of Eastern and Southern Europe made it clear that Stalin had an opinion on the Yalta Declarations on Democracy and the Right of Nations to Decide on Their Future.
The situation is further complicated by the death of US President FD Roosevelt on April 12, 1945. His successor, Harry S. Truman, finds it difficult to orientate himself in the new position Churchill he only vainly invites him to occupy Vienna, Berlin and Prague by the Americans.
Berlin cannot be liberated
What Truman can do, he moves on. And he leaves the fate of Central Europe to General Eisenhower. He sees the occupation of Vienna realistically. So as an unrealistic demand. He again refuses to occupy Berlin for both military reasons and gentleman’s respect for the Eastern Allies.
He still needs to fight Japan against them. But he also knows that Berlin is a symbol of victory for millions of Soviet soldiers. The culmination of a long and bloody journey from the banks of the Volga. They will take revenge on the thousands of dead Russian soldiers and civilians on whom the Germans have committed an unimaginable number of horrific crimes.
Blow out the Soviets Prague
But Eisenhower could afford to “blow out” Prague for the Soviets. Especially after the outbreak of the Prague Uprising and the desperate radio calls for help. Stalin would grit his teeth, but it certainly would not provoke any armed conflict. In April 1945, the British increased the pressure on Eisenhower.
As early as April 13, the British Foreign Secretary recommended to the US Ambassador that the United States liberate Prague. He will turn to the Americans himself Churchill with the proviso that nothing stands in the way of the Allied intervention in Prague, nor any arrangements with the Soviets. I’m writing directly with Truman. Their correspondence is documented in Truman’s memoirs Year of Decision (Year of Decision, New York, 1955).
There is no doubt that the liberation of Prague by American troops created a changed post-war situation and strongly influenced the situation in neighboring countries. But if the Allies, on the other hand, play only an insignificant role in liberation, the country will follow a path such as Yugoslavia’s. I consider it of the utmost importance that this very important political aspect be explained to Eisenhower …
telegram by W. Chruchilla to H. Truman of April 30, 1945
The Soviet General Staff is preparing operations in the Vltava Valley. My intention is to advance and destroy other German military forces as soon as they allow the current military action. Therefore, if it is desirable to enter Czechoslovakia and we allow the conditions here, our logical procedure will be directed to Pilsen and Karlovy Vary …
telegram by H. Truman to W. Churchill of May 1, 1945
Prague too risky to save
Unfortunately, the Americans are not enough about the fate of Czechoslovakia, think with the same foresight as the old fox. Churchill. According to Eisenhower, Czechoslovakia as a whole is part of the Soviet operational zone. The American general also believes that there are two to three well-armed German divisions in the western tip of Bohemia. A campaign in the Czech Republic would therefore be a difficult operation.
Another American general, Omar Bradley, commander of the 12th Army Group, in whose operational zone Czechoslovakia was located, agrees. According to him, it is not expedient for the Americans to die in the fighting on Czech territory when, according to the agreement on the future demarcation line on the contact of Allied troops, it could be handed over to the Red Army …
Thus, on May 1, 1945, after a preliminary agreement with the Soviet command, Eisenhower had established the eastern line of the American advance: Saská Kamenice – Karlovy Vary – Plzeň – České Budějovice – Linz. The Soviets strictly insist on keeping the line even in days bloody battles on Prague barricades. Even though this is where rapid American aid from liberated Pilsen would save hundreds of lives.
On the other hand, the US High Command, in the end, will not allow the ambitious and sharply anti-communist commander of the 3rd US Army, General Patton, to fully liberate Karlovy Vary or České Budějovice. And after May 9, 1945, he handed over to the Soviets other liberated territories behind the mentioned line.
Americans against each other
But not all Americans were as casual about the fate of Czechoslovakia as Truman, Eisenhower or Bradley. Their exact opposite was the legendary General George S. Patton with many of his soldiers. To the detriment of Czechoslovakia, he was stopped by his superiors without being able to help Prague.
And so, unfortunately, Patton’s alleged threats (pictured below) to address his superiors that they will “lose” contact with them for a few hours and call them from the phone booth on Wenceslas Square remain just nice stories from the life of the famous warrior. For the Czechs, as a victim of a great political game, they can only be a weak patch.