Why the Americans did not come to Prague for help
“Personally, I have a problem with the flag of the Russian Federation, for me it has the same level as the flag of the Third Reich, because what the Russians do in Ukraine is the same as what the Nazis did during World War II,” says Mikulecky in a podcast for the May celebrations. “It is important to remember the victims of all the fallen, Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, all of whom were part of the Red Army, but now it is really not appropriate to hoist the Russian flag at this time.”
“Of course, not all Russians identify with Vladimir Putin trampling on the Soviet Union’s legacy,” Jakl said. “Some do not even agree with what Russia is doing in Ukraine now,” he added. The symbol of the new Russian flag without a red color was also created, which is an alternative for people who do not accept and approve of the Russian attack on Ukraine.
Liberation, however, must be remembered as well as the fact that the Hitlerites had to be defeated. The Nazis committed atrocities on our territory until the last days. On May 5, 1945, they burned down the village of Javoříčko, shooting 38 men. “Not only Javoříčko, there are Konětopy, villages with southern Bohemia, massacres in Pankrác, at Masaryk railway station, the war in the Czech lands really raged to the greatest extent until the last moment,” said Jakl. At the same time, Adolf Hitler was already dead.
“It must be said that the uprising was not a soulka, that it was a hard fight with the Germans, who tried to suppress and control back the rebellious villages,” said Mikulecký, recalling that where the Germans succeeded, harsh repression followed.
The key role of Czech patriots
Under socialism, the proportion of American soldiers was neglected. “Basically, it was a lie, monuments to Soviet soldiers were built in places where they had never been, as much as prisoners. The Americans lied about what the Americans were doing here, or at best they were silent about it, “said Mikulecký, emphasizing that there is a much greater threat to the liberation from the army. “We in the Czech Republic have such a quality that we go from wall to wall,” he added.
“If we are talking about the territory of today’s Czech Republic, then the Czechs have liberated the largest part,” said Mikulecký, adding that we often forget about our own share and talk about the fact that we were liberated. “Without the Red Army from the East and the Western Allies, there could be no uprising, but it would be difficult to see footage of our inhabitants welcoming the liberators if they entered those cities during the fighting,” Mikulecký said.
“The participation of the Czechoslovak army in the liberation in the last phase of the war is really overlooked. We must have an underground army and a procedure with the fact that there is a Defense of the Nation.
“By no means do I diminish the heroism and sacrifice of all soldiers, be they Americans who fell in the battles for Cheb, Soviet soldiers who fell in the Ostrava-Opava operation and Brno. Romanians, who are basically not talked about, and also Poles who penetrated as far as Mělník as part of the Prague operation, are often neglected, “said Mikulecký. “I would also like to mention the Belgian army,” Jakl added.
But even for the Red Army, American material aid, such as studebacker trucks provided by the Americans, was crucial during the liberation. T-34 tanks did not pass through the streets of Brno, but Shermans, Mikulecký reminded. The podcast agrees that it is crucial to see the events of the liberation as a victory deserved by many more armies than just the US or the Soviet.
The Americans could not help
“The uprising we know as the Prague one is not quite so named. It took place not only in Prague, but throughout the Czech-speaking territory. The aforementioned Defense of the Nation deserved it, which, for example, arranged for the decommissioning of railways, roads to become impassable … “Jakl described. For example, the uprising in Přerov preceded him.
Jakl also explained why the Americans did not come to Prague’s aid, which he repeatedly reproaches. It is a consequence of the actions of the Germans. “Stalin tried very hard to dissuade the Americans from advancing to the Czech Republic, and coincidentally Karl Hermann Frank helped him to do so,” Jakl explained. population as best as possible. This is often forgotten, “said Jakl.
At the end of April 1945, Karl Hermann Frank sent a telegram addressed to the master of the interior and SS commander Heinrich Himmler. The intention was to provoke disagreement among the allies. The British secret service deciphered the telegram and American General Dwight Eisenhower, who tried to end the war in Europe as quickly as possible, decided not to move further to Prague to avoid tensions between the allies, so Patton could not liberate Prague, even though he wished for it. In addition, Stalin strongly warned that if the troops were to mix, it could lead to clashes.
The Germans had to surrender to the Soviets
The Americans also did not allow the Germans, who were retreating from the east, to surrender to them. The wording of the surrender was that at midnight on May 8-9, German troops were to surrender to the soldiers on the front line. “This would mean that they would lay down their arms in Silesia, Lusatia and Moravia, and the Red Army should not advance to Prague,” Jakl said.
The German command tried to move the troops from the Eastern Front to the Western. It was assumed that German soldiers would have a better chance of survival as captives of the Americans. However, the Germans canceled the agreement and General Eisenhower decided not to take the German soldiers into captivity. „12. May, the Red Army occupied the entire demarcation line on Czech territory, and so the Americans captured the Soviets and those prisoners who came to the demarcation line in the previous days, “added Jakl.
LISTEN TO MORE EPISODES OF THE UNNECESSARY WAR SUBCAST:
There is still a bitterness among German veterans because they do not understand how General Eisenhower could have been so cruel.
The end of the war shows how difficult the situation was, because the Germans also fought with the Vlasovs, the Russian Liberation Army, which originally fought on the side of the Third Reich, but at the end of the war was already acting independently.
However, Mikulecký reminded that it is necessary to appreciate the Russian tankers who arrived in Prague on May 9, because they destroyed the last fanatical Nazi units that continued to fight.
In addition, Prague was lucky not to end up like Warsaw, where the Red Army did not help the insurgents.
Podcast Needless War |
An irregular podcast that offers different perspectives on the war in Ukraine. You tune in to Podcasty.cz, Spotify or Apple podcasts. |