Related articles
Current AffairsPrague Spring of 1968: a time of expectations
The second half of the 1960s in Czechoslovakia was a time of change. Things
were happening that had not been seen, or even heard of, for almost two
decades, since the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia took over the country
in February 1948. Twenty years later, people in Czechoslovakia began to
wonder whether Soviet-type of 'socialism' was the only way to go. On the
eve of the anniversary of the crushing of that movement, we look back at a
momentous era in modern Czech history.
More
Current AffairsHammer and sickle dispute acquires international dimension
An ongoing dispute over whether the communist hammer and sickle symbols
belong on a wartime memorial to Russian soldiers who died during the
liberation of Brno at the end of the Second World War has stumped Czech
officials, divided the inhabitants of Brno and elicited an official
protest from Russia.
More
Current AffairsTension over monument to fallen Soviet soldiers in Brno
Kralovo Pole in Brno is dealing with a delicate matter at the moment. The
district has a large memorial to Soviet soldiers who fell in April 1945
while liberating the city from Nazi rule and were buried there. The
memorial displayed Soviet symbols - the five-pointed star and the hammer
and sickle - ever since it was erected in 1946. The symbols were removed
in the early 1990s, but now the star has returned.
More
Current AffairsRemains of 4,000 German war dead stored in crates in Usti factory
The Czech media made a grisly discovery last week - the exhumed remains of
some four thousand German soldiers are being stored in a factory in North
Bohemia. The remains were due to be reburied in a cemetery in Prague, but
have been languishing in storage since the project ran out of money.
More
Panorama'Den-D': The Czech role in the Allied invasion of Normandy
Czechoslovak participation in the first weeks of "Operation
Overlord"—the invasion of Normandy that began on June 6, 1944—was
almost exclusively limited to the air, as soldiers from occupied
Czechoslovakia's 1st Armoured Brigade only deployed to France weeks after
the Allied landing. But hundreds more Czech fighting men took part in the
D-Day landings doing battle under the flags of other Allied nations. More
Current AffairsA memorial ceremony in Prague remembers the first victims of Stalinist tyranny in post-war Czechoslovakia
On Wednesday morning the Czech President Vaclav Klaus was among a small
group of people who gathered at the Russian Orthodox memorial chapel in
Prague's Olsany Cemetery. They were there to remember a tragic and long
forgotten episode that began just days after the liberation of Prague
sixty years ago in May 1945. David Vaughan reports.
More
Current AffairsVeterans, honoured in Pilsen, recall "the war stopped here!"
One of the major focal points of this year's anniversary was the return of
American and Belgian veterans to Pilsen, the city they liberated in the
final days of the war 60 years ago. Town officials as well as Belgian and
U.S. representatives were all in attendance to honour soldiers' deeds in
liberating Pilsen, while veterans like Leo Hymas, addressed the crowd. More
Current AffairsWWII veterans reflect on liberation of Pilsen
The City of Pilsen, the University of West Bohemia and the US embassy
hosted their annual Pilsen Talks conference on Thursday. This year's topic
focused on the liberation of southwest Bohemia and the transatlantic
alliance. The conference officially opened celebrations throughout Pilsen
to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII.
More
SpecialCzechs in the Red Army
...At midday the Russians launched an almighty attack on Hrabyne, their air
force led the barrage. From over the hills a whole chain of Russian tanks
approached. The Germans retaliated with a desperate counter attack. This
was the start of a terrible panzer battle, which is impossible to imagine
for those who weren't there. The din of anti-tank weaponry, the explosion
of grenades and the baying of the tanks' machine guns fused into one.
There was a constant explosion of bombs and mines. The battle lasted all
afternoon. Several times the Russians retreated only to come back again on
the attack...
More
Czechs in History"The Longest Day" A look back at the Czech role in the D-Day landings
Czechoslovak participation in the first weeks of "Operation
Overlord" — the invasion of Normandy — was almost exclusively limited
to the air, as soldiers from occupied Czechoslovakia's 1st Armoured
Brigade did not deploy to France until several weeks after the Allied
landing's first wave. But hundreds more Czech fighting men took part in
the D-Day landings doing battle under the flags of other Allied nations.
Brian
Kenety reports. More
