Related articles
From the ArchivesA bizarre speech by an ailing president
The wartime president of occupied Bohemia and Moravia, Emil Hácha, is one
of the saddest figures of Czech twentieth century history. An elderly
academic, he only agreed reluctantly to become head of state after Edvard
Benes resigned over the Munich Agreement in 1938. He made the tragic
mistake of remaining in office when Hitler marched into the country six
months later. Hácha’s hopes of preserving at least some of his
country’s independence were gradually worn down, and as his health
failed, he eventually became nothing but a puppet of the Gestapo. More
From the ArchivesOccupation and betrayal
Sixty-nine years ago this week, on March 14 1939, the Czechoslovak
President Emil Hácha spoke to the nation. He had just returned from
Berlin, where Hitler had given him a simple ultimatum: face either
occupation or destruction. Hácha chose occupation: More
From the ArchivesCzechoslovakia’s Second Republic: a vain attempt to put the pieces together
The six months leading up to the German occupation of Bohemia and Moravia
in March 1939 were a strange period. After Germany, Poland and Hungary had
annexed over a quarter of the country’s territory as a result of the
Munich Agreement in September 1938, it was hard to see how the rump
Czechoslovakia – the so-called “Second Republic” - could keep going.
But Radio Prague’s shortwave broadcasts continued, and not surprisingly
they focused on sustaining the much shaken international confidence in the
country. Here is the famous Czech professor and scholar of English
literature, Otakar Vočadlo, talking in November 1938. More
Czech BooksThe occupation of 1939: could it have been avoided?
Earlier this week we remembered the 72nd anniversary of the German
occupation of Bohemia and Moravia on March 15 1939. Much has been written
about the years that led up to the occupation: the growing tensions with
Czechoslovakia’s German speaking minority, Hitler’s rise to power in
Germany and then the Munich Agreement of September 1938 that ceded a
quarter of Czechoslovakia’s territory to the German Reich. There is a
sense of inevitability about the events, but could things have been
different and could Czechoslovakia’s President Edvard Beneš have played
his cards differently? More
Current AffairsNew photographs illuminate Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia
Coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of
Czechoslovakia, the discovery of a number of never-before-seen documents
and photographs was announced at the weekend. The new materials shed
further light on Hitler’s invasion visit, which ended on this day in
1939. More
From the ArchivesA bizarre speech by an ailing president
The wartime president of occupied Bohemia and Moravia, Emil Hácha, is one
of the saddest figures of Czech twentieth century history. An elderly
academic, he only agreed reluctantly to become head of state after Edvard
Beneš resigned over the Munich Agreement in 1938. He made the tragic
mistake of remaining in office when Hitler marched into the country six
months later. Hácha’s hopes of preserving at least some of his
country’s independence were gradually worn down, and as his health
failed, he eventually became nothing but a puppet of the Gestapo. More
SpecialMilitary Prague
In today’s Special, we look at Military Prague: a few of the key moments
in the city’s history, from the first Slavonic settlements, to the
founding of Prague Castle and achievements later in the 20th century. Like
any major city, Prague’s military history is impossible to separate from
other historical developments: technological, economic, and cultural. As a
site in the Czech lands it is of course difficult to overstate its
importance. More
MailboxMailbox
This week: a response to an author’s appeal; different language versions
of articles on Radio Prague’s website; Czech learning programmes on Radio
Prague; “From the Archives”. Listeners quoted: Cyle Joseph, Róbert
Kiss, Eva Ehrlich, Stephen Hrebenach, Ian Morrison.
More
From the ArchivesOccupation and betrayal
Sixty-nine years ago this week, on March 14 1939, the Czechoslovak
President Emil Hácha spoke to the nation. He had just returned from
Berlin, where Hitler had given him a simple ultimatum: face either
occupation or destruction. Hácha chose occupation:
More
From the ArchivesCzechoslovakia’s Second Republic: a vain attempt to put the piecestogether
The six months leading up to the German occupation of Bohemia and Moravia
in March 1939 were a strange period. After Germany, Poland and Hungary had
annexed over a quarter of the country’s territory as a result of the
Munich Agreement in September 1938, it was hard to see how the rump
Czechoslovakia – the so-called “Second Republic” - could keep going.
But Radio Prague’s shortwave broadcasts continued, and not surprisingly
they focused on sustaining the much shaken international confidence in the
country. Here is the famous Czech professor and scholar of English
literature, Otakar Vočadlo, talking in November 1938. More
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