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28-581: Although its most visible activity comprises ceremonial duty within the Prague Castle, most of the unit's 890 soldiers are tasked with actual protection of compounds belonging to the Presidential Office, whereby they serve in standard uniforms armed with modern weaponry. During the period 1939 to 1945 its duties were performed by the 1st Battalion of the Government Army . During the communist regime,

56-405: A collaborationist force, or merely the submissive military of a defeated state, has been debated. Its commanding officer, Jaroslav Eminger , was tried and acquitted on charges of collaboration following World War II, some members of the force engaged in active resistance operations simultaneous with their service in the army, and – in the waning days of the conflict – elements of the army joined in

84-477: A concurrently large increase in the unemployment rate; continued maintenance of at least a fractional military force could mitigate that to some extent. Second, Germany was anxious to legitimize its occupation by demonstrating a certain tolerance for the continuation of Czech institutions. Third, there was an obvious need for some form of personal guard for the protectorate's State President, Emil Hácha . The Government Army had an authorized strength of 7,000 men and

112-670: A passive role in the construction of fortifications and field positions. While in Italy, approximately 600 of the Czech soldiers deserted to the side of the Italian partisans , due in part to the effects of the propaganda campaign " Operation Sauerkraut " of the United States' Office of Strategic Services . On May 5, 1945, the 1st Battalion of the Government Army revolted and joined Czech partisans in

140-476: A period of enlistment of twelve years; at its height it had an actual strength of 6,500 troops organized in twelve battalions. Despite the force's diminutive size, it boasted 40 generals. Emil Hácha, the State President , was commander-in-chief of the Government Army, with operational command vested in an inspector-general who, throughout the period of the army's existence, was Jaroslav Eminger . The army

168-591: A proposal to deploy the army to the Eastern Front in support of German operations. State President Hácha discussed the proposal with SS- Obergruppenführer Karl Hermann Frank , who ultimately decided not to forward it to Adolf Hitler . The Government Army's only foreign deployment came in May 1944 when the entire army – with the exception of the 1st Battalion – was moved to northern Italy to support German military operations there. Responsibilities in Italy were limited to

196-552: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Government Army The Government Army ( Czech : Vládní vojsko ; German : Regierungstruppen ) was the military force of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia during the German occupation of the Czech lands . Established on July 25, 1939, the lightly armed force of less than 7,000 men was operationally limited to internal security throughout most of its existence, with

224-513: The Battle for Czech Radio . Three days later, a separate force of the army moved to the Old Town Hall to assist in its defense from German attack. The Government Army was only equipped with light arms in the form of vz. 24 pistols, M1898 revolvers, Mannlicher M1895 rifles, and bayonets. A plan to raise a cavalry troop was shelved due to a lack of horses. Its uniforms were based on those of

252-654: The German takeover of Czechoslovakia in 1939 . During World War II the Czechoslovak Army was recreated in exile, first in the form of the new Czechoslovak Legion fighting alongside of Poland during the Invasion of Poland and then in the form of forces loyal to the London-based Czechoslovak government-in-exile . Czechoslovak formations were also formed on the Eastern Front; the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps in

280-714: The Prague Castle Guard of the defunct Czechoslovak Army. Initially, the bulk of the Government Army consisted of officers and men transferred directly from the former Czechoslovak Army. For political reasons, many of the army's original personnel were gradually dismissed to be replaced by new recruits unconnected with the armed forces of the formerly independent Czechoslovakia. New recruits were limited to Czech males between 18 and 24 years of age, of Aryan ethnicity, at least 165 centimeters (5 ft 5 in) tall, in good health, and free of criminal record. The army's last annual recruitment occurred in 1943. In May 1945, with

308-662: The 5th SNB Department. This situation was changed only by Act No. 20 in 1990, which returned the Castle Guard to the Ministry of Defense. In 2006, Second World War veterans took part in an initiative aimed at replacing the Castle Guard uniforms, signing a letter proposing to President Václav Klaus that the Castle be guarded by soldiers in the uniforms of Czechoslovak Legionaries from the First World War. From 2018 to 2021, soldiers of

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336-687: The Army of the new Czechoslovak state consisted mainly of Czech and Slovak units of Austro-Hungarian Army while it also incorporated members of the Czechoslovak Legion from Italy and France. that fought alongside the Entente during World War I . Czechoslovak Army took part in the brief Polish-Czechoslovak War in which Czechoslovakia annexed the Trans-Olza region from Poland. And also fought border war with Hungary for control and borders of Slovakia. The Army

364-411: The Castle Guard consisted of 888 soldiers and 43 civilian employees with additional 40 soldiers of Active Reserves. These were armed primarily with the following weaponry: Other weapons include: On October 13, 1921, a banner was ceremoniously handed over to the Castle Guard by President Tomáš Masaryk in the courtyard of Prague Castle. The banner displayed the emblem of the Castle Guard on one side and

392-709: The Castle Guard faded. On December 15, 1952, it ceased to be part of the Czechoslovak People's Army and became the 14th Special Battalion of the 1st Mechanized Brigade (or Unit 2295) of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of the Interior passed into the competence of the Ministry of the Interior, who performed the tasks of today's castle guard during the period of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic . After

420-609: The Prague Castle Guard were also being deployed in Afghanistan as part of Czech Army deployment in Resolute Support Mission . There they served as Guardian Angels providing protection outside of allied military bases primarily to Czech Army helicopter instructors that were training Afghan National Army pilots. The Castle Guard is a brigade unit with a total of 900 soldiers with the following structure: As of 2023,

448-590: The Prague Uprising. In March 1945 Germany authorized the creation of the St. Wenceslas Company (Czech: Svatováclavská rota ), a foreign legion of Czech volunteers to serve with the Waffen-SS . Recruitment fell below German objectives and the unit never saw combat. Czechoslovak Army The Czechoslovak Army ( Czech and Slovak : Československá armáda ) was the name of the armed forces of Czechoslovakia . It

476-882: The Soviet Union served alongside the Red Army and the First Czechoslovak Army in Slovakia claimed the legacy of the Czechoslovak forces during the Slovak National Uprising . After the war Czechoslovak units fighting alongside the Allies returned to Czechoslovakia and formed the core of the new, recreated Czechoslovak Army. However, with the Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia , it was being increasingly Sovietised and in 1954

504-422: The collapse of the protectorate, de facto control of the Government Army passed to the returned Czechoslovak government which deactivated the force after first transferring some of its soldiers to the reconstituted Czechoslovak Army . Prior to 1944, Government Army forces were primarily deployed to provide security along railroad lines, to support civil defense, for public duties assignments, and – during

532-470: The defunct Czechoslovak Army, using rank insignia from the former Austrian Army. The Government Army's only decoration was an Achievement Badge created in 1944 and awarded in three classes for "repeated assistance to the German forces". The rank insignia of commissioned officers . The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel . Whether or not the Government Army can be considered

560-524: The dissolution of the Czechoslovak Army which occurred after the German occupation of the Czech lands , and was officially constituted on July 25, 1939 by Government Order No. 216. The German decision to permit the organization of a military force under direct control of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was due to three factors. First, the complete dissolution of the Czechoslovak Army carried with it

588-509: The emblem of the president of the Republic and the slogan Truth prevails on the other side. The banner was intended for use on festive occasions. On February 20, 1993, then-President Václav Havel gave a military banner to the Castle Guard, and since 1993, it was located in the office of the Chief of the Castle Guard. The unit also has an emblem and a seal. This Czech Republic -related article

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616-466: The exception of a short deployment to northern Italy in support of German forces in the spring of 1944. During the Prague Uprising , some elements of the Government Army revolted and joined in the rebellion. After World War II , the inspector-general of the Government Army, Jaroslav Eminger , was tried and acquitted on charges of collaboration with Germany . The Government Army was created following

644-464: The late 1930s with LT vz. 35 tanks, as well as an extensive system of border fortifications . Partly Mobilised after Anschluss and fully during the Munich Conference , the force did not take part in any organised defence of the country against invading Germans due to international isolation of Czechoslovakia and was demobilized gradually until February 1939. The army was disbanded following

672-601: The reorganization in 1966, the Castle Guard, as the 7th Special Battalion, was subordinated to the Civil Defense Staff of the Ministry of the Interior. On 1 March 1970, the Castle Guard of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was established by order of the Minister of the Interior and in 1976 was put back under Ministry of the Interior. However, in the performance of security tasks, it remained subordinated to

700-530: The winter of 1943 to 1944 – in a short-lived effort to capture parachutist drop sites in Bohemia and Moravia used by Czech resistance fighters. According to one account, when asked by a subordinate officer what Protectorate soldiers should do in the event they successfully intercepted parachutists, General Jaroslav Eminger replied, "if there are few you will ignore them, if there are many you will join them". In 1943, Minister of Education Emanuel Moravec advanced

728-459: Was established in 1918 following Czechoslovakia's declaration of independence from Austria-Hungary . In the first months of the World War I , the response of the Czech soldiers and civilians to the war and mobilisation efforts of Austria-Hungary were highly enthusiastic as it was expected to be a short war, however it turned into apathy later. In the first week after the declaration of independence

756-609: Was modeled after the Austro-Hungarian Army with influence of the French Military Mission to Czechoslovakia . Officers were both former Austro-Hungarian and Legion officers that decided to stay in the active service. First chief of the Main Staff was French General Maurice Pellé . In the interbellum the force was fairly modern by contemporary standards, with the core of the force formed by 4 fast divisions equipped in

784-538: Was organized into three regional inspectorates with their headquarters at Prague , Brno , and Hradec Králové . The Government Army's 1st Battalion was tasked with the protection of the State President, as well as public duties at the presidential residence of Lány Castle . Beginning in November 1939, it assumed responsibility for guarding Prague Castle in concert with German forces, a mission formerly performed by

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