It is not often mentioned that, what role did the Czech Republic play in the successes of Nazi Germany in the first stage of the Second World War. This is especially true for Czech industrial enterprises..
Czech historian Jaroslav Strait decided to fill this gap in an interview with Halo noviny newspaper.
It all started with the Munich agreement of the Western powers, which allowed Hitler in March 1939 occupy Czechoslovakia with impunity, on the site of which the separate state of Slovakia and the protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia were created. Long before that, Czech arms factories were considered among the best in Europe.. Taking over this country, Hitler got his hands on a large number of excellent weapons and military equipment, entered service with the German army and were actively used during the Second World War as against the USSR, and against the western allies.
But it was only a small part of that weaponry, which was created by the enterprises of this country already during the occupation, when the war was already in full swing. Czech historian spoke about the "invaluable" contribution of Czech gunsmiths to the military power of Nazi Germany, their great work for the Third Reich… It is not customary to remember this in today's Czech Republic. But the historian decided to remind.
At first, they produced weapons of time-tested domestic brands.. The Wehrmacht received light machine guns from this country., ammunition, tractors and much more. Soon the Czech factories mastered the production of weapons of German brands.
AT 1941 year Joseph Goebbels made a diary entry, where he highly appreciated the contribution of Czech enterprises to strengthening the military power of the Hitlerite army.
The Fuhrer is pleased with the achievements of the Czechs in military production. Not a single case of sabotage. Czech products stand out for their quality, usable, reliable and durable. They proved themselves to be responsible and diligent workers.
– wrote a Nazi propagandist.
Of course, not all Czechs collaborated with the Nazis and helped them "forge victory". Don't forget about thousands of Czechs, who fought against the Nazis in the army of Ludwig Svoboda, in the british air force, on the western front, in the ranks of the partisans. You should also remember about the participants in the Resistance and the Prague Uprising in May 1945 of the year.
But we must also not forget that, that weapons, who killed our grandfathers and great-grandfathers during the Great Patriotic War, was created, including, and by the hands of Czech workers, who didn't really care, into whose hands this weapon falls.
used photos:https://ru.wikipedia.org/Bundesarchiv
