I'm sure you were familiar with the Warsaw Uprising where the Poles rose up against
the Nazis in 1944... but did you know that the Czechs did a similar thing in their
capital in the very last days of World War II in Europe and did you know that when the
Prague Uprising started Hitler was already dead and Berlin was taken by the Soviets. So
why did the Czechs started to rebel at this point, is what you're going to find out today!
Hey good to have you back on the channel. If you're new, I'm Stefan, I'm a Dutch history
teacher and I like to cover history on location like right now: I'm in front of the monument that
commemorates the Prague Uprising. If you find these on location videos interesting
and especially these videos about these forgotten battle during WW2, well consider
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Super Thanks is also an option! Germany occupied the Czech lands in March 1939 Czechoslovakia
was no more. And the Czech lands were called from now on the Protectorate of Bohemia and
Moravia. The Nazis introduced a wartime focused economic system regarding social development; the
forced labor regime played a crucial role in Germany and the Protectorate, later involving
into a forced assignment of work. The Czech lands were very vital for the German war industries. The
Germans they set up a Jewish ghetto in Terezín (also known as Theresienstadt) and from there many Jews
were deported to the death camps: from January 1942 to October 1944 mass deportations took place and a
majority of the 118 300 Czech Jews perished in the gas chambers. Thousands of Roma and Sinti
also deported of which most were murdered also. Slovakia had become a Nazi puppet state under
Josef Tiso, but from the spring of 1944 the Slovaks realized that their pro-Axis republic was
not going to last as the Soviets advanced towards their country. They started a revolt which
became known as the Slovak National Uprising, which was eventually crushed as the German armies took
over Slovakia. Nevertheless the Red Army conquered the country and reached Bratislava in April 1945
and from there they advanced towards Prague, the Czech capital. The Slovak National Uprising
resulted in a new intensification of activities of resistance forces in the Protectorate: from
September to October parachutists were dropped in the area to organize resistance but they were not
able to organize an effective resistance force against the Nazi occupiers. “Though the partisans
did not succeed in organizing a unified staff due to the constant pressure of the occupiers, an increased concentration of German troops, and the movement of the front line,
they did in various places influence the rebellion and the liberation of Moravia and Bohemia.” Towards the end of (April!) 1945 the
front line moved towards Prague; the Red Army advanced towards Prague and within its ranks
were soldiers of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps, which were Czechoslovaks that fought alongside the
Red Army. From the west the Americans were ready to push into the Czech lands from Germany. The Prague
Uprising was carried out by the Czech resistance. Resistance in the Czech Lands ready occurred
from 1939 but from 1940 it got a more organized form. Organized resistant began to take shape in
the beginning of 1940 where a central resistance body was formed the Central Committee of Home
Resistance (UVOD). This body was recognized by the Czech government-in-exile that was led by
Edvard Beneš. The Communist Party (KSC) also developed an underground organization. So why did
the Czechs actually started to launch an uprising at this point? I mean by May 1945 it was more than
clear that Germany was going to lose the war, well: firstly the Czechs had suffered under the German
occupation. People were deported to concentration camps, there was forced labor, not to mention the
brutal reprisals that had occurred. The Czechs wanted to take a stand against their occupier
and liberate a part of their own country. Secondly, as the Soviets were approaching the
city the Czech resistance hoped to coordinate their attacks together with the Red Army so the
Germans could be driven out and therefore avoid grave destruction to Prague and finally there
were political factors: they wanted to establish democratic government in Czechoslovakia after
the war. The resistance leaders hoped that their participation in the liberation would give them a
voice in the post-war government and enable them to shape the future of their country. On the 4th of
May 1945 to Czech radio announcers of the city's official radio started to speak only in Czech and
played forbidden Czech songs. “Fighting between the SS and Czech police and civilians broke out near the
radio station around noon, prompting the following from the broadcasters at 12:33 P.M.: "Everyone to the
Czech radio station! They're firing at Czech people! Come here immediately! Come help us!"
Underground leaders responded with their own calls to arms [...]. Then Prague exploded.” Wehrmacht and SS
troops only held small parts of Prague but they did outnumber and outgun the Czechs: around 30 000
armed Czech civilians fought against 37 to 40 000 German troops supported by tanks and
artillery. The German planes dropped bombs on the city; barricades were erected and street battles
took place in various parts of the city. The Czech insurgents were supported by the Czech
police and government troops. They also found an ally that had switched its size some 20 000
troops of the pro-Axis Russian Liberation Army (ROA) decided to take up arms against the Germans. Andrey
Vlasov was a Soviet Commander that was captured near Leningrad in 1942. While being interned he
wrote a letter to the German authorities proposing a pro-Axis Russian formation. In November 1944
Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler promoted Vlasov to full General and gave him control of 45 000 Russian
Axis troops. Vlasov created the Russian People's Liberation Committee (KONR). This happened
German occupied Prague where he issued his Prague Manifesto. Only months before ROA soldiers had
been fighting against Czech partisans and had been hunting down Jews, but now they're fighting
alongside the Czech resistance fighters against the Germans. SS troops made their way from outside
Prague to the city to help their trapped comrades they left a trail of death and destruction and
fired randomly at civilians on the streets; they also carried out brutal reprisals and massacres;
for example one near the Maseryk station. They also captured and shot Czech resistance fighters
and used civilians as living shields. Armed Czechs they rounded up Germans and in some cases killed them.
“The American forces, which had liberated Plzeň, made no attempt to help the Czechs;
Eisenhower had agreed that Soviet troops should liberate Prague. But Soviet forces south of the city under General Bĕlov made no attempt to help the Czechs
and the new Košice government also ignored the uprising. Fighting ended on 8 May when the German forces surrendered.”
According to historian Bryant 3 700 Czechs had died and almost 3 000 wounded; in other regions 2 000 Czechs
had died as a result of the fighting since May 1st. How many Germans died at not certain, because after
the uprising the bodies of the dead Germans were quickly buried outside city; most likely is above
one thousand. On May 9th the Soviets arrived in the city and received a great welcome. Czech resistance
fighters now started to hunt down remaining Germans as well as Czech collaborators; many German women
were assaulted by Czechoslovak and Red Army troops. Jailors and prisoners had reversed roles. As a
Czechoslovak army commander reminded his troops the following month: “The German has remained our
irreconcilable enemy. Don't stop hating the Germans. [...] Be tough in dealing with the Germans....
The German women and the Hitler Youth are also complicit in the crimes of the Germans. Be uncompromising in your dealings with them.”
with them with World War II over the Germans were expelled from the Czech
lands. In some cases this led to mass murder: one example was the Brno Death March.