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his capacity as a First Deputy. The Deputy Ministers exercise only administrative control over those elements subordinate to their directorates. The Minister of National Defense exercises his command authority over most tactical ground units through the military districts and/or field army headquarters. He may also exercise this authority over air and air defense units through his Deputy for Air and Air Defense Forces. The Ministry directly commands some combat and service units that constitute general headquarters elements.

The Czechoslovak Communist Party's control of the armed forces is maintained by the Main Political Directorate, which extends its influence to all levels of command independent of normal command channels. The directorate's subordination to the Minister of National Defense was nominal only until late July 1968. Until that time, its subordination was to the Party Central Committee which exercised its direct control over military affairs through the Office of the State-Administrative Section of the Central Committee. This State-Administrative Section had been created during the Novotny regime has a means to exercise tighter political control over the armed forces. This section was abolished when Lieutenant General Prehlik was relieved as its head in July 1968 as a result of the "liberalization" program. Since that time the Minister of National Defense probably has exercised more direct control over this directorate.

3. Military manpower and morale (S)

a. Manpower

As of 1 January 1974, there were approximately 3,660,000 Czechoslovak males between the ages of 15 and 19. Of these, about 2,820,000 were fit for military service. An estimated average of about 130,000 males annually will reach military age (18) during the period 1971-75, of whom 110,000 probably will meet Czechoslovak fitness standards.

The following tabulation is a breakdown by 5-year age groups of Czechoslovak manpower as of 1 January 1974:

The armed forces are supported by a compulsory military service system similar to that of other Warsaw Pact countries. The 1960 constitution states that "the defense of the country and its socialist system is the supreme duty and a matter of honor for every citizen." Conscription is accomplished under the provisions of the 1949 defense act, as amended in 1958 and 1968. All male citizens must register in the spring of the year in which they reach the age of 18. Under normal circumstances the bulk of the men would be inducted in the autumn of the same year. Since the invasion, however, the Minister of National Defense has announced a change from an annual to a semiannual induction system. The ground forces receive approximately 56,000 men per year, the air force about 3,800, and the militarized security forces some 3,600. The basic term of service is 2 years, although the term for certain individuals is extended, on a voluntary basis, for 1 or more years.

Volunteers are accepted only in special branches such as the airborne and armored troops and the air force. Both conscripts and volunteers may extend their terms of service if they meet the required military, political, moral, and physical requirements.

After release from active duty, conscripts pass into the reserve. Based on their usefulness to the armed forces, reservists are divided into the following categories:


 * Emergency Technical Reserve—Consisting of all officers and enlisted men with special military or civilian skills. This group has an unlimited term of service and receives special pay when on active duty; men are called to active duty when their skills are required.


 * First Reserve—Consisting of all officers and enlisted men physically capable of active duty but who have no special military or civilian skills. Personnel in this group are generally released at the age of 35 to the Second Reserve. Personnel in the First Reserve are called to active duty for short periods every 2 years.


 * Second Reserve—Consisting of all officers and enlisted men who have been released from the First Reserve Duty; there appears to be no training obligation for this group.


 * Third Reserve—Includes all men over age 50 and men with severe physical deficiencies; acts as an emergency replacement pool for the Second Reserve.

Trained ground forces reserves are estimated at 1.5 million. Of this number, approximately 400,000 have completed active military service since 1965. The total comprises conscripts discharged from the ground forces since 1951, most of whom have since received periodic refresher training.

Mobilization proclamations are distributed throughout the country by all available means

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