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sponsored Little Entente, from shortly after World War I until 1926. Dominant French military influence was apparent in the construction of Maginot Line-like fortifications near Czechoslovak frontiers. By 1938 the armed forces were regarded as among the best prepared in Europe. At the time of the Sudeten crises in September 1938 the Czechoslovaks rapidly mobilized over a million men. However, as a result of the Munich Pact, the Czechoslovaks were compelled to abandon permanent fortifications in the Sudeten lands in October of 1938. German occupation of the rest of Bohemia and Moravia followed in March 1939. Poland and Hungary were ceded Czechoslovak territory. Dismemberment of Czechoslovakia was complete with the creation of a pro-German autonomous Slovak state. The armed forces were not ordered into action in conjunction with these events and were subsequently disbanded by Hitler.

In World War II, Czechoslovak units were formed outside the country by both the Western Allies and the Soviet Union. An independent armored brigade group and air units, organized, equipped, and trained along British lines, fought on the western front in 1944 and 1945. An independent Czechoslovak battalion formed in the Soviet Union in 1943 was expanded to a brigade and finally to a corps by the end of the war. This force entered Czechoslovakia with the Soviet troops and participated in the liberation of the eastern part of the country from the Germans.

After World War II the armed forces were reestablished essentially on the prewar basis around the nucleus of United Kingdom- and Soviet-sponsored forces. Before the coup in 1948 an efficient army had been developed and was one of the first European postwar armies to conduct corps-level maneuvers.

The influence of the forces trained in the U.S.S.R. was predominant in the postwar period. Their commander became the first postwar Minister of National Defense and was instrumental in keeping the army from taking effective action during the Communist coup. Subsequently, direct Soviet influence dominated all phases of the military program. Officers and enlisted men considered politically unreliable were purged, and the effectiveness of the armed forces was allowed to deteriorate.

Since about 1950, with extensive Soviet direction and support, the armed forces have been steadily rebuilt. The Czechoslovak People's Army has been reorganized and reequipped, has regained its pre-1948 level of training, and has increased its capabilities. The Sovietization of the armed forces is complete, and troops continue to receive intensive Communist political indoctrination.

Military traditions in Czechoslovakia date from the Hussite movement of the first half of the 15th century, when the Czechs won de facto independence from their German overlords. Present military installations and units often bear the name of a hero from this golden age in Czechoslovak history. Exploits of the Czechoslovak Legion against the Bolsheviks formed the basis for further military traditions during the interwar period. However, once the military establishment became Sovietized, traditions founded by the Legion were replaced by those based on military victories won by Czechoslovak units under Soviet control during World War II. World War II battles at Dukla Pass and Jaslo in which Soviet and Czechoslovak troops participated together have been idealized, and the role of the U.S.S.R. and Czechoslovak Communists in the Slovak uprisings against the Germans in 1944 has been magnified in the development of Communist military traditions.

2. Command structure (S)

Under law, the President of Czechoslovakia is the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. With the support of the legislature, he can declare war, proclaim a national emergency, and institute partial or general mobilization. He is advised on military matters by a small personal staff, known as the Military Office of the President. Despite the constitutional provisions, the real authority over military affairs is wielded by the Communist Party leadership in the form of policy guidance and overall direction. Routine decisions affecting normal military developments are made by the Council of Ministers (cabinet). The federal Minister of National Defense (MOND), a prominent member of the council, exercises full and direct operational and administrative control over all military headquarters, units, and installations (Figure 1). He is assisted by a General Staff, four main directorates, and various directorates for the arms and services and specialized functions. There are seven Deputy Ministers for National Defense, two of whom are designated First Deputies. One of these is apparently a general deputy and the other is the Chief of the General Staff. The chiefs of the four main directorates are also Deputy Ministers. The functions of the remaining Deputy have not been ascertained, although it is possible that the Chief of Artillery and Rocket Forces has this title. Command authority, however, is vested in the Minister of National Defense or the Chief of the General Staff in

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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200110009-4