Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-09-09
|czechs Do Rebel

We are grateful to Martin
Hayden for the highly inter-
esting series Of articles on
Czechoslovakia, but we must
voice our disagreement with
one Of his opinions-that "the
Czechs want freedom, but
they won't rebel" (September
~.
Mr.. Hayden writes that the
Czechs won't rebel against the
present Communist regime to
fight for their freedom. but
win wait patiently until some
one brings it to them. Mr..
Hayden states that the people
Of Czechoslovakia last fought
for their freedom at the battle
Of the White Mountain in
1920; that In 1888 they did not
follow the policy of Finland's
stand against Russia: instead
they blamed their fate on q
Munich sellout and accepted
It," and that they "capitulated
again before the Communist
coup Of 1913"
These claims are q gross
distortion of historical facts
which does the people Of
Czechoslovakia q grave injus-
tice. for they have brought
great sacrifices not only for
their own freedom but also to
freedom In general.
The land of Czechoslovakia
was from the beginning Of the
Hustle wars In the early part
Of the 18th century to the end
Of the 80 Years War in the
middle Of the 18th century the
scene Of religious revolutions
and . European battle-ground
for freedom Of conscience, re-
Iigious beliefs. and national In
dependence. Many generations.
especially Of the Czechs. bled
in their struggle with the
Hapsburgs and the Germans
for their freedom and for
human ideals. These sacri-
fees contributed considerably
to European progress and to
the development Of Western
civilization.
AS to their more recent his
tory. 1t is q matter Of historic
cal record that the Czechs.
Slovaks and Ruthenes were the
allies Of the Western powers
not only in World War !
but also In World War II. and
that they fought and died
on all allied fronts not only
for their national freedom
but for the freedom Of all
subjugated nations. They were
the first Of the allied armies
to fight the Bolsheviks on
Russian soil in 1918-1919 and
the Magyar Bolsheviks in Slo-
vakia In 1919. While it is true
that international affairs dur
ing and at the end Of
World War I helped consider
ably toward creation of an in
dependent Czechoslovakia, yet
1t cannot be said that the
Czechs. Slovaks and Ruthenes
were given their national In
dependence as a gratuitous
gift. without having earned 1t.
It Is common knowledge
that Czechoslovakia was de-
termined and better prepared
to fight for her freedom at
the time Of Munich than the
Western powers. although
Munich was no less q test
Of military preparedness and
determination of the great
than of the small nations.
Moreover, 1t should not be
overlooked that many more
Czechoslovaks laid down their
lives in the resistance against
the Nazis during the war than
totaled the allied dead in the
Korean war. To these losses
must be added the Czechoslo-
yak dead and wounded on the
allied fronts In the Second
World War, the Slovak nation
al uprising of 1944-1945. and
the Prague uprising of May,
1945. Thus the re-establish-
ment Of freedom in Czechoslo-
vakia in 1945 was not handed
over gratis either, but was paid
for by the lives. liberty and
fortunes Of the people of
Czechoslovakia.
In February. 194s, at the
time Of Munich, the lone
struggle Of the Czechoslovak
people with arms in hand but
without allies against devas-
tating odds. first against the
Nazis and the second time
against the Communists and
the Soviets, would have been
a suicidal massacre. The
Czechs, Slovaks and Ruthenes
did not take up arms against
the enemy. because 1t would
have been at the worst time,
against the most powerful