On May 5, 1945, an armed uprising began in Nazi-occupied Prague. The Czech population, and above all the police and armed forces of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, were inspired by reports of Soviet and American troops approaching the borders of Czechoslovakia and decided to revolt.
On May 4 in Prague, the Czech government of the protectorate, led by President Emil Haha (since 1939, the president of the Protectorate formed by the occupiers), completed negotiations with the Czech National Council on the transfer of power that began on April 29, 1945. The Czech National Council, under the leadership of Albert Pražák, Ph.D. and professor of Czech and Slovak literature at the University of Bratislava, was to prepare general elections for the post-war government. The Czech government issues a decree abolishing the official German language. It should be noted that there was a fairly significant German population on the territory of the protectorate - more than 3 million people. Up to 200 thousand Germans lived in the capital of the Czech Republic alone. The Sudeten Germans (residents of the Sudetenland), who lived in Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia for more than seven centuries, became part of the Czech state only after the peace treaty that ended the First World War. Until 1918, the Sudetenland, like other areas of the Czech Republic (Bohemia), Moravia and Slovakia, was part of the dual Austro-Hungarian Empire. Czechoslovakia arose only after the First World War and was in many ways an artificial state created by the will of the Entente. The winners denied the Sudeten Germans the right to national self-determination, incorporating them into Czechoslovakia.
Czech officials occupied key positions in the administration of the Sudetenland, and the Germans were expelled. The Czech government and administration gave preference to their relatives, so during the global economic crisis in the early 1930s, the territories inhabited by the Germans were most affected by unemployment. Adolf Hitler, with the full support of the other great powers of Europe, annexed the Sudetenland to the Third Reich in 1938 under the Munich Treaty. And in the spring of 1939, Czechoslovakia was liquidated. German troops occupied the state and entered Prague. The German government established the Imperial Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. The Protectorate became an important acquisition for the Reich: every third German tank, every fourth German Armed Forces truck and every second machine gun were manufactured by the Protectorate industry. During the Great Patriotic War, resistance from the Czechs and Slovaks was minimal. Activation occurred only after the appearance of Soviet and American forces near Czechoslovakia.
On the night of May 5, Prague received news of the capture of the German capital by the Soviet army. In the morning, Prime Minister of the Czech government Richard Bienert announced on Prague radio the liquidation of the protectorate and the beginning of a general uprising against the occupiers. The head of government called on the armed forces of the protectorate and the police to join the rebellious people, and the German military units to capitulate.
In Prague, the Czech National Council acted as a representative of the National Front of Czechoslovakia, founded on April 4, 1945 in Kosice (at that time the city had already been liberated by Soviet troops), led by the former Ambassador of Czechoslovakia to the Soviet Union, Social Democrat Zdenek Fierlinger. It must be said that both Czech communists and nationalists were interested in the uprising. Czech nationalists, fearing the political influence of the Soviet Union on the future of the Czech state and Czech politics, wanted to create an independent position for the future government of the country by liberating Prague on their own. The nationalists counted on the help of the Americans - at the beginning of May 1945, advanced American units were 80 km from the Czech capital. The communists wanted to prevent the nationalists from seizing power, and therefore launched an uprising so that when the Soviet army appeared, they would take a dominant position in the country.
Czechs in the city began to tear down German inscriptions, banners and hang Czechoslovak flags on the streets. In response, German police opened fire on the rebels, and Czech police and gendarmes, supported by Resistance members and volunteers, began shooting at their former colleagues. The Prague Uprising was led by General Karel Kutlvashr.
The rebels (about 30 thousand people) captured the central telegraph office, the post office, the power plant, bridges across the Vltava, railway stations with trains stationed there, including German armored trains, a number of large enterprises and the German air defense headquarters. The rebels were able to disarm several small German formations. The Czech National Council began to negotiate with the imperial governor, Karl Hermann Frank, and the city commandant, General Rudolf Toussaint. At the same time, the Council did not insist on the immediate surrender of German troops in the vicinity of Prague (about 40 thousand people). The rebels built up to 2 thousand barricades in the city.
It must be said that units of the Russian Liberation Army (ROA) played a large role in the uprising. At the beginning of May, former soldiers of the Czechoslovak army, led by General Karel Kutlvashr, came into contact with the ROA, with the commander of the 1st division, General Sergei Kuzmich Bunyachenko. The Russian liberation army marched west, wanting to surrender to the Americans. Bunyachenko and his commanders relied on the support of the Czechs, wanting to receive political asylum in Czechoslovakia, and on May 4 they agreed to support the uprising. General Vlasov did not believe in the success of the uprising, but did not interfere with Bunyachenko. But already on the night of the 8th, most of the Vlasovites began to leave the Czech capital, since they did not receive guarantees regarding their allied status.
After the surrender of the Berlin garrison, Army Group Center (commander Field Marshal Ferdinand Schörner) in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and part of Army Group Austria (commander Lothar Rendulic) decided to break through to the west to surrender to the Americans. To retreat, they needed Prague, through which important transport routes passed. Field Marshal Schörner ordered the suppression of the uprising.
German tanks entered the streets of Prague. On May 6, the Wehrmacht, using armored vehicles, aircraft and artillery, captured most of the Czech capital. The rebels, armed mostly only with small arms, could not hold back the onslaught of the Wehrmacht. On the same day, the 1st ROA Division (about 18 thousand soldiers) came out on the side of the rebel Czechs. Bunyachenko's soldiers drove the Germans out of the western part of the city. On May 7, units of the Russian Liberation Army crossed the Vltava River and cut the enemy positions into two parts, taking Mount Petrin and the Kulisovice area. Up to 10 thousand Germans were captured. But the Czech National Council, after some hesitation, thanked the Vlasovites and refused help from the ROA. On the evening of May 7, the Vlasovites began to leave to the west, only some of the fighters remained with the Czech rebels. After the departure of Bunyachenko's division, the Wehrmacht again became master of the situation in Prague. The position of the rebels in the Czech capital worsened sharply, the Wehrmacht mercilessly crushed resistance, the Germans reached the city center, and some of the rebels panicked and abandoned their defensive structures. The Czechs experienced a shortage of weapons and ammunition. In general, it is clear that the uprising was doomed to failure if not for the appearance of Soviet tanks in Prague.
On May 6, American troops occupied Pilsen, Ceske Budujevice and Carlsbad. The commander of United States forces in Europe, General Dwight David Eisenhower, forbade the commander of the 3rd American Army, General George Smith Patton, to advance on Prague.
The Soviet command planned to strike German troops on May 7, but the Prague Uprising forced them to launch the offensive earlier, without completing the regrouping of forces. The troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front received orders from Marshal Ivan Stepanovich Konev to launch an offensive on the morning of May 6.
On May 8, the commander of the German Army Group Center, Field Marshal Ferdinand Schörner, having learned about the surrender of the Third Reich, signed in Reims, ordered his troops to leave Prague and retreat to the American zone. The German command negotiated with the Czech National Council, which agreed not to interfere with the retreat of German units from Bohemia. Only a few SS units remained in the Czech capital (about 6 thousand soldiers - units of the 2nd SS Panzer Division "Reich", 5th SS Panzer Division "Wiking" and the 44th SS Motorized Infantry Division "Wallenstein" which was at the stage of formation) led by Karl von Pückler, who continued the fighting.
On the morning of May 9, units of the 1st Ukrainian Front entered the Czech capital and suppressed the last pockets of resistance from the SS troops. During the Prague Uprising on May 5–9, 1945, approximately 1.5 thousand Czech rebels, 300 soldiers of the 1st ROA Division, 1 thousand German soldiers, and 4 thousand civilians died in the Czech capital. On the approaches to Prague and in the city itself, the Soviet army lost about a thousand soldiers. On May 10, 1945, the Czech National Council transferred power in the Czech capital to the National Front of Czechoslovakia.
It should be noted that the liberation of Czechoslovakia was accompanied by violence on the part of the Czechs against the German civilian population, including women and children. The new Czech authorities decided to “cleanse” Prague and then the entire country of Germans. Murders, bullying, beatings, unprovoked arrests, and rape were commonplace. Mass executions of Germans took place in a number of places. There is evidence that in the first two weeks of the uprising in Prague alone, between 35 and 40 thousand Germans were killed. The Czech Republic was gripped by a real psychosis, provoked by the actions of the Czech leadership. The Germans were discriminated against and then more than 3 million people were expelled from Czechoslovakia.
Who doesn't know the history of the liberation of Prague? On May 5, 1945, Prague residents rebelled, Soviet troops came to the aid of the rebels, and Prague was liberated on May 9.
But everything was a little wrong, or more precisely, not at all like that. In May, in Prague, parts of the German garrison actually fought bloody battles. Only their main opponents were not the rebel Czechs, but the fighters of the 1st Division of the ROA (Vlasovites).
Czech Republic - reliable industrial rearIII Reich
Czechoslovakia as an independent state disappeared from the political map of Europe even before the outbreak of World War II. First, in April 1938, under pressure from Great Britain, France and Italy, Czechoslovakia abandoned the Sudetenland in favor of Germany (the so-called Munich Agreement).
Then, less than a year later (March 14, 1939), Hitler summoned President Hacha to Berlin and offered to sign a document on Czechoslovakia’s voluntary acceptance of German “patronage.” Gakha signed. The country did not resist for a day.
Only in the city of Mistek, Captain Pavlik’s company met foreign soldiers with rifle fire. This single fight lasted 30 minutes. The loss of independence cost Czechoslovakia 6 wounded soldiers. The Czech Republic became a protectorate, Slovakia - an independent state, a loyal ally of Hitler.
For 6 years, the Czech Republic was a reliable industrial rear of Nazi Germany. Wehrmacht soldiers fired from carbines made in Czech factories, Czech tanks damaged the fields of Poland, France and Ukraine with their tracks. Individual actions of underground fighters and partisans (like the assassination of Heydrich) did not change the overall picture: neither a strong underground as in Poland, nor a broad partisan movement as in Yugoslavia, existed in the Czech Republic.
May 1945 - it's time to start resistance
In April 1945, when the outcome of the war was no longer in doubt, Czech politicians began to think about the future of the country and their own. They did not at all want to be listed as German accomplices at the end of World War II. The decision was made to start the fight.
In Prague there were several resistance centers that operated completely independently. The “Commandant’s Office Bartos” was oriented towards Britain and the USA, the Czech National Council - towards the USSR.
By the end of April 1945, both groups decided that the time for resistance had finally come. Both the “Commandant’s Office Bartosz” and the ChNS planned in this way to rehabilitate themselves in the eyes (some of the West, others of the USSR) and end the war in the ranks of the fighters against fascism. There was only one catch: the German garrison stationed in Prague.
Balance of power before the uprising
The garrison was not that large. The commandant (General Rudolf Toussaint) had at his disposal about 10 thousand soldiers stationed directly in the city and about 5 thousand in the surrounding area. But these were military units that had experience in combat.
The Czechs could only oppose them with civilian rebels armed with revolvers and hunting rifles. In this situation, the uprising was doomed to failure unless someone came to the rescue.
But the Americans (General Patton’s units) were located 80 km from Prague in the Pilsen area, and the nearest Russian units (troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front) were even further away - 150 km, in the Dresden area.
Help came from where no one expected it. On April 29, 50 km northwest of Prague, the 1st ROA Infantry Division appeared under the command of Major General Bunyachenko (Vlasovites).
Deserted division
Division formed in November 1944, April 15, 1945. voluntarily withdrew from the front and marched on foot to the southwest to surrender to the Americans. The division consisted of about 18 thousand soldiers; in addition to light small arms, the Vlasovites were armed with machine guns, light and heavy artillery, anti-aircraft guns, mortars, anti-tank guns, anti-aircraft guns, self-propelled guns and even 10 tanks.
The commander of Army Group Center, Field Marshal Scherner, issued an order to stop and return the division to the front (at least disarm), but for some reason there were no people willing to stop and disarm this horde of Russians armed to the teeth.
On April 30, representatives of the “Commandant’s Office Bartosz” came to Bunyachenko and asked him to support the armed uprising in Prague. The auction began and lasted until May 4. In exchange for support, the future rebels promised the Vlasovites the status of allies and political protection after the victory.
Prague in exchange for political asylum
On the evening of May 4, Bunyachenko summoned the commanders of regiments and individual battalions to discuss the proposal. Bunyachenko expressed the idea of not only entering into an alliance with the Czechs, but also playing his part: capturing the city, presenting it to the Americans on a silver platter and at the same time surrendering. It was assumed that the Americans, in gratitude, would provide political asylum to all those who surrendered. Only the commander of the first regiment, Arkhipov, was against it, everyone else was in favor.
On the morning of May 5, representatives of the command of the 1st Division of the ROA and representatives of the “Commandant’s Office Bartosh” signed a document “On the joint struggle against fascism and Bolshevism.” Having bet on both the Czechs and the Americans at the same time, the Vlasovites hoped that at least one bet would be winning.
We are starting an uprising, the Russians will help us!
Having received guarantees of support, the leaders of the “Commandant’s Office Bartosz” began an uprising on May 5 at about 11 a.m. Other Resistance groups had no choice but to join. By 2 p.m., about 1,600 barricades had been built in the city, and calls for help were broadcast.
The Soviet command planned the liberation of Prague for May 11. Due to the uprising, plans had to be urgently adjusted. On May 6, troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front began moving towards Prague. But it was almost 150 km away, while Bunyachenko’s division entered the village on May 4. Suchomasty, from where it was less than 20 km to Prague.
On the morning of May 6, the advanced units of Bunyachenko's division entered the city. With the arrival of the Russian division, the actions of the rebels went uphill sharply. If on the 5th their situation was regarded as catastrophic, then during May 6-7 the Vlasovites occupied the entire western part of Prague and cut the city into 2 parts. The surrender of the German garrison was simply a matter of time.
All plans go to hell
And at this time, significant changes took place among the rebels and the situation for the Vlasovites became not just bad, but very bad. The uprising was led by the Czech National Council, oriented towards the USSR.
The leaders of the ChNS did not want to “dirty” themselves by collaborating with the Vlasovites and stated that they did not recognize the agreements concluded with the “Komedatura Bartosh”, were not going to fulfill them, and advised the division’s soldiers to surrender to the Red Army.
Following the Czechs, the Americans also “planted the pig.” On the evening of May 7, reconnaissance from the 16th American Armored Division arrived in the city. To the proposal to take almost liberated Prague, the American officer replied: “No!”
By May 1945, the victorious countries had already divided Europe into zones of “responsibility.” Prague was supposed to become Soviet. General Patton might not have minded remaining in history as the liberator of Prague, but the commander-in-chief of the combined Anglo-American armed forces in Europe, Eisenhower was already thinking not only as a military man, but also as a politician. He categorically forbade movement east of the line Karlovy Vary - Pilsen - Ceske Budejovice. Patton could only watch from the sidelines as events unfolded.
For the Vlasovites this was a blow. Participation in the uprising lost all meaning for them. On the evening of May 7, Bunyachenko gave the order to stop hostilities and leave Prague. The next morning, the 1st ROA Division left the city.
The pendulum swung in the opposite direction. The Nazis went on the offensive, the territory controlled by the rebels began to rapidly shrink, and it was time for the Czechs, not the Germans, to think about the terms of surrender.
The so-called "surrender"
The commandant of Prague, General Toussaint, was neither a fanatic nor a fool. Germany was defeated, Berlin fell. The Americans or the Russians (and most likely the Russians) will still take the city. In this situation, the general decided not to bother himself with a pointless defense, but to save the lives of the last soldiers remaining under his command.
A parliamentarian was sent to the rebel-controlled island, and the leaders of the ChNS were surprised to learn that they had won and the Germans were ready to surrender Prague to them. On May 8 at 16:00 General Toussaint signed the act of surrender. The surrender was more reminiscent of a peace agreement: leaving heavy weapons in the city, German troops went west to surrender to the Americans, the Czechs undertook not to interfere with them.
Early in the morning of May 9, troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front entered Prague abandoned by the Germans, losing 30 soldiers killed and wounded in skirmishes with SS fanatics who had settled in the city.
So who liberated Prague?
437 Soviet soldiers and officers are buried at the Olsany Cemetery in Prague. Dates of death are May 9, May 10, 12th, through July and August. These are Red Army soldiers who died after the Victory from wounds in a Prague military hospital. They are the true liberators of Prague. If there had been no Stalingrad and Kursk, Leningrad would not have stood and Berlin would not have fallen, if in May 1945 the victorious Red Army had not stood 150 km away. from Prague, the Czechs would not even think of raising an uprising, and the Germans would not “capitulate” to them. Is not it?
Have you already decided where to go for the May holidays? Of course... You are going to Prague! Amazing sights and blooming spring nature will surprise and delight you. May in Prague is wonderful!
Nice and comfortable - neither hot nor cold.
Everything is in bloom, and in any weather there is no escape from the beauty here.
Weather in Prague in May
Perhaps, best time to travel to the Czech Republic comes exactly in May. The weather is warm, but not hot. The days are sunny and not rainy. The gentle sun carefully warms everything around, including tourists enthusiastically wandering the streets of Prague.
The average air temperature in May does not drop below +8°C even late in the evening, and in the middle of the day you can easily count on +20 or even +25 degrees.
In this weather it is very comfortable to go on excursions.
Weather forecast in Prague for May 2019.
However, the weather in the Czech Republic is capricious, and therefore there may be days when it rains or a strong gusty wind blows. But this is rather an exception. Usually, May in Prague is gentle and welcoming, and this year, it seems, will be like that too.
If suddenly you have not yet decided on the trip, if you are overcome by serious doubts, if you are still wondering whether to go to the Czech Republic for May or sit out in the country, if you came here to be convinced - .
How to dress in Prague in May
When packing your suitcase, remember the purpose of your trip. Prague, and the Czech Republic in general, is a tourist city. So that you You will have to move around a lot, on foot or by car. Therefore, you should dress in such a way that it is comfortable to travel. A windbreaker, a warm jacket, a sweater, a couple of T-shirts and trousers - that's all you need. And most importantly, comfortable shoes. After all, Prague is paved with paving stones, and there is no place for heels!
The right shoe option.
And don't forget sunglasses and an umbrella. Happens, no, no, and it will rain in Prague, and behind it the sun will look rosy. And therefore both of them will definitely be useful to you.
Sometimes, instead of yesterday’s T-shirt, you have to wear a jacket and a windbreaker. This is normal for Prague in May. And you must be prepared for this.
Don’t panic if, upon arrival in the Czech Republic, you suddenly discover that you took completely the wrong things with you - you can always find everything you need in.
Excursions
The trip experience will be incomplete without excursions. Tourists are increasingly booking excursions via the Internet. This is more convenient for several reasons. Can:
- take your time to read the description and reviews and choose what you like;
- do not fuss and do not waste precious time in Prague searching and purchasing excursions;
- buy in advance from home and pay by card;
- There is more choice online than at any agency or travel kiosk, and prices are 15-20% lower, because... no agency fee.
There are many options - from the simplest for €15 (ideal for a first acquaintance with the city) to the most fashionable excursions in the quest genre:
- - €60 for a group of 1-9 people;
- - €23 per person.
The choice is wide - from a trip to the springs (€30) to a trip to neighboring Germany: (€55), (€35) or even (for 2 days and with a stop at Neuschwanstein Castle - €130).
How do you like the opportunity to see the sights of the Czech Republic from above? costs €209 - you choose the direction and program yourself.
The most popular excursions in 2019:
- - see and learn;
- - eat delicious food and drink beer;
- - to be surprised;
- - to see not only Prague;
- - to have something to remember.
The usual view from an airplane window - as always. But this flight is one and a half times more expensive than in any other month - high season.
However, if you are the lucky holder of a Schengen visa, you can try to buy plane tickets at the last minute and save on your trip by taking advantage of the “hot offers” of travel agencies.
If you have a Schengen visa, you can save money by purchasing a ticket the day before departure.
If you don’t have a visa, but also don’t have extra money, go to the Czech Republic in the second half of the month. After the May holidays, the tourist wave is expected to subside, and the cost of your trip may be slightly lower.
May 2019 - what's interesting?
Getting to know Prague The best place to start is with a city tour. Such an excursion will help you quickly find your bearings and decide which sights you would like to see in more detail. You can buy it yourself at any travel agency (they are everywhere in Prague), or perhaps it is included in the tour package offered by your tour operator.
Sightseeing tour “Old City and Jewish Quarter”. The guide Alexey completely captured the attention of tourists, telling the story of the Orloy clock on Old Town Square.
If you have already visited Prague before, take this opportunity and get to know the history and culture of the Czech Republic better by visiting the most beautiful Czech cities. You can read about them in our next article.
From tourist reviews - Natasha, Volgograd:
The Hluboká nad Vltavou castle and the town of Český Krumlov can be visited in one day - there is a standard excursion.
The organization of excursions deserves the highest praise! The guides here are real professionals. On walking tours, each participant was given an earphone, so they could calmly and still listen to the guide's comments. I really liked the spring Prague Zoo, we walked around it for more than four hours.”
In any case, May is the most fertile month to visit Prague. Your May holiday in the Czech Republic will be unforgettable, no matter where you find yourself in the city or country!
Irina Sidorova
On May 8, Czechs celebrate Victory Day. On this occasion, the doors of important government institutions in Prague will open to everyone. This is the building of the Lower House of the Czech Parliament on Lesser Town Square (Malostranského náměstí, 19), which can be visited from 9.00 to 16.00; The Prime Minister's Villa Kramar (Gogolova 212/1) welcomes guests from 9.00 to 16.00; Wallenstein Palace, where the Czech […]
May 8 Czechs celebrate Victory Day. On this occasion in Prague The doors of important government institutions will open to everyone.
This building Lower house of the Czech parliament on Lesser Town Square (Malostranského náměstí, 19), which can be visited from 9.00 to 16.00; (Gogolova 212/1) is waiting for guests from 9.00 to 16.00; , where the Czech Senate sits (Valdštejnské nám. 4) will take place from 9.00 to 17.00.
On May 8 you can even visit (Loretánské nám.5), which is in the Chernin Palace from 10.00 to 16.00. Those who wish will also be allowed into the apartment of Jan Masaryk, the former head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who was found dead under his windows in 1948. The garden at the Cherninsky Palace is open from 17.00, there will be a free concert.
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On the occasion of Victory Day celebrations on Tuesday, May 8, an Open Day event will traditionally be held in the buildings of both chambers of the Czech Parliament. Visitors can enjoy free excursions and accompanying events.
The Senate offers to inspect its main building, Wallenstein Palace (Valdštejnský palác - Valdštejnské náměstí 17/4, Malá Strana) and Kolovratsky Palace (Kolovratský palác - Nerudova 193/III, Malá Strana), in which the government of Czechoslovakia was informed about the signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938. Both sites will be open from 09:00 to 16:00.
The Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament (Poslanecká sněmovna - Malostranské náměstí č.19) will also open its doors to visitors. During the hour-long tour, guests will be able to see the main meeting room, conference rooms of various committees and other rooms. The facility's opening hours are from 09:00 to 16:00.
In turn, the Czech government invites visitors to view the interiors of the Grzansky Palace (Hrzánský palác, Loretánská 177/9, Prague 1). In 1894–1896, the future first president of Czechoslovakia, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, lived here. Today the building serves for presentation purposes - the Czech Prime Minister meets important guests here. The promotion will last from 10:00 to 18:00. The duration of the tour will be about 40 minutes. The last one will start at 17:00.