Czechoslovakia was created from the ashes of the Austrian-Hungarian empire as a multinational state of Czechs, Slovaks, Germans, Ruthenians and others. Slovaks were originally happy they are not being ruled by Hungarians anymore, but soon they wished to have a state only for themselves. On the other hand, local Germans were desperate. After 300 years they were not masters of Bohemia and their language was not number one language anymore. Czechoslovakia was destined to not last long. Its split could be peaceful. But it was not. Read about a story of Czech soldiers with who the SS lost their first battle.
Sudetenland Uprising
Since Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany, he promised he will create so called Greater Germany. And that he will “liberate” Germans, who found themselves living outside of Germany after the WW1. Three millions Germans in Czechoslovakia were waiting for that day and they were preparing themselves to destroy young Czechoslovak republic. Finally, in September 12th 1938, Hitler gave a speech, in which he directly attacked Czechoslovakia. In response, thousands of German militants started to attack Czech targets mainly in western part of Bohemia. This event is called Sudetenland Uprising. And it was a time when the SS first lost a battle.
Riots broke all over the Sudetenland – Czech area with German majority. Germans were attacking post offices, government offices, policemen, soldiers and even Czech civilians.
On the German side, beside militants, who could number up to 40 000, they were helped by members of the Abwehr, SA and SS, who were crossing a border from Germany.
On the Czech side, beside others, it was mainly 30 000 members of special forces SOS (State Guard Protection).
Czech soldiers fight against the SS
Most of clashes were between Czech soldiers and members of Freikorps. However few of them included the elite fighting force of the Third Reich, the SS. One of them happened near a German border in today’s national park Bohemian Switzerland.
Bohemian Switzerland is very rough but a beautiful piece of nature. Always part of Bohemia but since 16th century settled and inhabited mostly by Germans. In dramatic months of 1938 forests and rocks of this area became a battlefield between Czech soldiers and German insurgents. All the violence Germans commited eventually led to the Munich agreement. Britain and France backed away from Hitler and forced Czechoslovak government to give up its lands with German majority.
It is September 30th, very early in the morning. Six Czech soldiers from the SOS are patrolling near the German border. They already clashed there with Germans countless of times. They are getting closer to former village Zadní Jetřichovice (Hinterdittersbach).
There they meet a large group of German soldiers and members of the SS and SA, who celebrate their victory in local pub. Czech soldiers know nothing about the Munich agreement and they immediately charge the enemy. Germans have four machine guns and numerical superiority, but Czech soldiers are defending their land. After a short but a very intense battle which tested the SS maybe for the first time, Germans escaped accross the border few several dead and injured comrades. On the Czech side just private Ladislav Škaloud is treated with light injury. This battle the SS lost. Victory for Czech lions.
Battle is won, war is lost
In two days, however, all Czech soldiers and officials, followed by most of Czech civilians, are ordered to evacuate lost territories. It will last almost seven years before the lost land will be Czech again.
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