Rudolf Slansky: His Trials and Trial
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The Slansky Trial the Slansky Trial: the Slovak National Rising, and Was Elected CPC General Secretary the Following Year
Workers' Liberty 3/36: The Slansky Trial The Slansky Trial: the Slovak National Rising, and was elected CPC General Secretary the following year. introduction Following the CPC putsch of 1948, in which the non- CPC parties were driven out of what had previously Author: been a coalition government, Slansky was the most Stan Crooke powerful person in the country, second only in name to President Klement Gottwald. 2012 marks the 60th anniversary of the so-called Trial of the Anti-State Conspiratorial Centre led by The official celebrations which marked Slansky’s Rudolf Slansky. 50th birthday, in July of 1951, appeared to underline his grip on power. He was awarded the The Slansky trial: contents. Order of Socialism (the highest state decoration). An avalanche of the obligatory laudatory articles appeared in the press and his collected works were The Slansky Trial was one of a series of Eastern published. European post-war Stalinist show-trials in which leading Communist Party members confessed — But it would not be long before Slansky was playing after prolonged physical and psychological torture the lead role in a Czech version of the show-trials — to being longstanding agents of American which swept through Eastern Europe in the years imperialism. following 1948. But the trial also broke new ground. It was the first In response to the onset of the Cold War and show-trial in which state-sponsored anti-semitism the rift with Tito’s Yugoslavia in June of that played a central role. As the New York Times, year, Stalin had clamped down on the satellite reporting under the headline “Tragi-Comedy in states’ Communist Parties. -
Twenty Years After the Iron Curtain: the Czech Republic in Transition Zdeněk Janík March 25, 2010
Twenty Years after the Iron Curtain: The Czech Republic in Transition Zdeněk Janík March 25, 2010 Assistant Professor at Masaryk University in the Czech Republic n November of last year, the Czech Republic commemorated the fall of the communist regime in I Czechoslovakia, which occurred twenty years prior.1 The twentieth anniversary invites thoughts, many times troubling, on how far the Czechs have advanced on their path from a totalitarian regime to a pluralistic democracy. This lecture summarizes and evaluates the process of democratization of the Czech Republic’s political institutions, its transition from a centrally planned economy to a free market economy, and the transformation of its civil society. Although the political and economic transitions have been largely accomplished, democratization of Czech civil society is a road yet to be successfully traveled. This lecture primarily focuses on why this transformation from a closed to a truly open and autonomous civil society unburdened with the communist past has failed, been incomplete, or faced numerous roadblocks. HISTORY The Czech Republic was formerly the Czechoslovak Republic. It was established in 1918 thanks to U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and his strong advocacy for the self-determination of new nations coming out of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after the World War I. Although Czechoslovakia was based on the concept of Czech nationhood, the new nation-state of fifteen-million people was actually multi- ethnic, consisting of people from the Czech lands (Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia), Slovakia, Subcarpathian Ruthenia (today’s Ukraine), and approximately three million ethnic Germans. Since especially the Sudeten Germans did not join Czechoslovakia by means of self-determination, the nation- state endorsed the policy of cultural pluralism, granting recognition to the various ethnicities present on its soil. -
February 1948: Establishment of the Communist Regime
I have just returned from the castle from meeting the President. Today in the morning, I submitted to him my proposal for ac- ceptance of the ministers´ resignations who resigned on 20 February of this year and at the same time I proposed to the President a list of people who should substitute for the gov- ernment and reconstruct it. I would like to inform you that the President accepted all my proposals as they were submitted. Comrades, all discharging letters as well as all letters of ap- pointment are signed by the President and I will countersign them soon. February 1948 21, Speech by Klement Gottwald, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Czechoslovak Communist Party, 25 February 1948 Measures of the Action Committees were measures that were taken based on their proposal or instead of them and they were made in the period from 20 February 1948 until the bind- ing force of this Act and which sought to protect or to secure the people´s democratic system or to purify public life; they Klement Gottwald are rightful, including in cases where they would not be in ac- in Prague - photo after cordance with the relevant regulations. the retouch of sentenced Act No. 213/1948 Coll. Vladimir Clementis The February 1948 events in Czechoslovakia were a logical result of the actions by the Czechoslovak Communist Par- ty-Communist Party of Slovakia, the leaders of which started systematically, even during the Second World War, to prepare to seize power in the state. Róbert Letz, historian FEBRUARY 1948 imprisonment and suppression. -
The Czechoslovak Exiles and Anti-Semitism in Occupied Europe During the Second World War
WALKING ON EGG-SHELLS: THE CZECHOSLOVAK EXILES AND ANTI-SEMITISM IN OCCUPIED EUROPE DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR JAN LÁNÍČEK In late June 1942, at the peak of the deportations of the Czech and Slovak Jews from the Protectorate and Slovakia to ghettos and death camps, Josef Kodíček addressed the issue of Nazi anti-Semitism over the air waves of the Czechoslovak BBC Service in London: “It is obvious that Nazi anti-Semitism which originally was only a coldly calculated weapon of agitation, has in the course of time become complete madness, an attempt to throw the guilt for all the unhappiness into which Hitler has led the world on to someone visible and powerless.”2 Wartime BBC broadcasts from Britain to occupied Europe should not be viewed as normal radio speeches commenting on events of the war.3 The radio waves were one of the “other” weapons of the war — a tactical propaganda weapon to support the ideology and politics of each side in the conflict, with the intention of influencing the population living under Nazi rule as well as in the Allied countries. Nazi anti-Jewish policies were an inseparable part of that conflict because the destruction of European Jewry was one of the main objectives of the Nazi political and military campaign.4 This, however, does not mean that the Allies ascribed the same importance to the persecution of Jews as did the Nazis and thus the BBC’s broadcasting of information about the massacres needs to be seen in relation to the propaganda aims of the 1 This article was written as part of the grant project GAČR 13–15989P “The Czechs, Slovaks and Jews: Together but Apart, 1938–1989.” An earlier version of this article was published as Jan Láníček, “The Czechoslovak Service of the BBC and the Jews during World War II,” in Yad Vashem Studies, Vol. -
En Irak 07.Qxd
THE CZECH REPUBLIC AND THE IRAQ CRISIS: SHAPING THE CZECH STANCE David Kr·l, Luk·ö Pachta Europeum Institute for European Policy, January 2005 Table of contens Executive Summary. 5 1. Introduction . 7 2. The President 1. Constitutional framework . 11 2. Havel versus Klaus . 13 3. The Presidentís position on the Iraq crisis . 15 3. The Government 1. Constitutional framework . 21 2. Governmental resolution: articulation of the Czech position. 22 3. Continuity of foreign policy ñ the Czech Republic and the ëcoalition of the willingí. 23 4. Political constellation within government . 26 5. Proposal of the Foreign Ministry . 27 6. Acceptance of the governmental position . 29 7. The power of personalities . 30 4. The Parliament 1. General framework. 35 2. Debate and role of the Parliament before the initiation of the Iraqi operation . 36 3. The Chamber of Deputies ñ critique by the opposition . 38 4. The Senate debate ñ lower influence of the political parties, higher influence of personalities . 39 5. Parliamentary discussion during the Iraq crisis. 42 6. Discussion on the dispatching of a field hospital to Basra . 43 5. The Political Parties 1. Czech Social Democratic Party (»SSD): Ambivalent workhorse of the Czech government . 50 2. Antiwar resolution of the »SSD Congress: A blow for the »SSD in government. 51 3. Smaller coalition parties: pro-American but constructive and loyal . 54 4. Civic Democratic Party (ODS): Clear position, weak critique of the government and conflict with Klaus . 55 5. Communist party (KS»M): Weak in influence but strong in rhetoric . 57 6. Conclusion . 59 7. Annexes. (in Czech version only) 3 Executive Summary EXECUTIVE SUMMARY David Kr·l has been the chairman of EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy since ■ The Czech government expressed political support for the general objectives of 2000 where he also serves as the director of EU policies programme. -
Pour Qu'un Espace Public Parisien, Place Ou Rue, Établissement
« Pour qu’un espace public parisien, place ou rue, établissement scolaire ou culturel, soit dédié à la mémoire de Lise et Artur LONDON. » Vœu présenté par Nicolas Bonnet, Président du groupe communiste et du parti de gauche, adopté à l’unanimité par le Conseil d’Arrondissement. Lundi 8 octobre 2012 à Paris 12e. Madame la Maire, Mes chèr-es collègues, C’est un honneur pour moi et avec beaucoup d’émotion que je vous présente ce vœu au nom des élus de la majorité pour qu’un espace public parisien, un établissement scolaire ou culturel, de surcroit dans le 12e arrondissement, soit dédié à la mémoire de Lise et Artur London. Il m’est impossible de retracer aujourd’hui le parcours exceptionnel de ces deux grands personnages qui ont traversé l’histoire de notre pays et l’histoire de l’Europe. De nombreux ouvrages y sont consacrés notamment l’autobiographie de Lise London en deux tomes « La mégère de la rue Daguerre » et « Le printemps des camarades » et bien entendu « L’aveu » d’Artur London, immortalisé en 1970 par le film de Costa Gavras, interprété par Yves Montand et scénarisé par Jorge Semprún, pour lequel nous avons décidé l’an passé l'attribution d’une voie dans le 12e arrondissement. A travers ce vœu, nous souhaitons rendre hommage à ce couple de militants communistes et inlassables combattants pour la liberté ; rendre hommage à leurs engagements, aux luttes historiques, tant dans la défense de la République espagnole que dans la Résistance contre l'occupation nazie ; mettre en lumière l’accusation monstrueuse dont ils ont étaient victimes par le stalinisme en Tchécoslovaquie, et leur témoignage unique dans le combat pour la justice. -
Bul NKVD AJ.Indd
The NKVD/KGB Activities and its Cooperation with other Secret Services in Central and Eastern Europe 1945 – 1989 Anthology of the international conference Bratislava 14. – 16. 11. 2007 Edited by Alexandra Grúňová Nation´s Memory Institute BRATISLAVA 2008 Anthology was published with kind support of The International Visegrad Fund. Visegrad Fund NKVD/KGB Activities and its Cooperation with other Secret Services in Cen- tral and Eastern Europe 1945 – 1989 14 – 16 November, 2007, Bratislava, Slovakia Anthology of the international conference Edited by Alexandra Grúňová Published by Nation´s Memory Institute Nám. SNP 28 810 00 Bratislava Slovakia www.upn.gov.sk 1st edition English language correction Anitra N. Van Prooyen Slovak/Czech language correction Alexandra Grúňová, Katarína Szabová Translation Jana Krajňáková et al. Cover design Peter Rendek Lay-out, typeseting, printing by Vydavateľstvo Michala Vaška © Nation´s Memory Institute 2008 ISBN 978-80-89335-01-5 Nation´s Memory Institute 5 Contents DECLARATION on a conference NKVD/KGB Activities and its Cooperation with other Secret Services in Central and Eastern Europe 1945 – 1989 ..................................................................9 Conference opening František Mikloško ......................................................................................13 Jiří Liška ....................................................................................................... 15 Ivan A. Petranský ........................................................................................ -
H-Diplo Article Roundtable Review, Vol. X, No. 24
2009 h-diplo H-Diplo Article Roundtable Roundtable Editors: Thomas Maddux and Diane Labrosse Roundtable Web Editor: George Fujii Review Introduction by Thomas Maddux www.h-net.org/~diplo/roundtables Reviewers: Bruce Craig, Ronald Radosh, Katherine A.S. Volume X, No. 24 (2009) Sibley, G. Edward White 17 July 2009 Response by John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr Journal of Cold War Studies 11.3 (Summer 2009) Special Issue: Soviet Espoinage in the United States during the Stalin Era (with articles by John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr; Eduard Mark; Gregg Herken; Steven T. Usdin; Max Holland; and John F. Fox, Jr.) http://www.mitpressjournals.org/toc/jcws/11/3 Stable URL: http://www.h-net.org/~diplo/roundtables/PDF/Roundtable-X-24.pdf Contents Introduction by Thomas Maddux, California State University, Northridge.............................. 2 Review by Bruce Craig, University of Prince Edward Island ..................................................... 8 Review by Ronald Radosh, Emeritus, City University of New York ........................................ 16 Review by Katherine A.S. Sibley, St. Josephs University ......................................................... 18 Review by G. Edward White, University of Virginia School of Law ........................................ 23 Author’s Response by John Earl Haynes, Library of Congress, and Harvey Klehr, Emory University ................................................................................................................................ 27 Copyright © 2009 H-Net: Humanities and Social Sciences Online. H-Net permits the redistribution and reprinting of this work for non-profit, educational purposes, with full and accurate attribution to the author(s), web location, date of publication, H-Diplo, and H-Net: Humanities & Social Sciences Online. For other uses, contact the H-Diplo editorial staff at [email protected]. H-Diplo Roundtable Reviews, Vol. -
A New Decade for Social Changes
Vol. 6, 2020 A new decade for social changes ISSN 2668-7798 www.techniumscience.com 9 772668 779000 Technium Social Sciences Journal Vol. 6, 173-179, April 2020 ISSN: 2668-7798 www.techniumscience.com Organization and methods of the O.G.P.U: Two British Documents from 1933 Marian Zidaru [email protected] Abstract. On March 27th, 1933 a British MI5 officer Oswald Allen Harker received a report on the inter-relation of the Comintern, GPU and Department IV of the Staff of the Red Army. The source of this report was a Jewish communist. Another report received by Harker, on the same day, was the OGPU method of investigation. He informed his superiors that the source of this document was the first-hand source. This article presents these documents because they are relevant to the level of knowledge of MI5 about Russian Espionage and subversive activity at that moment. Keywords. OGPU, Komintern, Hotel Lux, Department IV 1. Introduction On March 27th, 1933 a British MI5 officer Oswald Allen Harker [1] received a report on the interrelation of the Comintern, GPU and Department IV of the Staff of the Red Army. The source of this report was a Jewish communist. This source wrote: “I before entering into details I would remark that I must of necessity make mention on matters which are already known as they are of importance I the scheme as a whole. The general political organization is already known but I shall consider to following organization separately and their connection with each other” A Komintern [2]; B OGPU [3]; Department IV of the Staff of the Red Army [4]. -
A Counterintelligence Reader, Volume 2 Chapter 1, CI in World
CI in World War II 113 CHAPTER 1 Counterintelligence In World War II Introduction President Franklin Roosevelts confidential directive, issued on 26 June 1939, established lines of responsibility for domestic counterintelligence, but failed to clearly define areas of accountability for overseas counterintelligence operations" The pressing need for a decision in this field grew more evident in the early months of 1940" This resulted in consultations between the President, FBI Director J" Edgar Hoover, Director of Army Intelligence Sherman Miles, Director of Naval Intelligence Rear Admiral W"S" Anderson, and Assistant Secretary of State Adolf A" Berle" Following these discussions, Berle issued a report, which expressed the Presidents wish that the FBI assume the responsibility for foreign intelligence matters in the Western Hemisphere, with the existing military and naval intelligence branches covering the rest of the world as the necessity arose" With this decision of authority, the three agencies worked out the details of an agreement, which, roughly, charged the Navy with the responsibility for intelligence coverage in the Pacific" The Army was entrusted with the coverage in Europe, Africa, and the Canal Zone" The FBI was given the responsibility for the Western Hemisphere, including Canada and Central and South America, except Panama" The meetings in this formative period led to a proposal for the organization within the FBI of a Special Intelligence Service (SIS) for overseas operations" Agreement was reached that the SIS would act -
885 -1/-9 Tsekkiläinen KAUNOKIRJALLI- STJUS Pol ‘ P * 885 (082.1) Nowočeská Bibliothéka, Rydáwaná Nákladem Čes- Kého Museum
885 -1/-9 tSekkiläinen KAUNOKIRJALLI- STJUS Pol ‘ P * 885 (082.1) Nowočeská bibliothéka, rydáwaná nákladem Čes- kého museum. 5 IS-lG 13 Praha 1845" 57 082.1 885 -1/-9 (082.1) Pol. P Novočeská knihovna, 7-8, 10-15 Praha 1925-58 Erit. * rikoisbibi.: 885 ; 016 -1/-9 .05=00 tsekkil,f kirj. Česká kniha v cizině 1939-1945« Zprac. Zdenka Broukalova a Olga Malá. Praha 1968. 297 P« (Bibliografický katalog CSSR. Česká knihy. Zvláštní sešit, 196857.) 013 (437) .03=00 1 Runous 885 -1 Pol. kot. 18 Sadoučková, Jitka Být deštěm. [Ústí nad Latem] 1975« 52 p» Pol, - 8559 885 -1 Bass « Eduard To Arbes nenapsal, Vrchlický nebásnil... / Eduard Bass. Praha, 1958. 225 s, (Dílo Eduarda Basse | 4) Pol. - 8989 885 -1 Bezruž « Petr Přátelům i nepřátelům s Paralipomena / Petr Bezruí, Praha, 1958. 142 s. 885 -1 Pol. - 231 Bezruč, Petr Slezské písně. - Stužkonoska modré. Praha 1960. 189 P* (Národní knihovna, 62.) 885 -1 Pol. - 8540 Biebl t Konstantin Bez obav : básně z let 1940-1950 / Konstantin Biebl. Praha, 1951» 251 s. - 8860 885 -1 Pol. Biebl t Konstantin Dílo / Konstantin Biebl, 1 : 1923-1925. Praha, 1951. 146 s. 2 : 1926-1929. Praha, 1952. 120 s. 885 -1 Pol. - 245 Biebl, Konstantin Dílo. 4* Bez obav. 1940-1950. Praha 1953. 207 p. Pol. - 1716 885 -1 Biebl t Konstantin Nebe - peklo - ráj / Konstantin Biebl. 2. vyd. Praha, 1951. 54 s. (Růžová zahrada ;2) Himiölehti puuttuu. 885 -1 Pol. K. - 1005 Biebl , Konstantin Nový Ikaros / Konstantin Biebl, 5« vyd, Praha* 1970« 47 s. : ill. Pol, - 10 688 Biebl , Konstantin Zrcadlo noci / Konstantin Biebl, Praha ; F. -
The Glamorization of Espionage in the International Spy Museum
W&M ScholarWorks Undergraduate Honors Theses Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 5-2015 Counter to Intelligence: The Glamorization of Espionage in the International Spy Museum Melanie R. Wiggins College of William and Mary Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses Part of the American Film Studies Commons, American Material Culture Commons, American Popular Culture Commons, Other American Studies Commons, and the Sociology of Culture Commons Recommended Citation Wiggins, Melanie R., "Counter to Intelligence: The Glamorization of Espionage in the International Spy Museum" (2015). Undergraduate Honors Theses. Paper 133. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/133 This Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Undergraduate Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Counter to Intelligence: The Glamorization of Espionage in the International Spy Museum A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from The College of William and Mary by Melanie Rose Wiggins Accepted for____________________________________________________ (Honors, High Honors, Highest Honors) _________________________________________________________ Alan Braddock, Director _________________________________________________________ Charlie McGovern _________________________________________________________