In March 1939 Bohemia and Moravia were occupied by Nazis Germany and a few months later started The

Second World War, fight between fascist and democratic states, that touched all nations in the world. On September 24, 1941, Hitler appointed Reinhard Heydrich Reich Protector of Bohemia-Moravia. This position gave Heydrich the power to crush Czech resistance and to push deportations of Czech Jews to Poland. Heydrich was one of the most brutal mass murderers in Nazi Germany. Because of his very cruel and violent behaviour the population gave him the name of "The Butcher of Prague", because he murdered thousands of Jews and other "enemies" of the Reich. Those who worked Heydrich feared him. On January 20, 1942, Heydrich stressed the necessity of keeping the Jews in concentration centres and revealed his plan for the "Final Solution", in a conference in Berlin. According to Heydrich, eleven million Jews would be held in transit ghettos, then sent east to form work gangs to build roads. Many of them would doubtless fall away through natural reduction. Heydrich did not mention the fate of Jews who were not fit to work, but Heydrich's murderous intentions were obvious and understood. During the years 1941 and 1945 were sent about 36 teams into Protector small teams of Czechoslovak parachutists were trained December which at Cholmondeley have Castle in the United Kingdom. In 1941 landed 3 para-teams: Silver A and Silver B, interrupted contacts between

should

established

London and Czechoslovakia. Last group of parachutists team called Anthropoid was sent into Czechoslovakia to organise the Czechoslovak Resistance and to arrange a complicated plan of the assassination of SS-Obergruppenfhrer Reinhard Heydrich very carefully and secretly.

On May 27, 1942, at approximately 10:30 am, two Czech parachutists, Jan Kubis and Josef Gabcik, who knew Heydrich's daily routine and customs very well, ambushed Heydrich's Mercedes in Kirchmayers street. Gabcik had a machine gun in his bag, but this gun didnt shoot, so that Kubis threw a bomb into the front seat. Heydrich was seriously wounded and the driver of a baker's van took him to the Bulkova hospital. He remained condition infection. On May 29, Joseph Goebbels, member of GESTAPO blamed Jewish terrorists for the attack, arrested 500 Berlin Jews and warned the leaders of the Jewish community "for every Jewish act of terrorism one hundred or one hundred fifty of the Jews in our hands will be shot." Nazi leaders offered a reward of 10,000,000 crowns for information leading to the arrest of the Heydrich's attackers. The assassination led to the complete destruction of the villages of Lidice and Lezaky It was said that two local families had a contacts with the attackers. All men were murdered, women were taken to concentration camps and children were sent to Germany families to be re-educated. Eventually the parachutists were betrayed by two of their own team, Karel Curda and Vilem Gerik. The Germans recovered enough evidence at the scene of the attack to allow them to identify key members of the Resistance, who were interrogated. Unfortunately, they had also recovered, by accident, a briefcase containing details of Czechoslovak agents. in critical condition and he for died nine on days. Heydrich's 4 from wound deteriorated June

Karel Curda was excellent soldier, but because of mass murders after assassination and especially wiping out of Lidice, he decided to give names of his mates, in order to safe his family. He wrote anonymous letter: Stop executions, Gabcik and Kubis are assassinators! His mother and his sister begged him to exploit of the promise for information he will be amnestied. After a few days on 16 June 1942 Curda went to GESTAPO personally. Although he didn't know the place, where his friends were hiding, he stated names and addresses of the people, who gave them refuge. Then he tried to commit a suicide, but Nazi didnt allow it him. Curda is shown by critics as absolutely negative hero, as a coward, but nobody knows how horrible is capital punishment for own family and nobody recognized how strong is instinct of self-preservation and how it can change your character. The parachutists (Opalka, Gabcik, Kubis, Josef Bublik, Jan Hruby, Jaroslav out Svarc and Valcik) and the took on refuge at the 1942 Church of St Cyril and Methodius in Resslova Street in Prague. Nazis learned the about the place in June 18th, surrounded church. Trapped crypt parachutists

fought until down following day. The last alive Jan Kubis and Josef Gabcik used their last bullets on each other. Assassination of Heydrich, para-team Anthropid, wiping out of 2 villages many many killing and terrors... was this mission successful, had a sense or was it mistake? This is a question. On the one hand Heydrich was killed, but on the other hand there were a lot of not guilty people tortured and executed. Maybe Czech people thanks to this mission began to hope again, that freedom of their country isnt lost, maybe it is close. And maybe they recognized they are not alone in a fight against evil.

PEDAGOGICK FAKULTA UNIVERZITY PALACKHO

ASSASSINATION OF HEYDRICH

ELIZABETH FOJT I.RONK CIVICS

POUIT LITERATURA:

- J.Harna + R.Fier: Djiny eskch zem II. Fortuna, 1998 - P.Blina + T.Grulich: Djiny Zem koruny esk II. Paseka, 1993 - Jaroslav Pospil: HYENY edice Otisky, Lpa-Vizovice, 1996
- Jan Gazdk Out Distance: hrdinstv,zrada i naivita

- Mlad Fronta Dnes 18.4.2002