History

Question 1

During the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, Prague was one of the few European cities, is not affected by the bombing, but its residents were subjected to oppression and persecution. Political figures (for example, Prime Minister Alois Eliashberg), university professors, students, and many others were killed or imprisoned by the actions of German or Czech informants. The Prague uprising began May 5, 1945, when the Czech people in Prague, supported by rebellious Russian division, which consisted primarily in the service of Waffen SS, rebelled against the Nazi occupiers (Bugajski, 255-296). On the same day, the U.S. Third Army under General Patton (numbering 150,000 soldiers) was in Pilsen (only a few hours away from Prague), while the Soviet army under the command of Marshal Konev was on the borders of Moravia. General Patton was leaning to the liberation of Prague, but had to carry out the instructions of General Eisenhower. General Eisenhower asked the Chief of Staff of the Soviet troops to allow them to move forward, but he said that U.S. aid is not necessary (in the agreement at the Yalta Conference stipulated that Bohemia is freed by the Red Army). Finally, May 9, 1945 (a day after Germany officially capitulated) Soviet tanks reached Prague. Only May 12, 1945 the war had ended completely on Czech soil.

Question 2

In the first months of the Great Patriotic War, the Nazis managed to occupy vast territories of the USSR, inhabited by one-third of the entire population.

Already in the years 1939-1940 was developed Generalplan Ost (GPO), a plan of genocide and ethnic cleansing designed to be held in the territories occupied by Germany in Eastern Europe in order to assimilate them. The GPO planned to completely exterminate the Jewish population in the area and reduce the number of natives in these areas by limiting births. It was tens of millions of Poles, Russians, Ukrainians and Lithuanians. The territories 'liberated' had to be repopulated by Germans.

However, at the beginning of the war, residents of the former Polish territories in the Western Ukraine welcomed the Nazis. They saw an evil fascists lower compared with the harsh communist regime which deprived the right to property, to religious faith and freedom of political opinion. The Nazis were able to exploit the situation, stressing its willingness to reopen the churches and return private property to former owners (Wolchik, 96-108).

The territories that came under Soviet military occupation of the Nazis, received different legal status. Some were the Reich, as Ukraine and Ostland, were administered by civilian authorities, others were called 'busy', those of Russia, above all, and had a military administration.

In the 'occupied territories' were chosen locals policemen, led by the Nazis, exercised controls. The population was classified, people had no right to move to another town, they had to pay some taxes imposed arbitrarily, and were forced to follow numerous rules very strict. The penalty for violating tougher regulations was to death.

Question 3

A phrase used by Václav Havel to describe the peaceful demise of communist ...