The way a communist state handles border control is key to handling internal dissidents. It’s always about tracking who goes out, as well as who goes in. Operation Border Stone in Czechoslovakia took this policy to another level.
Tag: Czechoslovakia
On 11 September 1944, a massive, intense air battle took place over the mountains between Germany and what was then Czechoslovakia. The memory of this battle is still alive today.
I’ve written lots about how Germany and German influences affected Bohemia and Czechia. This is what led to a backlash after World War II.
This article explores the little-known story of how Czechoslovakia expelled Germans after the war.
In western Czechia, there is a grim reminder of how the Communists treated prisoners. This article explains what the Red Tower of Death is, and why it exists.
Accidents of geography have determined as much of world history and culture as anything else. Rivers and mountains became natural, then political, borders. The Czech town of Hranice used to be a meeting point between 3 countries.
Before World War II, Czechoslovak occultists tried to use black magic to kill Hitler. It sounds like the plot to a Hollywood B-movie, and in some ways it is. But it also is 100% true.
Many countries have memorials to fallen heros, and stories of bravery from wartime. Czechia is unusual in that it has heros from both sides of World War II.
You may think ‘fake news’ is a modern invention, but you’d be wrong. One of Czechoslovakia’s most famous disinformation campaigns was Operation NEPTUNE.
This article explains why Czechoslovak spies carried out such a nefarious plot.
Czechoslovak communists tortured Czech priest Josef Toufar in 1949 for a miracle which may or may not have happened. This article describes the story and the tragic ending of Father Toufar’s life.
Following the fall of the Iron Curtain Soviet troops started to leave Europe. Czechoslovakia, as it then still was, was happy that the ‘temporary deployment’ of Soviet troops was coming to an end.
This article looks at the intent behind the occupation, and the events leading up to the Soviet’s departure.