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Reinhard Heydrich, the target of Operation Anthropoid.
Reinhard Heydrich, the target of Operation Anthropoid.

During World War II, the Czechoslovak-British Operation Anthropoid was the code name for the assassination of top German leader Reinhard Heydrich. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Czech resistance to Nazi occupation during World War II is a scarcely documented subject by and large a result of little formal resistance and an effective German The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located AssassiNation is the sixth album by Krisiun, released in 2006 on Century Media. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich ( 7 March 1904 &ndash 4 June 1942) was an SS - Obergruppenführer, chief He was the chief of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA) (Reich Main Security Office), the acting Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, and a chief planner of the Final Solution, the Nazi program for the genocide of the Jews of Europe. The RSHA, or Reichssicherheitshauptamt (Reich Security Head Office was a subordinate organization of the SS. Protector, sometimes spelled protecter, is used as a title or part of various historical titles of heads of state and others in authority The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (Reichsprotektorat Böhmen und Mähren Protektorát Čechy a Morava was the majority ethnic-Czech Protectorate which The Final Solution ( Die Endlösung) was Nazi Germany 's plan and execution of its systematic Genocide against European Jewry during World Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction in whole or in part of an ethnic racial religious or national group PLEASE TAKE NOTE************

Contents

Background

Since 1939, Heydrich had been the chief of Reich Main Security Office (RSHA), an organization that included the Gestapo (Secret Police), the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) (Security Agency), the Kripo (Criminal Police)-and in 1942, President of Interpol. The ( contraction of ge heime Sta ats' po' lizei: "Secret State Police" was the official Secret police of Nazi Germany The Sicherheitsdienst (SD Security Service was primarily the Intelligence service of the SS and the NSDAP. is the standard term for the criminal investigation agency within the Police forces of Germany, Austria and the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland The International Criminal Police Organization, better known by its telegraphic address Interpol is an organization facilitating international police cooperation He was a key planner in eliminating Hitler’s opponents, as well as (later) the key planner of the genocide of the Jews. He was involved in most of Hitler’s intrigues and a valued political ally, adviser, and friend of the dictator. A dictator is an Authoritarian ruler (eg Absolutist or autocratic) who assumes sole and absolute power without hereditary ascension such as an Absolute

Due to his abilities and power, he was feared by almost all German generals. In September 1941, Heydrich was appointed acting Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, replacing Konstantin von Neurath, whom Hitler considered too moderate. Bohemia (Čechy; Bohemia Czechy is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the Moravia (Morava; Morawy Moravie Moravia is a historical region in central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, one of the former Czech lands. Konstantin Freiherr von Neurath (2 February 1873 – 14 August 1956 was a German diplomat, Foreign Minister of Germany (1932-1938 and Reichsprotektor Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately During his role as de facto dictator of Bohemia and Moravia, Heydrich often drove with his chauffeur in a car with an open roof. This was a show of confidence in the occupation forces and the effectiveness of their repressive measures against the local population. Due to his cruelty, Heydrich was nicknamed the Butcher of Prague, the Blond Beast, and the Hangman.

Strategic context

Nazi zenith 1941–42
Nazi zenith 1941–42

By late 1941, Hitler controlled almost all continental Europe, and German forces were approaching Moscow. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of The Allies deemed Soviet capitulation likely. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The exiled government of Czechoslovakia, under President Edvard Beneš, was under pressure from British intelligence, as there had been very little visible resistance in the Czech lands since the German occupation began in 1939. Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. Edvard Beneš ( pronounced) ( May 28 1884 Kožlany, Bohemia (then part of Austria-Hungary

The Czech lands were producing significant military materiel for the Third Reich. Materiel (from the French "matériel" for equipment or hardware related to the word Material) is a term used in English to refer to the The exiled government felt it had to do something that would inspire the Czech, as well as show the world the Czechs were allies. The British spy unit Special Operations Executive (SOE) trained the personnel and helped to plan the operation. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Special Operations Executive ( SOE) (sometimes referred to as "the Baker Street Irregulars " after Sherlock Holmes ' fictional group of helpers [1] As Adolf Hitler’s groomed successor, Reinhard Heydrich was one of the most important men in Nazi Germany. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately

Operation

Insertion and planning

Seven soldiers from the Czechoslovakia’s army-in-exile in the United Kingdom, Jozef Gabčík, Jan Kubiš (Anthropoid) and two other groups (Silver A and Silver B), were parachuted by the Royal Air Force into Czechoslovakia on the night of December 28, 1941. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Jozef Gabčík ( 8 April 1912 in Poluvsie today part of Rajecké Teplice in Slovakia - 18 June 1942 in Prague) was a Jan Kubiš ( June 24, 1913 – June 18, 1942) was a Czech soldier one of a team of Czechoslovak British-trained agents sent to Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of This was not the first operation of the SOE; there had been several previous operations. Gabčík and Kubiš landed east of Prague; although the plan was to land near Pilsen, the pilots had problems with orientation. Prague (ˈprɑːg Praha (ˈpraɦa see also other names) is the Capital and Largest city of the Czech Republic. The soldiers then moved to Pilsen to contact their allies, and from there on to Prague, where the attack was planned.

In Prague, they contacted several families and anti-Nazi organizations who helped them during the preparations for the assassination. Gabčík and Kubiš initially planned to assassinate Heydrich on a train, but after exploration they realized that this was not possible. The second plan was to assassinate him on the road in the forest on the way from Heydrich’s seat to Prague. They planned to pull a cable across the road that would stop Heydrich’s car but, after waiting several hours, their commander, Lt. Adolf Opálka, (from the group Out Distance), came to bring them back to Prague. First Lieutenant Adolf Opálka ( 4 January 1915 &ndash 18 June 1942) was a Czechoslovak soldier Out Distance was a Czech resistance group during World War Two operating out of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (occupied Czechoslovakia The third plan was to assassinate Heydrich in Prague.

Assassination

The car in which Heydrich was assassinated (currently in the Military History Museum in Prague).
The car in which Heydrich was assassinated (currently in the Military History Museum in Prague). Prague (ˈprɑːg Praha (ˈpraɦa see also other names) is the Capital and Largest city of the Czech Republic.

On May 27, 1942 at 10:30 AM, Heydrich proceeded on his daily commuting journey from his home in Panenské Břežany to Prague Castle. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Prague Castle (Pražský hrad is a Castle in Prague where the Czech kings Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia In a hurry, he didn't wait for the customary police escort. Gabčík and Kubiš waited at the tram stop in the curve near Bulovka hospital. Valčik was positioned about 100 metres north of Gabčík and Kubiš as lookout for the approaching car. As Heydrich’s open-topped Mercedes-Benz neared the pair, Gabčík stepped in front of the vehicle, trying to open fire, but his Sten gun jammed. Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of luxury Automobiles Buses coaches and Trucks It is currently a division of the The Sten (or Sten gun) was a family of British 9 mm Submachine guns used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout Heydrich ordered his driver, SS-Oberscharführer Klein, to stop the car. When

The car in which Heydrich was assassinated.).
The car in which Heydrich was assassinated. ).

Heydrich stood up to try to shoot Gabčík, Kubiš threw a modified anti-tank grenade at the vehicle, and its fragments ripped through the car’s right fender, embedding shrapnel and fibres from the upholstery in Heydrich’s body, even though the grenade failed to enter the car. Anti-tank refers to any method of combating military Armored fighting vehicles notably Tanks The most common anti-tank systems Kubiš was also injured by the shrapnel. Heydrich, apparently unaware of his shrapnel injuries, got out of the car, returned fire, and tried to chase Gabčík but soon collapsed. Klein returned from his abortive attempt to chase Kubiš, and Heydrich ordered him to chase Gabčík. Klein was shot twice by Gabčík (who was now using his revolver) and wounded in the pursuit. [2] The assassins were initially convinced that the attack had failed. Heydrich died 8 days later from septicemia (blood poisoning). Sepsis is a serious medical condition characterized by a whole-body inflammatory state (called a Systemic inflammatory response syndrome or SIRS caused

Conspiracy theories

Heinrich Himmler, Heydrich’s direct superior, took it upon himself to see to the welfare of his subordinate. Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945 was a Nazi German politician and head of the Schutzstaffel (SS. No Czech or Wehrmacht doctors were allowed to operate on Heydrich — rather, Himmler sent his personal physicians to conduct the surgery themselves. Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 On June 4, Heydrich succumbed to what Himmler’s physicians described as septicemia. Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Their theory was that some of the horsehair used in the upholstery of Heydrich’s car was forced into his body by the blast of the grenade, causing a systemic infection that their medicine could not fight. In light of the rumours that Heydrich was the one man of whom Himmler was both jealous and truly afraid, the validity of this diagnosis, and the intentions of Himmler’s doctors, have been open to much speculation.

Consequences

Reprisals

Hitler ordered the SS and Gestapo to “wade in blood” throughout Bohemia to find Heydrich’s killers. Initially, Hitler wanted to start with brutal, widespread killing of the Czech people, but, after consultations, he reduced his response to only some thousands. The Czech lands were an important industrial zone for the German military, and indiscriminate killing could reduce the productivity of the region.

Ultimately, more than 13,000 people were arrested, including the girlfriend of Jan Kubiš, Anna Malinova, who died in the Mauthausen concentration camp. Mauthausen is a small Market town in Upper Austria, Austria. It is located at about 20 kilometers east of the city of Linz, and has a population The most notorious incidents were in the villages of Lidice and Ležáky, which were completely destroyed; the male residents were murdered, the children taken for adoption by German families, and the women deported to concentration camps. Lidice (Liditz is a village in the Czech Republic just north-west of Prague which as part of Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, was completely destroyed Ležáky was a village in Czechoslovakia. In 1942 it was razed to the ground by Nazis during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia.

Britain’s wartime leader Winston Churchill, infuriated, suggested leveling three German villages for every Czech village the Nazis destroyed. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 Instead, the Allies stopped planning similar operations to assassinate top Nazis for the fear of similar reprisals. Two years after Heydrich was killed, however, they planned one more attempt, this time targeting Hitler in Operation Foxley, which failed to obtain approval. Operation Foxley was a 1944 plan to assassinate Adolf Hitler, created by the British Special Operations Executive. Operation Anthropoid remained the only successful assassination of a top-ranking Nazi German leader during the Third Reich's existence. (Although the assassination in Operation Kutschera of the Chief of SS and Police in Warsaw, SS-General Franz Kutschera, on February 1, 1944 must rank as a close parallel, not least because he was successfully targeted in central Warsaw, also while travelling to work by car. Franz Kutschera ( 22 February 1904 in Oberwaltersdorf in Lower Austria &ndash 1 February 1944 in Warsaw )

Attempted capture of the assassins

Bullet-scarred window of the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Prague where the attackers were cornered.
Bullet-scarred window of the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Prague where the attackers were cornered. The Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius is an 18th century church in the center of Prague, Czech Republic.

The attackers initially hid with two Prague families and later took refuge in Karel Boromejsky Church, an Orthodox church dedicated to Saints Cyril and Methodius in Prague. The Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius is an 18th century church in the center of Prague, Czech Republic. The Gestapo could not find the assassins until Karel Čurda (of the group Out Distance, whose objective was sabotage) told the Gestapo the names of the team’s local contact persons for the bounty of 1 million Reichsmarks. Karel Čurda ( October 10 1911, Nová Hlína near Třeboň — April 29 1947, Prague) was a Czech World Out Distance was a Czech resistance group during World War Two operating out of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (occupied Czechoslovakia For a detailed discussion of the English translation of Reich, see Reich.

Curda betrayed several safe houses provided by the Jindra group, including that of the Moravec family in Zizkov. At 5 a. m. on June 17, the Moravec apartment was raided. Events 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II ( The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat The family was made to stand in the corridor while the Gestapo searched their apartment. Mrs. Moravec was allowed to go to the toilet, and killed herself with a cyanide capsule. Mr. Moravec, oblivious to his family's involvement with the resistance, was taken to the Peček Palác together with his son Ata. Here, Ata was tortured throughout the day. Finally, he was stupefied with brandy and shown his mother's severed head in a fish tank [3]. Ata Moravec told the Gestapo all he knew. SS troops laid siege to the church, but despite the best efforts of over 700 Nazi soldiers, they were unable to take the paratroopers alive; three, including Heydrich’s assassin Kubiš, were killed in the prayer loft (Kubiš was said to have survived the battle, but died shortly afterward from his injuries) after a two hour gun battle[4]. The other four, including Gabčík, committed suicide in the crypt after fending off SS attacks, attempts to smoke them out, and fire trucks being brought in to try to flood the crypt[5]. The Germans (SS and Police) also had casualites; SS casualties being 14 killed and 21 wounded. [6] [7]

Bishop Gorazd, in an attempt to minimize the reprisals among his flock, took the blame for the actions in the Church on himself, even writing letters to the Nazi authorities. A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight Bishop Gorazd of Prague, given name Matěj Pavlík, was the Hierarch of the revived Orthodox Church in Moravia, the Church of Czechoslovakia On June 27, 1942, he was arrested and tortured. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. On September 4, 1942, he, the Church priests, and senior lay leaders were executed by firing squad. Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Execution by firing squad is a method of Capital punishment, particularly common in times of war (For his actions, Bishop Gorazd was later glorified as a martyr by the Eastern Orthodox Church. In Catholicism In Orthodox Christianity Glorification is the term used in the Orthodox Christian Church for the official recognition of a person The term martyr ( Greek μάρτυς martys "witness" is most commonly used today to describe an individual who sacrifices their life (or personal freedom The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world )

Political consequence and aftermath

The success of the operation made Great Britain and France renounce the Munich Agreement. The Munich Agreement (Mnichovská dohoda Mníchovská dohoda Münchner Abkommen Accords de Munich was an agreement regarding the Sudetenland, which were areas along borders They agreed that after the Nazis were defeated, the Sudetenland would be restored to Czechoslovakia. Sudetenland ( Czech and Polish: Sudety) is the German name used in English in the first half of the 20th century for the western regions of It also led to sympathy for the idea of expelling the German population of Czechoslovakia.

As Heydrich was one of the most important Nazi leaders, two large funeral ceremonies were conducted. One was in Prague, where the way to Prague Castle was lined by thousands of SS-men with torches. The second was in Berlin attended by all leading Nazi figures, including Hitler who placed the German Order and Blood Order Medals on the funeral pillow. The German Order (Deutscher Orden was the most important award that the Nazi Party could bestow on an individual for "duties of the highest order to the state and party" The Blood Order, officially known as the Decoration (of the Munich putsch) of 9 November 1923, was one of the most prestigious decorations

Karel Čurda was, after an unsuccessful suicide attempt, hanged in 1947 for high treason. In Law, treason is the Crime that covers some of the more serious acts of disloyalty to one's sovereign or Nation.

The story of this operation was the basis for the 1943 films Hangmen Also Die and Hitler's Madman, the 1964 film Atentat and the 1975 film Operation Daybreak. Hangmen Also Die! is a War film directed by the legendary Austrian director Fritz Lang and written by John Wexley Bertolt Brecht and Lang Atentát is a 1964 black-and-white Czech film directed by Jiří Sequens. Operation Daybreak is a 1975 World War II film based on the true story of the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich in Prague (see It is also the basis for the 1966 book Seven Men at Daybreak by Alan Burgess. The assassination inspired rock group British Sea Power to write the song “A Lovely Day Tomorrow. Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. British Sea Power are a four-man Indie rock band based in Brighton, England, although three of the band come originally from Kendal in " A Lovely Day Tomorrow " was a one-off single from British Sea Power, only released to shops in the Czech Republic but available at certain shows and ” Originally a b-side, the song was re-recorded with the Czech band The Ecstasy of St. Theresa, in both English and Czech (Zítra bude krásný den) for a limited edition release in 2004. This event also inspired American thrash metal band Slayer to write song SS-3, referring to Heydrich's registration plates. Slayer is an American Thrash metal band founded by Guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King in

To commemorate the heroes of the Czech and Slovak resistance, in May 2007 the Slovak National Museum opened an exhibition presenting one of the most important resistance actions in the whole of Nazi-occupied Europe. The Slovak National Museum (Slovenské národné múzeum is the most important institution focusing on Scientific research and cultural Education in the field

Notes

  1. ^ Reference MRD Foot SOE and others
  2. ^ Alan Burgess: Seven Men At Daybreak, p. 160. ISBN 0-553-23508-7
  3. ^ McDonald, Callum: The Killing of Reinhard Heydrich: The SS “Butcher of Prague”, p. 202. ISBN 0-306-80860-9
  4. ^ McDonald, Callum: The Killing of Reinhard Heydrich: The SS “Butcher of Prague”. ISBN 0-306-80860-9
  5. ^ Alan Burgess: Seven Men At Daybreak. ISBN 0-553-23508-7
  6. ^ Axis History Forum • View topic - Last fight of Heydrich's killers
  7. ^ Ray R. Cowdery with Peter Vodenka: Reinhard Heydrich: Assassination. Victory WW2 Publishing Ltd. (1994) Lakeville, MN, USA

See also

References

External links

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