I command you to go separate ways

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On February 20, 1948, from a position of the head of the National socialist youth Josef Lesák wrote a telegram to the president Edvard Beneš. That was his way to protest against personal changes conducted by the ministry of internal affairs, Václav Nosek, a member of SNB and a demission of non-communist members of the contemporary government. More citizens of the former Czechoslovakia didn’t agree with the events. On February 23, 1948 an unexpected march of students formed from a public people´s camp gathered at Republiky square, proceeded to the Prague Castle. Josef Lesák went at the very front leading a number of students, teachers and journalists. They all managed to get through the counteraction of militia and communists controlled by security forces and arrived to the Castle: "When we began to fill the Hradčanské square, we encountered a powerful group of emergency SNB troop taking positions in two lines with guns aiming at us; as we later found out they were carrying automatic guns. There was a line of high school students facing a line of policemen. The head of SNB stood out and started shouting: 'I command you immediately go separate ways. I am authorised to use all means possible to break you, do not force me to do so.'" Only five chosen people could meet the president Beneš including Josef Lesák, who at the beginning of his speech thanked him: "in the name of the young Czechoslovak generation for his credits in the 1st resistance troop taking actions against the Austro-Hungarian monarchy side by side to T. G. Masaryk and in the 2nd resistance against Nazism that he had led." In the end of his speech he added: "Mr President, we are not after winning over a competitive party. Please do everything you can for the Czechoslovakia to remain a democratic, free and independent republic." Edvard Beneš simply assured him: "Please tell your colleagues and everyone else: I have the situation firmly under control. Czechoslovakia will maintain democracy along the lines of Masaryk´s intentions as well as mine. We will come to an understanding with all the parties."

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February 1948

February 1948 belongs to the most important milestones of our contemporary history. The influence of the communist party in post-war Czechoslovakia was gradually getting more influential and their members were gathering more power. From the Czechoslovakian army and security forces were released the officers who were not registered in the communist party. Along with two armed organs common in democratic states, that is the army and police, there was the State security and militia. Also the mood in contemporary society was more open to left-wing ideas. The disputes of communist party with other political parties destabilised political situation in Czechoslovakia. On February 20, 1948 the situation grew edgy. The ministers of socialistic, people´s and democratic parties demised to the president Edvard Beneš. They didn’t agree with personal change of the minister of interior Nosek in the National security corps and protested against the fact the minister didn’t fulfil the government agreement from February 13 that stated any personal changes will be ceased. The case included transferring eight non-communist army officials to less important posts. Through demise the three mentioned parties wanted to compel early election or change establishment of Gottwald´s government and the National front, where communists would act in a more accommodating way. Instead of that, new power organs, action committees of the National front were created and on February 25 gathered all the power over the country. The President Edvard Beneš resisted increasing pressure politics but finally gave in on February 25, 1948 and named a new government suggested by Klement Gottwald.

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Prague 1, Neruda Street

Available in: English | Česky

This street leads from the Charles Bridge to Prague Castle. Two processions of students, teachers and journalists passed through here in support of President Edvard Beneš in February 1948. The first was organized on 23 February and representatives of the students were accepted into Prague Castle. The second procession from 25 February was stopped by a fully-armed police division on Neruda Street. The students had decided to support the president following 20 February 1948, when government ministers from three parties – the National Socialists, the, (Christian), People’s Party and the Democrats – handed in their resignation to President Edvard Beneš. They disagreed with staff changes made by Minister of the Interior Nosek in the police force, and they protested that Nosek had not complied with the government decree from 13 February which had ordered him to stop such changes. The matter concerned eight non-communist police officers who were relegated to unimportant positions. The three parties wanted to use the resignations to force early elections or to change the status quo in Gottwald’s government and the National Front where the Communists were forced to be more cooperative. Instead of this, however, new bodies of power arose: the Action Committees of the National Front; by 25 February these had usurped command of the country. President Edvard Beneš resisted the increasing pressure until 25 February 1948. At that point he gave in to the Communists’ demands and accepted the new government set up by Klement Gottwald.

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I command you to go separate ways

February 1948

You have lost

Václav Dušek