A Bridge Between East and West?: Czechoslovakia in 1945 and its Post-War Perspectives

• In Event: 1945 in Central Europe: Hopes and Uncertainties on the Brink of the Cold War

Abstract

This paper will primarily attempt to assess the role of Czechoslovakia on the international scene at the turn of the war and peace. It will point out the existence of the Soviet-Czechoslovak alliance treaty and its consequences, the creation of the first postwar government in March 1945 in Moscow and its subsequent policies. The paper will further stress the fundamental importance of the U.S. decision to halt its advance in Pilsen and the consequences of the Soviet liberation of Prague and the bulk of the Czech(oslovak) territory, including the conduct of the Soviet soldiers towards the civilians. The issue of the wild expulsion of the German minority and its international repercussions will also be tackled. Finally, the paper will try to assess to what extent the postwar fate of Czechoslovakia was already determined in May 1945 - and whether there were any real alternatives to the drift to the Communist future.

Author

• Vít Smetana, Inst of Contemporary History CAS (Czech Republic)