SOURCE. * See following introductory paregraPhe

CLASSWICATION CONFIDENTIAVCONTROL, U.S. OFFICIALS Mr

1 - MCCOY

3 - WASIMIGTON16 COS

IDISTRIBUTION

2-ID =OM2 - DSOS

AgqB lit!1 n C-7" krIt:i • ceinDENTuricorntai . OFFICIALS on: .

REPORT NO. WA. Da

INFORMATION REPORT

COUNTRY MDUSIMS1 Deroany/Ose_ohoo1ovaktit

SUBJE The Praha& Movement/

PLACEACQUIT:a) Germany, Karlenthe

DATE OFINFO. lo Aar 1951

DATE DISTR/ December 3951

•NO. OF PAGES

•

NO. OF ENCLS.(LISTEC BELOW?

SUPPLEMENT TOREPORT NO.

• GRACING OF SOURCE. COLLECTOR'S PREUNINARY GRACING OF CONTENTCOMPLETERtuAna LY rawAstElEWUX numm.PiRle oNruAur CANNOT Ay4M40"nartg° PROBABLY manly ri tiOrr

Rumour

otatAmANO1JOBBED SOURCES MX FALSE SUOSED

A. O. 0. • E 0. 1. 2X S. 4. IL 6.

THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION

EXEMPTIONS Section 3(b)

(2)(A) Privacy(2)(B) Methods/Sources

(2)(0) Foreign Relations 11

RECLASSIFIED AND RELEASED BYCENTRAL INTELLISOin AGENCYSOURCES METHODS EXE14131101iBM

NAZI WAR CRIMESDISCLOturitAtf

DATE 2001 2008 Declassified and Approved for Releaseby the Central Intelligence Agency

Date: msi,dui

NAZI WAR CRIMES DISCLOSURE ACT

as /hem 7lopcooRoiNgdyviTH,

The following survey'of the griarif#M14"Prchala" movement

is based!

a. On information� and opinions compiled from several usually

' reliable soureeS. 1461-6.4..c/t 440"b. On opmeormaider.64Hajor Maleady (Chief, CE section,

Hq. 66th CIC ), Captain Hemmed,' (Chief, Czech Desk, )iq 66th CIC),

Caitain Franks (CIC Region V, Regensburg) and CIO dossiers

on the Prchea movement andOW0400111,10 508* of it.leading personalities.

Considerable background information about the early stages

of the movement has been included to give a fairly completethe

picture of iii development to its peesent status.

Presenttatue of the 'Trebel." tLveammt idiffiliN#001/01

1. At Atie=013, the ?rubel& movement embraces about

250 Czechoslovakian etsigreês in England and nestern Germany.

In England it is known as the " Ceekj narodni vybor m (=-

Czech National Committee) and in Germany as the 'Ceske narodni

skupina pro zapadni Hemecko" (CMS - Czech National Group for

Western Germany). Wet Af the exist in membership is l,,cated

In DP camps in the perinea Occupati..n2one. The general-

political -rientation is gWE404 anti-O .,cmunist and tends to the

right wing elements. Since the fall -f 1950) it has been clmsely

linked with Sudeten merman interests. While it is difficult toArejc..wr a

assead thelNimportanob and effectiveness -f the m.vemnt

Use, it can safety be said that membership and interest are

not gr.aritka activelyyliktoehMedie“ a t. )4,63 C,

BEST AV LABLE COPY

Origin and Development of the HALA Movement in Ragland

2. In December 1940, Czech Army Genera/ Lev PRCNALA founded the

oCeskoslaranakanarodni rade (CSNR- Csachoslovak National Council)

in London. The purpose of this organisation was to gather into one

group all Csechoslovak nom-Communist elements who were opposed to the

policy of the Czechoslovak government-in-exile of.Dr. *hard BENZ.

The UDR did not We onr#00 concrete political program except the

negative one of hatred for President USES and the policy which he

represented. The small active mmsbership was recruited largely from rambers of fii# former rightist Czech and Slovak parties. PRCHALALwas elected

chain= of the council largely because Aims hoped that his social

popularity in British officer circles and his good relations with

rightist Poles would gain effective support for the CSNR. Bawevetr,

',RONAL& had no talent for the leaderAhip of apolitical organisation,

and support from the British was not forthcoming. PECELLA HOLMcriticised by his mem adherents, the CSM weakened, and soon the

nenbership was so small that each member had some official function

in the council.

EST AURAE COPY:is In 1944 8 seperate Slevok gr eup split trom the original body

und,r the leadership ef Per 'MAUI, Thies split whioh ecured

Oda proasuro tr em Slovaks Ad rlghtidfr PeleS resulted in .4FA

groups& the •Csnike naredni jedneta° ( CN3 . Czech Nurienal Unity))

and the 'Si eve:Was nAredna radii' (WI -Sl e vak Natienel C.accii),

In August 17424b eth greupa issued • p: eclametien affirming theand indepemdent

principle of a sepersteffilevak stite.

Li. After the REUSS gevernment refuaed any further discussion ft

Czechiftha Poliah fed,Tatien, fellewing the outbreak of.tho

RusanZerran war, richt wingToles ## strengly supported and

influenced PRCRALA and PRIVADCE. The 217 and SKR planned a

;regress Pr Czech.3levak-Polish federation with the4ignation

of 'Union of rentrel European Datiene. FReEkLA and PRIV1DOK

attacked the USSR-CSR treaty of 1945 in an open letter to

Anthnty MEN end denied the validity of the treaty. In

December 1944 the MT changed its nsme to its present one 'if

CST and began to #### play dewts the federative aspects ef itsa-,

rogrem in tn effort tm attrmet mere Czechs.~## Leaders ofA

the group at this tix weres Chairmino Lev PRCEALAI vice chairman.;

Dr. Karel LCCRER and secretary; Vladimir 1,13Z4Z.13CRIN. In April

1945, this newly constituted criV was recognized by the Polish

government-in-exile.

PY5. On 16 may 1945 1 the 017 sent a memorandum to EDEN protesting the

occupation of Czechoslovakia by Soviet troops, and stating that the 01W

now constituted the "only independent Coach political organization".

A propaganda campaign Was launched from gland, directed against the

Kosice program and the National Front government of BERES. The British

Press and the Polish emigre press were used for this purpose, combinedparcels•

with the singgling of pamphlets into Csechoslovakla in UNRRA MOW

This activity seems to have had no results other then to afford the

Communists a pretext to arrest persons regarded as dangerous 7 alleging that

they were PRCRALA adherents. After the February 1948 comp, the 0117

recognized the fertitle field for reiruitment provided by the sudden

exodus of refugees from Communist Czechoslovakia. It was decided to

begin publication of their owm magazibe IsCesky boi l (The Czech Straggle).

At the instigation of LFZAK-BORIN, it was decided to establish the CMS

as a branch of the Min Germany..

Gebera/ History of the ?SMALL Movement in Germany

6. The Czech National Group for Western Germany (CES). was orpnIzed

cm 10 March 1948. The new organisation was based on an established

underground group known as wTrety odbya (Third rebellion) then operating

in Germany under the leadership of Vladimir PEKEISICY. Items decided by

the (NV in London that the CMS would have its heAdquartern in Munich and

that PECU.SKTwould be the chairman.

C PY5

a. The concentration of the CNV effort on the build-up of the CMS

was natural, considering,that the majority of OW political refugees

from CzechAlovakia remained in Germany for leaglawpariodswhile

awaiting further emigration possibilities. Among these refugees, esiecial/y

abbthe outset, there were many persons of anti—BENES and anti-Communist

orientation who looked to the rightist parties-in-exile for a positive

program of political action. The general line of CMS political propaganda

was apparent frpm .the oplatformN which the CN7 in London published on

1 KAY 1948 in Oii* its magazine. Consisting mainly of general platitudes,

it atreseed the necessity for a continued fight for freedom, democracy

and for guarantees that there would belittle or no limitation on the

right to hold private property. It also stated that the Mr woad do

all in its power to prevent the Czech nation froarbeing forced into a

betrayal of its western cultural heritage. It declared the 0217 in

favor of a central SuroPean federation in which the Czech state (without

Slovakia) would be a full and equal member.

b. 1111014,1110 The nerve center of the CNS AIM established in

Munieh where PEKELSKTeet up his headvntrters at Dachauerstrafse 9.

He, his secretary Marie BLASTOVICKCVA, and a former Czech journalist

Bohumil HOnAK constitute the obrains" of the CMS. Other centers of

activity are located in installations housing Czech DPs.

c. PerTISKYl e major initial effort was in the propaganda field.

The CNS has published at least eight newspapers or magazines at one

time or another since its inception in 1948. None of the publications

continued for more than a fee issues, but "Bohemia", the most successful)

remitted publication in June of 1951 after having been closed down in

1950. Lack of reader interest and financial backing caused the failure

of these publications.

BEST6

7. In the fall of 190, MUSKY had openly begun to effect a closer

union with politdoally influential Sudeten Germane, many of wOom he knewstar

personally as a result of his wartime #01106040 in Bavaria. Among these,

the most impirtant were Bonn representative. Rudolf LODCGIANN von ADEN,

head of the "Sudetandeutsche schen", Richard REITZNER and

(inn) SONDETZ, who are all members of the Joint Committee for protection

of Sudeten Bierman interests. Be is also reported to be in contact with

alleoaliSi named Alfred WRITE.

a. PRONALA visited Germany near the end of July 1950. On 27 JulTlha

had a conference with leaders of the MS in Stuttgart. At this meetings/if

Ali no mention was made of any impending agreement with the Germans; only

a general statement that a solution for the Sudeten problem must be found.

On 4 August 1950 . an agreement was signed by PRCHALA and PEXEMOron behale

of CRS, and by LODGMANN, REIMER, St:nue:174 CZERMAI and SPD representative

Ernst PADI, on behalf of the Sudeten Germans. It is not knovn precisely why

Sensel JAKSCH, member of the secretariat of the SPD, did not sign this

agreement in view of his previous support of PRCRAIA. Probable reasons are

his awareness of the lack of support for the PRCRALA program in

Czechoslovakia and hiss disagreement with the CRS policy of a Central

European federation., Rain point of the entire agreement was the stated

realization of the self—evident right and necessity of the Sudeten German

expellees to return to their homeland.- • _•

Aee The signing of thew Agreement led to an immediate and sharp dropin the membership of the PROEM movement in Germany. Toe, in the ValkaDP camp the membership rapped from 358 registered members to 168 in October1950. Comparable decreases were experienced in all the other refugee camps

inks American:knot-wi th the result that as of June 1951 an abalysis of themost reliable estimates pots the total active membership at about 250

members. E .

F COPY

4

EST AM7

8. PROHALA, who had returned to England in August 1950, made another

trip to Germany in September 1950, accompanied by Dr. LOOKER. They met

LODONANN and SOMME in Wiesbaden and continued to Bonn where they . had

conferences with various 4WWWWW10 Sudeten German members of the

Bonn parliament. The object of these conferencee was reorganisation of

the CIS and OM attainment of &closer working agremmuitwith the

Sudeten Germans and discussion of measures to halt the decline in DNS

membership. PRIMULA returned to England without visiting any- of the

DP Camps and LOCKER followed him after visiting camps in Augsburg,

Wittenwald, Wilke and Ulm.

9. The number of PRORALA adherents in Germany reached its peak late

in 1949. The marked redaction in membership since that time is the

result oe several causes. Not the least important factor has been

the personality of Pau= himself. Nis dictatorial behavior, his

"unauthorised" interviews and his contacts with right-wing Germans have

caused several members to quit in disgust. A second factor is the

increasing realization among the rank and file of the movement, that

war-time collaborationists occupy positions of influence around PRCRALA.

The third and most important factor is the signing of the above-mentioneda

agreemnt between the CNS and the ',Joint comaittee for protection of

sudeten German interest/4

1.

11,

•

EST A IF COPY

A!) 4. PSCRALA has expressed the hope that he may be able to effect

agreements with the Slovak seperatists headed by Sorel SIMS at a

future date. Although an concrete evidence c ould be .found

finaneial support

the CNS end CNT by caymans, there are

pereistent rumors that SASS= and LVDGMANEn supply enough funds

tn at least underwrite the publication et the magazine, circulation

of which has dropped to about one hundreeind resSers. etherA

rumore indicate that these same backers are beroaino tn feel that

they are backing &movement without a future • the aims of which

are not li41y to be realized and which cannot contribute milteriallY

to the aims et the 4ndeten German group.