If you want peace, prepare for war.
Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus
Introduction
Soon after Adolf Hitler had risen to power in Germany, the
fear of another war loomed over Europe. The Nazi leader
made it clear that he had territorial claims on
Czechoslovakia, a neighboring country. The government
of Czechoslovakia ordered the building of a border
fortification line. The fortification consisted of thousands
of bunkers of various types. The idea behind this project
was to slow down a German military invasion until
Czechoslovak allies, France and Great Britain, would come
to help. This never happened, and not many of these
bunkers ever saw combat action.
France and Great Britain wanted to avoid yet another
devastating war, even if it meant appeasing Hitler. British
Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain said, “How horrible,
fantastic, incredible it is that we should be digging trenches
and trying on gas-masks here because of a quarrel in a faraway country between people of whom we know nothing.”
In this sentiment, he was followed by the French Prime
Minister Édouard Daladier, who had personally suffered
greatly in World War I.
The British and French effort to preserve peace was
understandable, given the fact that millions of people died
in World War I. Therefore, the infamous Munich
Agreement was signed by France, Germany, Great Britain,
and Italy in 1938, giving Nazi Germany Czechoslovak
border areas known as the Sudetenland. Most of the newly
built bunkers were in this very area. The Czechoslovak
leaders had been told by their allies not to resist the Munich
Agreement or they would be held responsible for another
war conflict. They had not even been asked to participate
in the Munich negotiations. Even today, the phrase About
Us, Without Us is still used in the Czech language,
originally describing the Munich Agreement.
In spite of the determination of the Czechoslovak
citizens to fight, the Czechoslovak government gave in and
resigned. While Prime Minister Chamberlain triumphantly
waved a copy of the Munich Agreement back in London
and talked about “peace in our time,” Daladier, the Prime
Minister of French regretted his decision to sign the
Munich Agreement. So, when was met by crowds in Paris
cheering him for signing it, he said, “Those fools!”
German troops then took the Sudetenland, and with it,
most of the new bunkers. Because the bunkers were built
like the French ones that made up the Maginot Line in
France, the German Army was able to use what they
learned about the Czech bunkers to help penetrate the ones
in France.
After occupying the Sudetenland, it did not take long for
Hitler to occupy the rest of the country, gaining control
over the Czechoslovak armament industry.
The policy of appeasement gave Hitler encouragement
and the means for more aggression. When Nazi Germany
attacked Poland, World War II followed. By the end of the
war, millions of people had died, and Europe lay in ruins
and was divided for decades.
Today, there are still thousands of bunkers from those
times in the Czech Republic. Many of them are repaired
and maintained by volunteers who spare no effort, time, or
money to preserve this piece of Czech history. This guide
introduces forty of perhaps the most interesting Czech
bunkers. It is my hope that this book might not only inspire
the reader’s interest in history, but that it also might inspire
the reader to visit at least some of the places mentioned.
Most are in the beautiful Czech countryside, and a trip
would really be worth one’s while.
The bunkers are listed in alphabetical order by the names
of the regions in which they are located, and by the names
of the towns closest to the bunker featured. The bunkers’
opening times might be subject to change. Please contact
the bunker management before your trip.
CENTRAL BOHEMIA Region
The Town of BRATRONICE
Bunker Built under a Freeway
Bunker Description: This is a unique bunker built under a
freeway. In 1939, the German Army tried to destroy this
bunker. The bunker was painstakingly restored in the
1990s.
Getting There: The bunker is located under the Dolní
Bezděkov to Bratronice freeway, northwest of the town of
Unhošt´, and near the Kačák Bridge.
Opening Times: May, June, and September: only the last
Sunday of the month, 10AM to 5:30PM, and October 28
(Czech Independence Day).
E-mail: codyprint@codyprint.cz
Web: www.codyprint.cz
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