The Battle of Czajanka Barracks was an armed clash between Czechoslovak and German soldiers. It took place on 14 March 1939 in Frýdek-Místek. It was the only known significant battle between Czechoslovak soldiers and the German army during the occupation of the rest of Bohemia and Moravia and Silesia in March 1939. More details from the video below:
Czechoslovakia had 15 divisions, 250,000 men and 170,000 men in reserve. The country lost 16,000 square miles of territory and most of its heavy industry. Gen. Jan Syrový said, "We had a choice between murder and suicide"(He did not mention the choice of combat, preferring to let the country be destroyed without a fight and to liquidate the best people. JS). The only garrison to resist was in Frýdek-Místek. The defence of the barracks was taken over by the commander of the machine-gun company, Capt. Karel Pavlík In his company fought also ethnic Czechs, Jews, Ukrainians and Moravians. This particular garrison fought against the German invasion until they were ordered to stop by the Czech command. .
The company responded to the call to surrender by firing. They were surrounded, fired on from all sides. It took 50 mm cannon and 37 mm armour-piercing weapons to break the resistance. Kpt. Pavlik changed tactics and was very active in the defense. The German fire had little effect.
After 40 minutes of fighting, the battle, on direct order of the General Staff, was immediately stopped. The soldiers were captured. They suffered 6 wounds, including two serious ones. The Germans lost 12 to 24 soldiers, wounded or shot. What would have happened if all the soldiers from the barracks had fought?
Capt. Pavlik continued to fight against the invaders in the resistance. In 1942 he was betrayed to the Gestapo, captured, tortured and ended up in Mauthausen. On January 26, 1943, after refusing an offer to serve in the SS, he was shot on the spot.
After the fall of communism, was captain Pavlik promoted to colonel and awarded a special commemorative medal for his heroism and patriotism. It was the first battle of World War II on March 14, 1939.
The point I found interesting is that this one particular garrison fought the German invasion until ordered by the Czech command to stop (Commander-in-Chief Dr. Edvard Benes flew to England in time - "I have a plan, an aeroplane", it was then said among the people), as in 1968 during the occupation by the Soviet army…
J.Š. 22.1.2022
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