The Soviets’ Neighbour - Czechoslovakia

Series

Series Name

The March of Time 12th Year

Issue

Issue No.

3

Date Released

1947

Length of issue (in feet)

1586

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1The Soviets’ Neighbour - Czechoslovakia

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 1

Summary

The March of Time synopsis: This month’s March of Time "The Soviets’ Neighbour - Czechoslovakia" discusses the political and economical position of Czechoslovakia today, and tells of the problems of reconstruction with which she is faced, for here, as throughout the rest of Europe, the wreckage of the past is being cleared to make way for the future.

The film recalls the events which provided Hitler with his Munich excuse to take over the Sudetenland, and eventually all of Czechoslovakia. Today, in one of the greatest forced migrations in history, over two million Sudeten Germans, paying the penalty for their disloyalty, are being moved from their homes to the defeated Germany which they once believed would rule the world. Shown too, are the treason trials in the national court at Prague, where members of the Quisling government were called upon to account for their conduct since 1939. Among those accused, all of whom were found guilty and summarily punished, none more richly deserved his fate than Karl Hermann Frank, once ruler of Bohemia and Moravia under Hitler. It was Frank who, as a reprisal for the assassination of his predecessor, Heydrich, carried out the extermination of Lidice, and was responsible for the death and enslavement of thousands of loyal Czechs. Three hours after the verdict was announced he was led to the gallows to meet a traitor’s ignoble death.
Of paramount importance to the work of economic and political reconstruction was the election of Czechoslovakia’s first post-war parliament. Among all the major parties it was understood in advance that in the interest of national unity a government should be formed in which each party would be represented and in the spring of 1946 some seven million Czechs went to the polls, for every citizen over eighteen was required, by law, to vote. With the Communists securing one hundred and fourteen of the three hundred seats in the constituent assembly they represent the largest political party in the state, and one of their founders. Prime Minister Klement Gottwald, leads the new coalition government, in which the Communists have won many key positions.

But, says the March of Time, the real leader and hero of Czechoslovakia is the moderate socialist Dr. Eduard Benes, elected President by the unanimous vote of the national assembly. One of the republic’s founders and three times its President, he has the confidence of the nation which has not forgotten his pre-war endeavours at the League of Nations on behalf of international co-operation. Voicing the general political aims of reborn Czechoslovakia, Dr. Benes declared:- "We are reorganising our state in a spirit of consistent political and economic democracy so that the state can play its traditional role as a steady Central European factor for peace in the new family of nations - the United Nations Organisation." To these aims, prompt economic reconstruction was vital. One of the first necessities was to rebuild Czechoslovaia’s badly damaged transportation system which had been destroyed in the fighting that had swept the country, and to compensate for the man-power shortage every able-bodied Czech donated part of his spare time. Already much of the destruction in the cities has been repaired and the work of rehousing thousands who lost their homes in the war is far advanced, while the restoration of mills and factories, which will enable Czechoslovakia to regain her pre-war industrial position, has been speeded by the use of salvaged material and by the labour of prisoners of war.

One of the first post-war decrees was the nationalisation of nearly all the key industries, and today "State Property" is marked on all large factories, which are run by workers’ councils under state-appointed managers. Biggest of these is the giant armament plant of the world-famous Skoda works, which despite peacetime needs is still equipped to produce arms, a substantial share of which goes to Russia, who today is one of Czechoslovakia’s best customers. During the war, Dr. Benes was convinced that the Czech foreign policy would have to be strongly oriented toward Moscow, and, accepting this basic fact, he made a mutual assistance treaty with Russia, later ceding to it the province of Ruthenia, mainly inhabited by Ukrainians. Today, Dr. Benes is again striving to maintain the delicate political balance upon which his country’s continued independence rests, and in him is centred the hope of the Czechoslovaks that their small country may somehow maintain its working alliance with Russia without severing its traditional friendship with the Western Democracies.

Researcher Comments

This story was included in Vol.13 No.3 of the US edition.

Keywords

Politics and government; Social conditions; War damage; Occupied territories

Written sources

Monthly Film Bulletin   Vol.14 No.157 January 1947, p15.
The March of Time Promotional Material   Lobby Card, Used for synopsis

Credits:

Production Co.

Time Inc.