Open AccessCOOPERATION BETWEEN THE CZECHOSLOVAK MILITARY AND THE CARPATHIAN SICH TO COUNTERACT SABOTAGE ACTIONS BY POLAND AND HUNGARY AGAINST CARPATHO-UKRAINE (1938–1939)
Author(s) -
Oleksandr Pahiria
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
ukraïna. kulʹturna spadŝina, nacìonalʹna svìdomìstʹ, derzavnìstʹ
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2223-1196
DOI - 10.33402/ukr.2019-32-97-112
Subject(s) - czech , ukrainian , political science , frontier , slovak , guard (computer science) , state (computer science) , adversary , law , economic history , history , philosophy , linguistics , statistics , mathematics , algorithm , computer science , programming language
The article examines one of the little-studied aspects of the subversive operation of Poland and Hungary against Carpatho-Ukraine, namely the military cooperation between the Carpathian Sich and the Czechoslovak Army and security agencies (StOS, gendarmery, state police, and financial guard) in the protection of the borders of the autonomous region against attacks by Polish and Hungarian saboteurs in fall 1938 – early 1939. Drawing on Czech and Polish archival materials, as well as memoirs, the author establishes the role of Czechoslovak officers in the provision of arms, ammunition, and training for the Carpathian Sich units, as well as in their engagement in joint intelligence and counter-sabotage activities in the border areas with Poland and Hungary. Such actions produced a joint Czech-Ukrainian response to the undeclared "hybrid war" waged by Poland and Hungary against Carpatho-Ukraine, which final aim was to establish a common frontier in the Carpathians. Despite its largely secondary (auxiliary) function in this operation, the Carpathian Sich members were able not only to demonstrate efficiency in the fight against Hungarian and Polish militants but at the same time to become a source of information for the Czechoslovak intelligence. From the point of view of the Czechoslovak command's interests, the Carpathian Sich served as a "non-state actor," who was trying to counter-balance the enemy's non-regular formations. The mentioned military cooperation marked the first stage in relations between the Carpathian Sich and the Czechoslovak military that started in the first half of November 1938 and ended in mid-January 1939 with the nomination by Prague of Czech general Lev Prchala as the third minister in the autonomous government of Carpatho-Ukraine. For the Carpathian Sich, the cooperation with the Czechoslovak security agencies produced their first combat experience and served as the source of replenishment of its scarce arsenal. Keywords: Carpatho-Ukraine, Carpathian Sich, sabotage, Poland, Hungary, "Lom" operation.