L. SVOBODA’S CZECHOSLOVAKIAN MILITARY UNIT ON THE TERRITORY OF THE USSR DURING THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR
The subject of the article is very relevant to the upcoming 70th anniversary of the victory of the multinational coalition over Nazi Germany in World War II. Today some political forces in Europe and the United States try to falsify the true history of the World War II, to discredit Soviet role in the achieving the great Victory. The authors argue that recent events in Ukraine have convincingly demonstrated the danger of ignoring of the lessons of history which can result in the risk of amplification of the neo-Nazism in Europe. Therefore, it is especially important today to show the true history. One should also know the importance of the heroic struggle of the peoples of Europe against the common enemy, the German fascism. That is why the article is dedicated to the history of Czechoslovakian military units under the command of Colonel L. Svoboda, which were formed on the territory of the USSR during World War II. The authors show the value of military brotherhood and joint heroic struggle of the Czechoslovakian and Soviet peoples against fascism. For example, it was the activity of the 1st Czechoslovakian independent infantry battalion, formed in Buzuluk of Chkalovskaya (Orenburg) region. The authors have found in many documents of the Orenburg and Czechoslovak archives sources, in the official data identified and entered into scientific use, many previously unknown or little-known facts. For example, based on the memories of the inhabitants of Buzuluk, authors installed unknown facts from the biography of Otakar Yarosh, the first foreign citizen who gets the title if the Hero of the Soviet Union. Basing on the reliable specific historical facts, the authors analyzed the factors and features of creation, education and military way of the Czechoslovakian military unit of L. Svoboda that allowed them to come to fairly reasoned summaries.