The social-democrat and the communist political parties and the workers’ sports organisations, already banned in Germany and Austria, were later banned by the Nazis in Czechoslovakia.
This was after Hitler invaded the Czech ‘Sudetenland,’ following the Munich Agreement on 30th September 1938. The German dictator Hitler, the UK, France and Italy agreed (while Czechoslovakia was excluded from their meetings) that the future of democratic Czechoslovkia lay under Hitler’s control.
Franz and Franziska Mykura were Czech, German-speaking, social-democrat political activists. Their party was the DSAP, ‘Der Deutschen Sozialdemokratischen Arbeiterpartei in der Tschechoslowakei‘ (The German Social Democratic Workers‘ Party of Czechoslovakia.‘) In this context, ‘German‘ means Czech citizens who were part of the large German-speaking minority in Czechoslovakia.
More about the DSAP
In democratic Czechoslovakia in the 1930s two political beliefs spoke strongly against the Nazis. The social democrats and the communists (Czech Communist Party) stood in elections against other political parties, including other political parties of German-speaking Czech citizens. As the Nazis grew stronger in Germany in the 1930’s so did the Nazi-supporting German-speakers’ party in Czechoslovakia led by Konrad Henlein. The last national democratic election in1935 Czechoslovakia saw the anti-Nazi DSAP, ‘Der Deutschen Sozialdemokratischen Arbeiterpartei in der Tschechoslowakei‘ (The German Social Democratic Workers‘ Party of Czechoslovakia‘) lose to the Nazi-supporting Henlein led party, which won overwhelmingly.
Franziska Mykura was a community organizer locally in and around Falkenau in the DSAP sponsored worker’s sports organization named ATUS. Franziska’s work included being chairperson (Vorsitzende) of the Women’s District Committee in the sports organization ATUS
Franz Mykura was a paid party official of the DSAP, ‘Der Deutschen Sozialdemokratischen Arbeiterpartei in der Tschechoslowakei‘ (The German Social Democratic Workers‘ Party of Czechoslovakia.‘) He was a community organizer in Czechoslovakia, based in Falkenau. His main job was to work for the sports organization called ATUS. His job was to organise small and large-scale workers’ sports events around Falkenau, in the region and also nationally, being responsible as ‘Techniker’ for the international 1937 ‘Arbeiterwinterolympiade’ held in Czechoslovakia. Franz’s work with the sports organization ATUS was combined with social-democrat political education, political organization, political publications and membership of the anti-Nazi social-democrat civil-defence organization called ‘Republikanische Wehr RW’ (Republican Defence.) Franz had a Czech passport since 1928, but it is not known to where he travelled.
The Czechoslovakia policies of the two main political parties in Britain in 1938/39.
1.The British Conservative Party in 1938/39.
The British Government in 1938/39 was led by the largest party, the Conservative Party. Neville Chamberlain (1869-1940) was their leader and was also Prime Minister of the UK. Neville Chamberlain’s policy towards the German dictator Hitler was called ‘appeasement.’ Chamberlain told Hitler his German army could invade and rule the area of Czechoslovakia which was called ’Sudetenland.’ This was the ‘Munich Agreement.’ (30th September 1938) Chamberlain wanted to avoid another war only twenty years after the First World War. He also wanted to give the British time to build up their armaments to fight Hitler. Despite Czechoslovakia being a separate small country and a successful new democracy, appeasement of Hitler was popular in Britain. It was described as an attempt to avoid war. The press largely supported government policy; the government actively managed the press, the BBC and cinema newsreels. Most Conservative MPs supported appeasement, but the Conservative Party Foreign Secretary, Anthony Eden (1897-1977) did not. Chamberlain chose a supporter of appeasement Lord Halifax (Edward Wood) as the new Foreign Secretary in February 1938.
Winston Churchill (1874-1965) was another Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) to oppose the appeasement of Hitler. Churchill said in parliament on 5th October 1938, ‘The Sudeten miners, who are all Czechs and whose families have lived in that area for centuries, must now flee…’ adding ‘Czechoslovakia will be engulfed in the Nazi regime.’
2.The British Labour Party in 1938/39.
The Labour Party was the second largest party in the British parliament. The Labour Party was led between 1935 -1955 by Clement Attlee (1883-1967) who opposed appeasement of Hitler. In 1938 Attlee was leader of the opposition in the British parliament. “I know that the Social Democrats stood for Austria,” said Attlee in parliament two days after the takeover of Austria by Hitler on 12th March 1938. Following the Munich Agreement Attlee said,
“There can be no doubt that it is a tremendous victory for Herr Hitler. Without firing a shot, by the mere display of military force, he has achieved a dominating position in Europe which Germany failed to win after four years of war. He has overturned the balance of power in Europe. He has destroyed the last fortress of democracy in Eastern Europe which stood in the way of his ambition.”
“I have had the privilege to visit Czechoslovakia and I know many of the Czechs. They are a fine, free and democratic people. I know Sudeten Germans, too.”
“They have lost some of their most valuable assets and will have an enormous refugee problem to deal with.” See 1938/39 section of the website.