Jan Syrový (24 January 1888 – 17 October 1970) was a Czechoslovak

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

and the prime minister of Czechoslovakia during the

Munich Crisis The Munich Agreement ( cs, Mnichovská dohoda; sk, Mníchovská dohoda; german: Münchner Abkommen) was an agreement concluded at Munich on 30 September 1938, by Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. It provided "cession to Ger ...

Early life and military career

Jan Syrový studied building at a technical school. Following his graduation in 1906, he became a one-year volunteer in the

Austro-Hungarian army The Austro-Hungarian Army (, literally "Ground Forces of the Austro-Hungarians"; , literally "Imperial and Royal Army") was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint arm ...

. After that, he studied at a technical college in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, he fought in the

Czechoslovak Legions , image = Coat of arms of the Czechoslovak Legion.svg , image_size = 200px , alt = , caption = Czechoslovak Legion coat of arms , start_date ...

of the Russian army and lost his right eye in the Battle of Zborov. By the end of the war he commanded the Legions and anti-

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

forces on the

Trans-Siberian railway The Trans-Siberian Railway (TSR; , , ) connects European Russia to the Russian Far East. Spanning a length of over , it is the longest railway line in the world. It runs from the city of Moscow in the west to the city of Vladivostok in the ea ...

. A well-known veteran commander, he served as

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

of the

Czechoslovak Army The Czechoslovak Army ( Czech and Slovak: Československá armáda) was the name of the armed forces of Czechoslovakia. It was established in 1918 following Czechoslovakia's declaration of independence from Austria-Hungary. History In the f ...

from 1926 to 1933 and as its general inspector from 1933 to 1938. Vojenské osobnosti-Jan Syrový
/ref> During this time, helped to prepare the Czechoslovak Air Force with the collaboration of

Jan Antonín Baťa Jan Antonín Baťa (March 7, 1898 – August 23, 1965) (also known as ''Jan Antonin Bata'' or ''Jan Bata'', called The King of Shoes) was a Czech- Brazilian shoe manufacturer from Uherské Hradiště (southeastern Moravia), half-brother of Tomáš ...

and moved military personnel and materials away from Nazi Germany.

Premiership and the "Munich Crisis"

When Milan Hodža's government resigned on 23 September 1938, President

Edvard Beneš Edvard Beneš (; 28 May 1884 – 3 September 1948) was a Czech politician and statesman who served as the president of Czechoslovakia from 1935 to 1938, and again from 1945 to 1948. He also led the Czechoslovak government-in-exile 1939 to 194 ...

appointed Syrový to head a national unity government. Syrový demurred at first, insisting he was just a soldier, not a politician, and that he lacked the qualifications and relevant experience for such an important post. Beneš told Syrový that the nation needed him. The president added that as a soldier, Syrový should not consider it an offer but an order. With some reluctance, Syrový then accepted, and also took the defence portfolio as well. As Prime Minister, he was forced to accept the terms of the

Munich Agreement The Munich Agreement ( cs, Mnichovská dohoda; sk, Mníchovská dohoda; german: Münchner Abkommen) was an agreement concluded at Munich on 30 September 1938, by Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. It provided "cession to Germany ...

on 30 September. Announcing the acceptance of the agreement in a nationwide radio address, he stated that Czechoslovakia was not in a position to turn the agreement down because without British or French support, the country was outnumbered and that any conflict would result in severe casualties. "We were abandoned", he said. "We stand alone.". Following the resignation of President

on 5 October, Syrový assumed most presidential duties, in accord with the Czechoslovak Constitution, until

Emil Hácha Emil Dominik Josef Hácha (12 July 1872 – 27 June 1945) was a Czech lawyer, the president of Czechoslovakia from November 1938 to March 1939. In March 1939, after the breakup of Czechoslovakia, Hácha was the nominal president of the newly pro ...

was duly elected President on 30 November 1938. He resigned the premiership on 1 December 1938, remaining as Minister of National Defence until 27 April 1939. He did not join the anti-German resistance since he was too well-known a figure for his involvement to be anything other than a liability. However, he arranged the transfer of substantial sums from a Legionary relief fund to assist the resistance and people facing persecution.

Postwar

On 14 May 1945, in the immediate aftermath of the war, Syrový was arrested and charged with

collaboration Collaboration (from Latin ''com-'' "with" + ''laborare'' "to labor", "to work") is the process of two or more people, entities or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve a goal. Collaboration is similar to cooperation. Most ...

(although he had consciously steered clear of that as far as his office allowed). In a

show trial A show trial is a public trial in which the judicial authorities have already determined the guilt or innocence of the defendant. The actual trial has as its only goal the presentation of both the accusation and the verdict to the public so ...

of alleged collaborators in 1947, the National Court found him guilty (along with

Rudolf Beran Rudolf Beran (28 December 1887, in Pracejovice, Strakonice District – 23 April 1954, in Leopoldov Prison) was a Czechoslovak politician who served as prime minister of the country before its occupation by Nazi Germany and shortly thereafter, be ...

) and sentenced him to 20 years of imprisonment in severe conditions. Released in 1960 by

Antonín Novotný Antonín Josef Novotný (10 December 1904 – 28 January 1975) was First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia from 1953 to 1968, and also held the post of president of Czechoslovakia from 1957 to 1968. An ardent hardliner, Novo ...

's amnesty, Syrový was left with no pension or any means of maintenance, and the communist regime barred him from employment. Eventually, he was allowed to work as a nightwatchman, guarding

Luděk Marold Luděk Alois Marold (7 August 1865, Prague – 1 December 1898, Prague) was a Czech painter and illustrator, best known for his panorama depicting the Battle of Lipany. It is the largest painting in the Czech Republic and currently has its own pav ...

's panorama of the Battle of Lipany. Not until late 1967 did the regime grant him a limited retirement pension. Syrový was deeply wounded by the verdict of the National Court and remained so for the rest of his life. His own conscience was clear, and he never came to terms with the apparent injustice of the decision. He reviewed his trial in an interview for the Report Magazine in 1968 and stated that there were three critical pieces of evidence laid against him. The first was a snapshot of himself shaking hands with

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and the ...

during a meeting that he was obliged to attend at the

Prague Castle Prague Castle ( cs, Pražský hrad; ) is a castle complex in Prague 1 Municipality within Prague, Czech Republic, built in the 9th century. It is the official office of the President of the Czech Republic. The castle was a seat of power for king ...

. Hitler had made a speech of reassurance as to Czechoslovakia's future under the 'protection' of the Reich and then held out his hand to Syrový, and the photographers immediately took a picture. Another photo provided the second piece of evidence was a photograph taken at a government banquet that showed Syrový sitting alongside

Konrad Henlein Konrad Ernst Eduard Henlein (6 May 1898 – 10 May 1945) was a leading Sudeten German politician in Czechoslovakia. Upon the German occupation in October 1938 he joined the Nazi Party as well as the '' SS'' and was appointed ''Gauleiter'' of t ...

. Syrový stated that the picture was taken out of context, to be used for

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

propaganda. The third piece of critical evidence was an arms contract with the Nazis. Syrový stated the weapons sold had been obsolete items from the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, which were no longer of any use to Czechoslovakia and that the weapons had been sold to German private companies. He also stated that the decision to sell was made ultimately not by him alone but by the government as a whole. Syrový felt that if the allies of Czechoslovakia had offered their promised help, he would never have had to agree to the Munich dictate, but that under the circumstances, the Czechoslovak Army had no chance of success on its own.
, Interview in the Report Magazine Syrový died on 17 October 1970.

Decorations

Awarded by Belgium: : BEL Kroonorde Grootofficier BAR

Order of the Crown (Belgium), Order of the Crown, in the grade of: Grand Officer : BEL Croix de Guerre WW1 ribbon

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

1914-18 Awarded by Czechoslovakia: : Czechoslovak War Cross 1918 (5x) Bar

Czechoslovak War Cross 1918 The Czechoslovak War Cross 1918 (''Československý válečný kříž 1918'' in Czech, ''Československý vojnový kríž 1918'' in Slovak) is a military decoration of the former state of Czechoslovakia which was issued for acts of military valo ...

: with four linden branches : Ribbon Czechoslovak Order of the Hawk

Order of the Falcon: with swords : TCH CS revolucni medaile BAR

Czechoslovak Revolutionary Medal 1914-18 with clasps: "Č.D.", "Zborov" and numbers "1", "2" : Ribbon Czechoslovak Victory Medal 1918

Czechoslovak Medal of Victory 1918 Awarded by Estonia: : EST Order of the Cross of the Eagle 1st Class BAR

Military Order of the Cross of the Eagle, for the Protection of the Country: I. class Awarded by France: : Legion Honneur GO ribbon

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

, in the grade of: Grand Officier ::::Légion d'honneur, in the grade of: Commandeur ::::Légion d'honneur, in the grade of: Officier ::::Légion d'honneur, in the grade of: Chevalier

night Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends ...

1914-18: with palme Awarded by Italy: : Grande ufficiale OCI Kingdom BAR

Order of the Italian Crown: II. class : Croce di guerra al merito BAR

War Merit Cross The War Merit Cross (german: Kriegsverdienstkreuz) was a state decoration of Nazi Germany during World War II. By the end of the conflict it was issued in four degrees and had an equivalent civil award. A " de-Nazified" version of the War Meri ...

Awarded by Japan: : Het lint van de Orde van de Schat Japan Order of the Sacred Treasure

Order of the Sacred Treasure The is a Japanese order, established on 4 January 1888 by Emperor Meiji as the Order of Meiji. Originally awarded in eight classes (from 8th to 1st, in ascending order of importance), since 2003 it has been awarded in six classes, the lowest tw ...

: II. class Awarded by Yugoslavia: : Order of Saint Sava - Ribbon bar

Order of St. Sava: I. class : SRB Orden Belog Orla BAR

Order of the White Eagle: I. class ::::Order of the White Eagle: II. class :

Order of the Karađorđe's Star with Swords rib

Order of the Karađorđe's Star with Swords : II. class Awarded by Lithuania: : Vytautas komandoro didysis kryzius Ribbon

Order of Vytis Cross: Cross, II. class Awarded by Latvia: : Lacplesis Military Order Ribbon

Order of Lāčplēsis: II. class : LVA Order of the Three Stars - Commander BAR

Order of the Three Stars: II. class Awarded by Morocco: : MAR Order of the Ouissam Alaouite - Grand Cross (1913-1956) BAR

Nischan el Quissam Alaouite: I. class Awarded by Poland: : POL Polonia Restituta Komandorski ZG BAR

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta ( pl, Order Odrodzenia Polski, en, Order of Restored Poland) is a Polish state order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on foreigners for outstanding achievemen ...

: II. class Awarded by Romania: : ROM Ordinul Steaua Republicii Populare Române clasa I BAR

Order of the Star of Romania The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the defunct Order of Michael the Brave. It is awarded by the President of Romania. It has five r ...

: I. class : Romanian Kruunuritarikunnan suurupseeri

Order of the Crown: II. class : Order of Faithful Service (Romania) - ribbon bar

Order of Loyal Service: I. class : Ribbon Crucea Comemorativă a Războiului 1916-1918

Remembrance Cross 1916-19: with the clasp: "Siberia" Awarded by Imperial Russia: : RUS Order św

Order of St. Vladimir: IV. class : Order of Saint Anna ribbon bar

Order of St. Anne: IV. class : RUS Order św

Order of Saint Stanislaus (Imperial House of Romanov) pl, Order św. Stanisława , image = , caption = , image2 = , caption2 = Ribbon of the order , awarded_by = Head of the House of Romanov , type = Dynastic order of knighthood , motto ...

: III. class : RUS Order of Saint George 4th class ribbon 2000

Cross of St. George: IV. class Awarded by Greece: : GRE Order of the Phoenix - Grand Cross BAR

Order of the Phoenix: I. class : Greek Medal of Military merit ribbon

Medal of Military Merit Awarded by Tunisia: : Ordre du Nichan Iftikhar GC ribbon (Tunisia)

Order of Nischan el Iftikchar: I. class Awarded by Great Britain: : Order of the Bath (ribbon)

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) a ...

, in the grade of: Knight Commander CB

External links

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Short biography
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References