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Ludvík Svoboda (; 25 November 1895 – 20 September 1979) was a
Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...
general and politician. He fought in both World Wars, for which he was regarded as a national hero,Biography in Czech at his web page
and he later served as the
president of Czechoslovakia The president of Czechoslovakia (, ) was the head of state of Czechoslovakia, from the Origins of Czechoslovakia, creation of the First Czechoslovak Republic in 1918 until the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia, dissolution of the Czech and Slovak F ...
from 1968 to 1975.


Early and personal life

Svoboda was born in Hroznatín,
Margraviate of Moravia The Margraviate of Moravia (; ) was one of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown within the Holy Roman Empire and then Austria-Hungary, existing from 1182 to 1918. It was officially administered by a margrave in cooperation with a provincial diet. I ...
,
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
, to the family of Jan Svoboda. His father died when he was one year old and he was raised by his mother Františka who remarried to František Nejedlý. Svoboda attended the agricultural school at Velké Meziříčí and worked at a vineyard. In 1915, he had to join the
Austro-Hungarian Army The Austro-Hungarian Army, also known as the Imperial and Royal Army,; was the principal ground force of Austria-Hungary from 1867 to 1918. It consisted of three organisations: the Common Army (, recruited from all parts of Austria-Hungary), ...
. Svodoba married Irena Svobodová (1901–1980) in 1923. Their children include the Czech economist and academic, Zoe Klusáková-Svobodová (1925–2022).


World War I

Svoboda was sent to the Eastern Front, and fell into Russian captivity on 18 September 1915 at Tarnopol. He joined the Czechoslovak Legion and took part in the battles of Zborov and Bakhmach. He returned home through a " Siberian anabasis".


Interwar period

Svoboda worked at his father's estate before launching his military career in the Czechoslovak Army as a member of the 3rd (
Jan Žižka Jan Žižka z Trocnova a Kalicha (; 1360 – 11 October 1424) was a Czechs, Czech military leader and Knight who was a contemporary and follower of Jan Hus, and a prominent Radical Hussite who led the Taborites, Taborite faction during the Hu ...
) infantry regiment in
Kroměříž Kroměříž (; ) is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 28,000 inhabitants. It is known for Kroměříž Castle with its castle gardens, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historic town centre with the castle ...
in 1921. He married Irena Stratilová in 1923. In the same year, Svoboda was transferred to the 36th infantry regiment in
Uzhhorod Uzhhorod (, ; , ; , ) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality on the Uzh, Uzh River in western Ukraine, at the border with Slovakia and near the border with Hungary. The city is approximately equidistan ...
, Subcarpathia, then part of
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
, until 1931. He passed several courses and also learned the Hungarian language, which he taught between 1931 and 1934 at the Military Academy. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1934 and transferred back to the 3rd infantry regiment. Lieutenant Colonel Svoboda served in several positions, and became a battalion commander until the German occupation of the rest of Czechoslovakia on 15 March 1939.


World War II

After the German occupation and the establishment of the
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was a partially-annexation, annexed territory of Nazi Germany that was established on 16 March 1939 after the Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945), German occupation of the Czech lands. The protector ...
Lieutenant Colonel Svoboda became a member of a secret underground organization '' Obrana národa'' ("Defence of the Nation"). It is supposed that at the same time he established a connection with Soviet intelligence. In June 1939 he fled to Poland, and as the oldest and most senior officer formed a Czechoslovak military unit in
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
. Hundreds of emigrating junior officers passed through this camp. Within three months, 1,200 airmen were dispatched to France. Those soldiers who remained in Poland joined the Czech Republic military unit on the territory of Poland. The Polish president allowed the Czechoslovaks a military unit designated the "Legion of Czechs and Slovaks" only on 3 September 1939, the third day after the German invasion of Poland, so Svoboda had little opportunity to intervene in the fighting. After the defeat of Poland in September 1939, Svoboda transferred a group of more than 700 officers and soldiers to the Soviet Union (USSR) for asylum. The escape of the group to Romania was ruled out because there was a threat that the Romanians would hand them over to the Germans. In the USSR, the group was immediately renamed the "Eastern Group of the Czechoslovak Republic army". The group crossed without weapons and in civilian clothes, but as a military unit with the consent of the Czechoslovak ambassador in Poland, Juraj Slávik, and after negotiations with the Soviet diplomatic authorities on the territory of Poland. In order not to disperse as civilian emigrants to the Soviet Union, which at that time had a mutual non-aggression agreement with Germany (within the so-called Ribbentrop–Molotov Pact), the soldiers were isolated from the public in internment camps, where they lived according to Czechoslovak Republic army regulations. These internment camps were neither POW camps, nor labor camps, nor gulags. During the internment, the "Čs. Eastern military groups" moved successively to Kamenec Podolský, Olchovce, Jarmolince, Oranky and the Spaso-Jevfimij Monastery in Suzdal. There was no Czechoslovak diplomatic representation on the territory of the USSR at that time, so Lt. Col. Svoboda led diplomatic negotiations with the Soviet authorities for two years, until the invasion of the Soviet Union by Germany. His goals were to keep the Czechoslovak military group together, to keep it materially supported, and to transport the larger part of its officers and non-commissioned officers to countries that fought against Germany—that is, first to France, then after France's fall, to Great Britain, and finally to the Middle East. A total of 12 transports with 662 men, 12 women and 6 children were dispatched with the help of the Soviets. At that time the Czechoslovak government in exile, led by President Edvard Beneš, was not yet recognized by Czechoslovakia's pre-Munich allies—that is, France and Great Britain. They had not yet declared the Munich Agreement and the borders of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia invalid. Czechoslovak airmen had to serve in the French Foreign Legion in France until it was invaded by Germany, but their military ranks were reduced or not recognized. On 18 July 1941, one month after Germany attacked the USSR, Czechoslovak political representatives signed an agreement with the Soviet Union on the restoration of diplomatic relations and mutual cooperation in the war against Germany. The agreement made it possible to organize a separate Czechoslovak military unit in the Soviet Union. Lt. Col. Svoboda was significantly involved in the preparation of this military agreement and also in negotiating the conditions for the cooperation of the Soviet and Czechoslovak intelligence services. On the Czechoslovak side, the liaison officer was Colonel Heliodor Píka. Because of this, Svoboda left the USSR several times for Istanbul, Turkey. Colonel Pika had already been leading a secret Czechoslovak military mission in Moscow during the spring of 1941, with Lt. Col. Svoboda as his deputy. At the turn of May and June 1941, Svoboda and intelligence officer Hieke-Stoj contacted L. Krna, the deputy ambassador of the Slovak Republic (a
client state A client state in the context of international relations is a State (polity), state that is economically, politically, and militarily subordinated to a more powerful controlling state. Alternative terms for a ''client state'' are satellite state, ...
of Nazi Germany) in Moscow. Hieke-Stoj persuaded the diplomat to cooperate. In connection with this action, Svoboda was detained by Soviet counter-intelligence and accused of conspiring with Germany, the enemy of the Soviet Union, and of espionage. The misunderstanding was cleared up and Svoboda was acquitted of the charges. According to the speculative considerations of some historians, at that time Svoboda "committed to cooperation with the Soviet secret service, in which he remained until the end of his life". However, no evidence has been found for this claim. In Svoboda's diary, there is an entry related to this matter, which clarifies the reason for his detention and accusation of espionage. The head of the mission, Col. Píka, neglected to announce his and other members of the mission's contacts with the Slovak diplomat Dr. Krn. By this omission, “… he brought the mission, especially himself and me, into a very unpleasant situation, and thereby his and my position in the USSR was greatly deteriorated and confidence was shaken. I believe that this was the reason why the encryption key was demanded from us and the control over the radio traffic was tightened." In the spring of 1942, attaché Josef Berounský sailed from Murmansk back to Great Britain on the cruiser ''HMS Edinburgh''. He carried an important message from the head of the Czechoslovak military mission, Col. Heliodor Píka for the Czechoslovak government—a report on Czechoslovak citizens imprisoned in Soviet gulags co-signed by Lt. Col. Svoboda. On 30 April 1942, the cruiser was attacked by a German submarine and Josef Berounský died in his cabin. This event also influenced the work of Svoboda. With the death of Berounský, he lost hope that the conditions in which the Czechoslovak unit was formed would change. Svoboda blamed the Soviets for delaying the implementation of the agreement and had sharp disputes with Ambassador Zdeněk Fierlinger, the representative of the Czech government in exile, on the subject. The possibility of Svoboda going abroad was also dropped. The activity of Svoboda throughout the rest of the war was connected with the organization and command of the Czechoslovak troops in the USSR. Svoboda, together with a group of 93 officers and non-commissioned officers that he prepared during the internment (the Oran Group), organized an independent field battalion from volunteers—Czechoslovak citizens who signed up from all over the USSR—which became the germ of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps. However, this battalion had to be organizationally included in the structure of the Red Army. The unit included not only Czechs, Slovaks, Ruthenians from Subcarpathian Rus, Czechoslovak Jews and expatriates living in the territory of the USSR, but also German and Hungarian anti-fascists with Czechoslovak citizenship. Svoboda also accepted women into the army, although this was not in accordance with the rules of the Czechoslovak Republic. army. With the arrival of other volunteers, especially Rusyns who came from the gulags and Slovaks who went into Soviet captivity during the war—in which the puppet Slovak state was involved on the side of the Third Reich—the battalion gradually grew into an independent mixed brigade and then into an army corps. It became the largest Czechoslovak military unit abroad. Czechoslovak soldiers served on the Eastern Front the longest of all units of the Czechoslovak foreign army fighting against Germany in the Second World War. Before going to the front—on 30 January 1943—Svoboda was promoted to colonel. Colonel Svoboda commanded a battalion that distinguished itself at Sokolovo (in the fight against the retaliatory operation of the German army for Stalingrad and Kharkiv). He commanded a brigade that played a significant role in the liberation of the capital of Ukraine, Kiev, and in the battles for western Ukraine. In December 1943, after the liberation of Kiev, he was appointed brigadier general. The brigade under his command liberated the cities of Ruda, Bíla Cerkev and many others. At Žaškov, the brigade took part in the Battle of Korsun–Cherkassy. On 18 May 1944, Brigadier General Jan Kratochvíl was appointed commander of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps. Under his command, the corps was deployed in the Carpathian-Dukel operation. "On 10 September 1944, command of the 1st Czechoslovak Corps passed from Brigadier General Jan Kratochvíl to Brigadier General Ludvík Svoboda (by order of the commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, Marshal of the USSR Konev). The change of commander was related to the unsuccessful start of the operation on 9 September 1944." Historian Jiří Bílek evaluates Kratochvíl's dismissal as "unjustified". Jan Bystrický quotes the assessment of the MS. Ministry of National Defense in London, which recognized the reasons for Koněv's decision. The corps was further organized on the basis of the arrival of other volunteers, especially Volyn Czechs. The corps distinguished itself in the Carpathian-Dukel operation—the largest mountain operation of the Second World War and the largest operation in the Czechoslovak Republic army in its history. The artillerymen of the army corps took part in a massive artillery training in the Jaslo operation, aimed at the liberation of Kraków and eastern Poland. The army corps was liberating Slovakia and eastern Moravia. After the mobilization of Slovaks and the involvement of local partisans, the number of soldiers increased to roughly 50,000. On 3 April 1945, General Karel Klapálek took command of the corps. A tank brigade and a mixed air division from the corps took part in the Moravia–Ostrava offensive. In January 1945, after the entry of the corps into Slovak territory, Svoboda established a corps counterintelligence service at the direct request of Soviet General Lev Zacharovič Mechlis, a member of the military council of the 4th Ukrainian Front, who coordinated the activities of the intelligence services of the front. General Svoboda originally wanted to entrust Major František Sedláček with command of the counterintelligence service, but Gen. Mechlis advocated for First Lieutenant Bedřich Reicin and prevailed. On 4 April 1945, 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 1939 to 1948. During the first six years of his second stint, he led the Czec ...
appointed Zdeněk Fierlinger's First Cabinet. Svoboda was appointed as a non-partisan Minister of National Defense and entrusted General Klapálek with the command of the army corps. Klapálek, along with several other generals and a number of junior officers, came from England on his request. These officers reinforced the command corps of the unit. Some came to the brigade before battle of Kyiv, some even to the corps and took part in the liberation of Slovakia and eastern Moravia. Svoboda was promoted to
divisional general Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French Revolutionary System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps ...
on 10 May 1945. He became an army corps general on 1 August 1945.


Post-war political career

In
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
a substantial part of Czechoslovakia was liberated by the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
and the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps under the leadership of Svoboda. Svoboda was appointed Minister of Defense while being welcomed as a hero of the Eastern Front. The Soviet Union enjoyed great popularity among the population, and in the elections of 1946 the
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia ( Czech and Slovak: ''Komunistická strana Československa'', KSČ) was a communist and Marxist–Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992. It was a member of the Com ...
won 38% of the vote nationwide. On 22 February 1948, nearly all of the non-Communist cabinet ministers resigned in protest against the practices of Communist Party chairman
Klement Gottwald Klement Gottwald (; 23 November 1896 – 14 March 1953) was a Czech communist politician, who was the leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia from 1929 until his death in 1953 – titled as general secretary until 1945 and as chairman f ...
and the other Communists. Minister of Defense Svoboda was one of the few who remained in office. The Communist-dominated Revolutionary Trade Union Movement voted unanimously to replace the 12 departed ministers with pro-Communist ministers. As armed workers and the People's Militias took to the streets, Svoboda refused to quell the insurrection with military force, saying "the army will not march against the people". Two days later (and one day after a
general strike A general strike is a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large coalitions ...
in which 2.5 million citizens participated), 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 1939 to 1948. During the first six years of his second stint, he led the Czec ...
gave in to growing pressure from Gottwald and appointed a government dominated by Communists and pro-Soviet Social Democrats—in effect, giving legal sanction to a Communist coup. The takeover was completely bloodless. Svoboda, whose label had been that of an "apolitical" minister since the first days of his term, then joined the Communist Party and was elected as a deputy to the National Assembly at the 1948 election. Svoboda was forced out of the army (in which he had reached the rank of Army General in November 1945) in 1950 under pressure from the Soviets. He was
Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...
from 1950 to 1951. In the
purge In history, religion and political science, a purge is a position removal or execution of people who are considered undesirable by those in power from a government, another, their team leaders, or society as a whole. A group undertaking such an ...
s which followed, Svoboda was imprisoned and "recommended" to save his image by committing suicide, but eventually released and stripped of all offices. His return to public life took place upon a personal wish of
Khrushchev Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and the Premier of the Soviet Union, Chai ...
, whom Svoboda had met during the war, and he subsequently headed the Klement Gottwald Military Academy. In 1946 he was awarded the title People's Hero of Yugoslavia. Svoboda was also awarded the title
Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...
on 24 November 1965, and Hero of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (he was awarded the latter title again in 1970 and 1975). He was awarded the
Lenin Peace Prize The International Lenin Peace Prize (, ''mezhdunarodnaya Leninskaya premiya mira)'' was a Soviet Union award named in honor of Vladimir Lenin. It was awarded by a panel appointed by the Soviet government, to notable individuals whom the panel ...
(1970).


Presidency

In early 1968,
Antonín Novotný Antonín Josef Novotný (; 10 December 1904 – 28 January 1975) was a Czechoslovak politician who served as the President of Czechoslovakia from 1957 to 1968, and as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia from 1953 to 1968. ...
was forced to resign, a pivotal moment leading to the
Prague Spring The Prague Spring (; ) was a period of liberalization, political liberalization and mass protest in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. It began on 5 January 1968, when reformist Alexander Dubček was elected Secretary (title), First Secre ...
. Svoboda was elected
President of Czechoslovakia The president of Czechoslovakia (, ) was the head of state of Czechoslovakia, from the Origins of Czechoslovakia, creation of the First Czechoslovak Republic in 1918 until the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia, dissolution of the Czech and Slovak F ...
on 30 March 1968, on the recommendation of
Alexander Dubček Alexander Dubček (; 27 November 1921 – 7 November 1992) was a Slovaks, Slovak statesman who served as the First Secretary of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ) (''de facto'' leader of Czech ...
, the First Secretary. He was an acceptable candidate for both Czechs and Slovaks, and as a war hero and a victim of the purges of the early 1950s, he enjoyed a very high esteem among the population. President Svoboda was mildly supportive of the reform process of the new Party leadership until the Warsaw Pact intervention in August 1968. On 17 August 1968, at a meeting with the Soviet ambassador, Stepan Chervonenko, Svoboda warned against an invasion, saying it would be a "catastrophe" and would cause the peoples of Czechoslovakia "to lose all faith in the Soviet Union for many generations to come ... Don't you dare resort to military means to resolve the situation". Horrified at his experiences in two world wars, he signed an order preventing the Czechoslovak Army from getting involved with the invading
Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP), formally the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance (TFCMA), was a Collective security#Collective defense, collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Polish People's Republic, Poland, between the Sovi ...
troops. He traveled to Moscow in order to secure the release of Dubček and the other reform leaders, who had been kidnapped by the invading forces. However, when Svoboda arrived,
Leonid Brezhnev Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev (19 December 190610 November 1982) was a Soviet politician who served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1964 until Death and state funeral of Leonid Brezhnev, his death in 1982 as w ...
demanded that he appoint a "peasant-workers' government" in order to give credence to the planned official line—that hardliners in the KSČ (Czechoslovak Communist Party) had themselves requested the invasion. Svoboda not only refused, but threatened to put a bullet into his head in the presence of Brezhnev unless Dubček and the other reformists were released. Nevertheless, Svoboda could do nothing to prevent Brezhnev from forcing the Czechoslovak representatives to sign the notorious Moscow protocols. These were kept secret and permitted what an October parliamentary session would euphemistically call a "temporary stay" for Warsaw Pact armies in Czechoslovakia. The protocols also mandated the Party leadership to promote political, cultural and other changes to stop the reform process. Svoboda also supported Minister of Defence Martin Dzúr, who ordered the Czechoslovak army not to show any resistance.


Normalization period

President Svoboda survived the removal of reformist Communists in Czechoslovakia in the aftermath of the Prague Spring, while passively witnessing the purges and the suffocation of the civil liberties that had briefly been restored. He even helped muzzle the press and contributed to Dubček's replacement with
Gustáv Husák Gustáv Husák ( , ; ; 10 January 1913 – 18 November 1991) was a Czechoslovak politician who served as the long-time First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia from 1969 to 1987 and the President of Czechoslovakia from 1975 ...
in April 1969. To the day he died, he believed and maintained that his submissive conduct before Brezhnev helped save thousands of lives from "immense consequences"; and he defended this policy by invoking his own memories of the horrors of war. Husák never trusted Svoboda, and made numerous attempts to oust him. Svoboda was able to resist until 1975, when he was forced to retire through a constitutional act (paragraph 64 Nr.143/1968 Sb.). This act stated that if the incumbent president was unable to carry out his duties for a year or more, the Federal Assembly had the right to elect a permanent successor. In Svoboda's case, he had been in ill health for some time, making the act relevant. Husák succeeded him. Despite being misused by politicians for their goals several times, Svoboda still enjoys some credibility among Czechs and Slovaks, probably due to his bravery during crucial moments of Czechoslovak history. Squares and streets in both the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
and
Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
continue to bear his name, while those of most other Communist-era leaders were removed after the
Velvet Revolution The Velvet Revolution () or Gentle Revolution () was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from 17 November to 28 November 1989. Popular demonstrations against the one-party government of the Communist Pa ...
. His attitude can be perhaps explained in his own words: "All I have ever done must be measured by my intention to serve best my people and my country."


Honours and awards

Czechoslovakia (1920–1939) *
Order of the Falcon The Order of the Falcon () is the only order of chivalry in Iceland, founded by Christian X of Denmark, King Christian X of Denmark and Iceland on 3 July 1921. The award is awarded for merit for Iceland and humanity and has five degrees. Nowaday ...
, with swords * Order of King Charles IV * Order of M. R. Štefánik Czechoslovakia * Gold Star Hero of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, three times (24 November 1965, 30 April 1970, 30 May 1975) * Order of Klement Gottwald, three times (1959, 1970, 1975) * Military Order of the White Lion "For Victory", 1st class (1945) * Order of the Slovak National Uprising, 1st class * Czechoslovak War Cross 1939–1945, three times * Czechoslovak Medal "for bravery before the enemy" (1945) * Czechoslovak Medal "For Merit" a degree of * Commemorative medal of the second national resistance * Allied victory Medal * Zborovskaya commemorative medal * Bahmachskaya commemorative medal * Commemorative medals en. community for 1918–1919 dobrovolecke (badge) * Medal cs.dobrovolnika 1918–1919 (crisis) * Commemorative medals: 3rd Infantry Regiment Jan Žižka; 4th Rifle Regiment Prokop the Great; 5th Rifle Regiment T. G. M.; 6th Rifle Regiment Hanácké; 9th Rifle Regiment K.H. Borovsky; 10th Rifle Regiment P. J. Kozina; 21st Rifle Regiment terronskeho; 30th Infantry Regiment A. Jirasek; 1st Motorised Regiment John Sparks of Brandys; Artillery troops in Russia; machine building company separate traffic workshop of train troops in Russia; dobrovoleckeho Corps in Italy 1918–1948 * Memorial Cross, Russian Legion 2nd Regiment * Štefánikův commemorative badge * Military commemorative medals with the label of the USSR (1945) * Dukelskaya commemorative medal * Sokolovskaya commemorative medal * Honour Field Squadron pilot cs. Army * Honour Czechoslovak military pilot * Badge cs. guerrilla * Commemorative Medal of the second national resistance * Honorary Medal for Fighter against fascism, 1st class * Commander of the Order of the Czechoslovak Sokol TCH CS Vojenský řád Bílého lva 1st (1945) * Czechoslovak War Cross 1918 * Order of 25 February, 1st class * Order Wins the February * Czechoslovak Cross of Valour 1914–1918 Russian Empire * Cross of St George, 3rd and 4th classes (1917) Soviet Union *
Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...
(24 November 1965) * Two Orders of Lenin (1943, 1965) *
Order of the October Revolution The Order of the October Revolution (, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on 31 October 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferred upon individuals or groups for services furthering communis ...
(1970) *
Order of Suvorov The Order of Suvorov () is a military decoration of the Russian Federation named in honor of Russian Generalissimo Prince Alexander Suvorov (1729–1800). History The Order of Suvorov was originally a Soviet Union, Soviet award established on ...
, 1st (1945) and 2nd (1943) classes * Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1945) * Medal "For the Liberation of Prague" (1945) *
Lenin Peace Prize The International Lenin Peace Prize (, ''mezhdunarodnaya Leninskaya premiya mira)'' was a Soviet Union award named in honor of Vladimir Lenin. It was awarded by a panel appointed by the Soviet government, to notable individuals whom the panel ...
"for peace between nations" (1970) Poland *
Virtuti Militari The War Order of Virtuti Militari (Latin: ''"For Military Virtue"'', ) is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war. It was established in 1792 by the last King of Poland Stanislaus II of Poland, ...
, 1st class(1947) * Cross of Grunwald, 1st class (1948) *
Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...
, 1st class (1969) *
Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...
(1944) * Medal for Warsaw 1939–1945 * Medal for Oder, Neisse and Baltic * Medal of Victory and Freedom 1945 Other *
Order of the People's Hero The Order of the People's Hero or the Order of the National Hero ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Orden narodnog heroja, Oрден народног хероја; , ), was a Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav gallantry medal, the ...
(Yugoslavia, 1946) * Order "For Service to the people", 1st class (Yugoslavia) * Order of Red Banner (Hungary) * Order "For Merit", 1st class (Hungary, 1950) * Grand Officer of the
Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
(France) *
Croix de guerre 1939–1945 Croix (French for "cross") may refer to: Belgium * Croix-lez-Rouveroy, a village in municipality of Estinnes in the province of Hainaut France * Croix, Nord, in the Nord department * Croix, Territoire de Belfort, in the Territoire de Belfort d ...
(France) * Knight Commander of the
Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...
(United Kingdom) *
Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...
, Commander (United States, 1945) * Order of the White Rose of Finland (Finland, 1969) * Order of the Supreme Sun (Afghanistan, 1970) * Commemorative Medal of the 2,500th Anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire (14 October 1971)


Cultural references

Ludvík Svoboda has been portrayed, as himself or a character based on him, in a number of films and television series: *'' Sokolovo'' is a 1974 film about the Battle of Sokolovo. Ladislav Chudík portrays Svoboda. *'' The Liberation of Prague'' is a 1977 film about the Prague uprising. Svoboda is once again portrayed by Ladislav Chudík. *'' Dubček'' is a 2018 Slovak film that shows events in 1968. Svoboda is portrayed by Vladimír Hrabal. * '' Czech Century'' is a 2013 historical television series chronicling Czech history from 1918. Emil Horváth portrays Svoboda in the series.


See also

* Ústí massacre * List of heads of state and government with military background


Books

*


References


External links


Ludvík Svoboda Site

Czechoslovak military units in USSR (1942-1945)
, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Svoboda, Ludvík 1895 births 1979 deaths People from Třebíč District People from the Margraviate of Moravia Communist Party of Czechoslovakia politicians Presidents of Czechoslovakia Defence ministers of Czechoslovakia Members of the National Assembly of Czechoslovakia (1948–1954) Members of the National Assembly of Czechoslovakia (1954–1960) Members of the National Assembly of Czechoslovakia (1960–1964) Members of the National Assembly of Czechoslovakia (1964–1968) Prague Spring Czech generals Chiefs of the General Staff (Czechoslovakia) Czech communists Austro-Hungarian prisoners of war in World War I Czechoslovak military personnel of World War II World War I prisoners of war held by Russia Commanders of the Legion of Merit Foreign Heroes of the Soviet Union Grand Crosses of the Order of Polonia Restituta Grand Crosses of the Virtuti Militari Grand Officers of the Legion of Honour Heroes of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) Recipients of the Cross of St. George Recipients of the Czechoslovak War Cross 1939–1945 Recipients of the Lenin Peace Prize Recipients of the Military Order of the White Lion Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Grunwald, 1st class Recipients of the Order of Klement Gottwald Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary Recipients of the Order of the October Revolution Recipients of the Order of the People's Hero Recipients of the Order of Suvorov, 1st class Recipients of the Order of Suvorov, 2nd class Recipients of the Virtuti Militari (1943–1989) Czech resistance members