Reinhard Heydrich, the target of Operation Anthropoid.

During World War II, the Czechoslovak-British Operation Anthropoid was the code name for the assassination of top Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich. He was the chief of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA) (Reich Main Security Office), the acting Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, and a chief planner of the Final Solution, the Nazi program for the genocide of the Jews of Europe. Image File history File linksMetadata Reinhard_Heydrich-NARA.jpg‎ File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Reinhard Heydrich RSHA Operation Anthropoid Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/May 27 Portal:Germany/Anniversaries/June Portal:Germany/Anniversaries/June/June 4 Holocaust... Image File history File linksMetadata Reinhard_Heydrich-NARA.jpg‎ File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Reinhard Heydrich RSHA Operation Anthropoid Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/May 27 Portal:Germany/Anniversaries/June Portal:Germany/Anniversaries/June/June 4 Holocaust... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Czech resistance during the Second World War is a scarcely documented subject, by and large a result of little formal resistance and an effective German policy that deterred acts of resistance or annihilated organizations of resistance. ... Assassin and Assassins redirect here. ... National Socialism redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Reinhard Heydrich - the first director of RSHA The RSHA, or Reichssicherheitshauptamt (Reich Security Main Office), was a subordinate organization of the SS created by Heinrich Himmler on September 22, 1939, through the merger of the Sicherheitsdienst (SD, or Security Agency), the Gestapo (Secret State Police) and the Kriminalpolizei (Criminal Police). ... Capital Prague Language(s) Czech, German Political structure Protectorate Reichsprotektor  - 1939-1941 Konstantin von Neurath  - 1941-1942 Reinhard Heydrich (acting)  - 1942-1943 Kurt Daluege (acting)  - 1943-1945 Wilhelm Frick Staatspräsident  - 1939-1945 Emil Hácha Historical era World War II  - Occupation March 15, 1939  - Fall of Prague May 13... In a February 26, 1942, letter to German diplomat Martin Luther, Reinhard Heydrich follows up on the Wannsee Conference by asking Luther for administrative assistance in the implementation of the Endlösung der Judenfrage (Final Solution of the Jewish Question). ... National Socialism redirects here. ... Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction of an ethnic or national group. ...

Background

Since 1939, Heydrich had been the chief of Reich Main Security Office (RSHA), an organization that included the Gestapo (Secret Police), the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) (Security Agency) and the Kripo (Criminal Police). He was a key planner in eliminating Hitler’s opponents, as well as (later) the key planner of the genocide of the Jews. He was involved in most of Hitler’s intrigues and a valued political ally, adviser, and friend of the dictator. The   (contraction of Geheime Staatspolizei: “secret state police”) was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. ... Sicherheitsdienst (SD) sleeve insignia. ... The Kriminalpolizei was the professional detective service of Germany between 1936 and 1945. ... Dictator is originally the title of a magistrate in ancient Rome appointed by the Senate to rule the state in times of emergency. ...

Due to his abilities and power, he was feared by almost all German generals. In September 1941, Heydrich was appointed acting Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, replacing Konstantin von Neurath, whom Hitler considered too moderate. During his role as de facto dictator of Bohemia and Moravia, Heydrich often drove with his chauffeur in a car with an open roof. This was a show of confidence in the occupation forces and the effectiveness of their repressive measures against the local population. Due to his cruelty, Heydrich was nicknamed the Butcher of Prague, the Blond Beast, and the Hangman. Flag of Bohemia Bohemia (Czech: ; German: ) is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western and middle thirds of the Czech Republic. ... Flag of Moravia Moravia (Czech and Slovak: Morava; German: ; Hungarian: ; Polish: ) is a historical region in the east of the Czech RepublicCzechia. ... Konstantin von Neurath Konstantin Freiherr von Neurath (February 2, 1873 – August 14, 1956) was a German diplomat, Foreign Minister of Germany (1932-1938) and Reichsprotektor (nazi representative in the Czech puppet state) of Bohemia and Moravia (1939-1943). ... Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945, standard German pronunciation in the IPA) was the Führer (leader) of the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party) and of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. ...

Strategic context

Nazi zenith 1941–42

By late 1941, Hitler controlled almost all continental Europe, and German forces were approaching Moscow. The Allies deemed Soviet capitulation likely. The exiled government of Czechoslovakia, under President Edvard Beneš, was under pressure from British intelligence, as there had been very little visible resistance in the Czech lands since the German occupation began in 1939. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1090x1000, 220 KB) Summary A map of the Eastern front of the Second World War circa 1941-1942. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1090x1000, 220 KB) Summary A map of the Eastern front of the Second World War circa 1941-1942. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... “CCCP” redirects here. ... President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. ... Edvard BeneÅ¡ Edvard BeneÅ¡ with wife 1921, autochrome portrait by Josef JindÅ™ich Å echtl Edvard BeneÅ¡ (May 28, 1884 - September 3, 1948) was a leader of the Czechoslovak independence movement and the second President of Czechoslovakia. ...

The Czech lands were producing significant military materiel for the Third Reich. The exiled government felt it had to do something that would inspire the Czech, as well as show the world the Czechs were allies. The British spy unit Special Operations Executive (SOE) trained the personnel and helped to plan the operation.^[1]. As Adolf Hitler’s groomed successor, Reinhard Heydrich was one of the most important men in Nazi Germany. His death would be a huge loss and a profound psychological, if not strategic, victory. Materiel (from the French for material) is the equipment and supplies in Military and commercial supply chain management. ... SPY may refer to: SPY (spiders), ticker symbol for Standard & Poors Depository Receipts SPY (magazine), a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps SPY (Ivory Coast), airport code for San Pédro, Côte dIvoire SPY (Ship Planning Yard), a U.S. Navy acronym SPY, short for MOWAG SPY, a... The Special Operations Executive (SOE), sometimes referred to as the Baker Street Irregulars after Sherlock Holmess fictional group of spies, was a World War II organization initiated by Winston Churchill and Hugh Dalton in July 1940 as a mechanism for conducting warfare by means other than direct military engagement. ... Hitler redirects here. ...

Operation

Insertion and planning

Seven soldiers from the Czechoslovakia’s army-in-exile in the United Kingdom, Jozef Gabčík, Jan Kubiš (Anthropoid) and two other groups (Silver A and Silver B), were parachuted by the Royal Air Force into Czechoslovakia on the night of December 28, 1941. This was not the first SOE operation; there had been several before. Gabčík and Kubiš landed east of Prague; although the plan was to land near Pilsen, the pilots had problems with orientation. The soldiers then moved to Pilsen to contact their allies, and from there on to Prague, where the attack was planned. Jozef Gabčík (1912 - 42) was a Czechoslovak involved in Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich. ... Jan KubiÅ¡ (June 24, 1913 - June 18, 1942) was one of a team of Czechoslovakian British-trained agents sent to assassinate SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich in 1942, then in command of Prague and Bohemia, whose savagery and ruthlessness in suppressing the population earned him the nickname The Butcher of... is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Motto: Praga Caput Rei publicae Location within the Czech Republic Coordinates: , Country Czech Republic Region Capital City of Prague Founded 9th century Government  - Mayor Pavel Bém Area  - City 496 km²  (191. ... Plzeň (Czech name) or Pilsen (German equivalent, sometimes used in English) is a city in western Bohemia in the Czech Republic. ...

In Prague, they contacted several families and anti-Nazi organizations who helped them during the preparations for the assassination. Gabčík and Kubiš initially planned to assassinate Heydrich on a train, but after exploration they realized that this was not possible. The second plan was to assassinate him on the road in the forest on the way from Heydrich’s seat to Prague. They planned to pull a cable across the road that would stop Heydrich’s car but, after waiting several hours, their commander, Lt. Opálka, (from the group Out Distance), came to bring them back to Prague. The third plan was to assassinate Heydrich in Prague.

Assassination

On May 27, 1942 Heydrich proceeded on his daily commuting journey from his home in Panenské Břežany to Prague Castle. In a hurry, he didn't wait for the customary police escort. Gabčík and Kubiš waited at the tram stop in the curve near Bulovka hospital. Valčik was positioned about 100 metres north of Gabčík and Kubiš as lookout for the approaching car. As Heydrich’s open-topped Mercedes-Benz neared the pair, Gabčík is said to have stepped in front of the vehicle, trying to open fire, but his Sten gun jammed. Heydrich ordered his driver, SS-Oberscharführer Klein, to stop the car. When Heydrich stood up to try to shoot Gabčík, Kubiš tossed a modified anti-tank grenade at the vehicle, and its fragments ripped through the car’s right fender, embedding shrapnel and fibres from the upholstery in Heydrich’s body, even though the grenade failed to enter the car. Heydrich managed to return fire but soon collapsed. Klein was killed in a manhunt in pursuit of Gabčík. Heydrich died 11 days later from septicemia (blood poisoning). is the 147th day of the year (148th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Entrance to the Prague Castle at night The Prague Castle (Czech: Pražský hrad) is the castle in Prague where the Czech kings, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have had their offices. ... This page is about the Mercedes-Benz brand of automobiles and trucks from the DaimlerChrysler automobile manufacturer. ... The Sten gun was a British submachine gun from World War II, notable for its simple design and low cost of production, being made from only 47 different parts. ... Anti-tank, or simply AT, refers to any method of combating military armored fighting vehicles, notably tanks. ... Look up manhunt in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Sepsis (in Greek Σήψις) is a serious medical condition caused by a severe systemic infection leading to a systemic inflammatory response. ...

Conspiracy theories

Heinrich Himmler, Heydrich’s direct superior, took it upon himself to see to the welfare of his subordinate. No Czech or Wehrmacht doctors were allowed to operate on Heydrich — rather, Himmler sent his personal physicians to conduct the surgery themselves. On June 4, Heydrich succumbed to what Himmler’s physicians described as septicemia. Their theory was that some of the horsehair used in the upholstery of Heydrich’s car was forced into his body by the blast of the grenade, causing a systemic infection that their medicine could not fight. In light of the rumours that Heydrich was the one man of whom Himmler was both jealous and truly afraid, the validity of this diagnosis, and the intentions of Himmler’s doctors, have been open to much speculation.^{[attribution needed]} Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( ; 7 October 1900–23 May 1945) was the commander of the Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany in the Nazi hierarchy. ... Wehrmacht   (armed forces, literally defence force(s)) was the name of the armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. ... is the 155th day of the year (156th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Consequences

Reprisals

Hitler ordered the SS and Gestapo to “wade in blood” throughout Bohemia to find Heydrich’s killers. Initially, Hitler wanted to start with brutal, widespread killing of the Czech people, but, after consultations, he reduced his response to only some thousands. The Czech lands were an important industrial zone for the German military, and indiscriminate killing could reduce the productivity of the region.

Ultimately, more than 13,000 people were arrested. The most notorious incidents were the murder of all adult male residents, and the complete destruction of the villages of Lidice and Ležáky. Lidice (Liditz in German) is a village in former Czechoslovakia (now in the Czech Republic) which was completely destroyed by the Germans during World War II. About 340 men, women, and children from the village were murdered by the Germans. ... Lidice (Liditz in German) is a village in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) which was completely eradicated by the Nazis during World War II. // History The village is first mentioned in writing in 1318. ...

Britain’s wartime leader Winston Churchill, infuriated, suggested leveling three German villages for every Czech village the Nazis destroyed. Instead, the Allies stopped planning similar operations to assassinate top Nazis for the fear of similar reprisals. Two years after Heydrich was killed, however, they attempted one more time, this time targeting Hitler in Operation Foxley which failed to materialize. Operation Anthropoid remained the only successful assassination of a top-ranking Nazi German leader during the Third Reich. “Churchill” redirects here. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Attempted capture of the assassins

The attackers initially hid with two Prague families and later took refuge in Karel Boromejsky Church, an Orthodox church dedicated to Saints Cyril and Methodius. The Gestapo could not find the assassins until Karel Čurda (of the group Out Distance, whose objective was sabotage) told the Gestapo the names of the team’s local contact persons for the bounty of 1 million Reichsmarks. Karel ÄŒurda, during World War II, was a Czech soldier from the Czechoslovak army in exile. ... Bounty can refer to different things: The Bounty a 1984 film with Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins A bounty is an amount of money or other reward offered by an organization for the capture of a person or thing Bounty is a brand of paper towel manufactured by Procter & Gamble... User(s) Germany Subunit 1/100 Reichspfennig Symbol RM Reichspfennig Rpf. ...

Curda betrayed several safe houses provided by the Jindra group, including that of the Moravec family in Zizkov. At 5 a.m. on June 17, the Moravec apartment was raided. The family was made to stand in the corridor while the Gestapo searched their apartment. Mrs. Moravec was, surprisingly, allowed to go to the toilet, and killed herself with a cyanide capsule. Mr. Moravec, oblivious to his family's involvement with the resistance, was taken to the Peček Palác together with his son Ata. Here, Ata was tortured throughout the day. Finally, he was stupefied with brandy and shown his mother's severed head in a fish tank. Ata Moravec told the Gestapo all he knew. SS troops laid siege to the church, but despite the best efforts of over 700 Nazi soldiers, they were unable to take the paratroopers alive; three, including Heydrich’s assassin Kubiš, were killed in the prayer loft after a brief gun battle. The other four, including Gabčík, committed suicide in the crypt to avoid capture. is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Bishop Gorazd (Pavlik) of Prague, in an attempt to minimize the reprisals among his flock, took the blame for the actions in the Church on himself, even writing letters to the Nazi authorities. But, on June 27, 1942, he was arrested and tortured. On September 4, 1942, he, the Church priests, and senior lay leaders were executed by firing squad. (For his actions, Bishop Gorazd was later glorified as a martyr by the Eastern Orthodox Church.) Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      This article is about a title... Our father among the saints Bishop Gorazd (Pavlik) of Prague was the hierarch of the revived Orthodox Church in Moravia, the Church of Czechoslovakia, after World War I. During World War II, having provided refuge for the assassins of SS-Obergruppenfuher Reinhard Heydrich, called The Butcher of Prague, in the... is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Execution by firing squad is a method of capital punishment, especially in times of war. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Look up Martyr in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Coptic Orthodox Pope · Roman Catholic Pope Archbishop of Canterbury · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Faith...

Political consequence and aftermath

The success of the operation made Great Britain and France renounce the Munich Agreement. They agreed that after the Nazis were defeated, the Sudetenland would be restored to Czechoslovakia. It also led to sympathy for the idea of expelling the German population of Czechoslovakia. For the annual global security meeting held in Munich, see Munich Conference on Security Policy Chamberlain holds the paper containing the resolution to commit to peaceful methods signed by both Hitler and himself on his return from Germany in September 1938. ... Sudetenland (Czech and Polish: Sudety) was the German name used in English in the first half of the 20th century for the Western regions of Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by Germans, specifically the border areas of Bohemia, Moravia, and those parts of Silesia associated with Bohemia. ...

As Heydrich was one of the most important Nazi leaders, two large funeral ceremonies were conducted. One was in Prague, where the way to Prague Castle was lined by thousands of SS-men with torches. The second was in Berlin attended by all leading Nazi figures, including Hitler who placed the German Order and Blood Order Medals on the funeral pillow. The German Order The German Order (German: Deutscher Orden) was the most important decoration that the Nazi Party could bestow on an individual for duties of the highest order to the state and party. This award was first made by Adolf Hitler posthumously to Reichsminister Fritz Todt at his funeral... The Blood Order, or as it was officially known, the decoration (of the Munich putsch) of 9 November 1923, was one of the most prestigious decorations in the Nazi Party. ...

Karel Čurda was, after an unsuccessful suicide attempt, hanged in 1947 for high treason. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The story of this operation was the basis for the 1943 film Hangmen Also Die, the 1964 film Atentat and the 1975 film Operation Daybreak. It is also the basis for the 1966 novel Seven men at daybreak by Alan Burgess. The assassination inspired rock group British Sea Power to write the song “A Lovely Day Tomorrow.” Originally a b-side, the song was re-recorded with the Czech band The Ecstasy of St. Theresa, in both English and Czech (Zítra bude krásný den) for a limited edition release in 2004. Hangmen Also Die was a 1943 film directed by the legendary German director Fritz Lang with a script by Bertolt Brecht and John Wexley. ... Atentát is a 1964 2nd World War film based on a true story of assassination of top Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich in Prague (see Operation Anthropoid). ... Operation Daybreak is a 1975 2nd World War film starring Antony Andrews, Timothy Bottoms and Martin Shaw. ... Rock is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars, and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles, however saxophones have been omitted from newer subgenres of rock music since the 90s. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A Lovely Day Tomorrow was a one-off single from British Sea Power, only released to shops in the Czech Republic but available at certain shows and via mail order in the United Kingdom. ...

To commemorate the heroes of the Czech and Slovak resistance, in May 2007 the Slovak National Museum opened an exhibition presenting one of the most important resistance actions in the whole of Nazi-occupied Europe. Slovak National Museum building in Bratislava, viewed from the right bank of the Danube The Slovak National Museum (Slovak: ) is the most important institution focusing on scientific research and cultural education in the field of museological activity in Slovakia. ...

Notes

1. ^ Reference MRD Foot SOE and others

See also

• Czech resistance to Nazi occupation
• Jan Kubiš
• Jozef Gabčík
• Occupation of Czechoslovakia
• Reinhard Heydrich
• Special Operations Executive

Czech resistance during the Second World War is a scarcely documented subject, by and large a result of little formal resistance and an effective German policy that deterred acts of resistance or annihilated organizations of resistance. ... Maybe you are looking for the Slovak Ján Kubiš. Jan Kubiš (June 24, 1913 - June 18, 1942) was one of a team of Czechoslovak British-trained agents sent to assassinate SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich in 1942 as part of Operation Anthropoid. ... Jozef Gabčík (1912 - 42) was a Czechoslovak involved in Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich. ... == On the same day, Hitler met with Chamberlain at Berchtesgaden and demanded the swift return of the Sudetenland to the Third Reich under threat of war. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Special Operations Executive (SOE), sometimes referred to as the Baker Street Irregulars after Sherlock Holmess fictional group of spies, was a World War II organization initiated by Winston Churchill and Hugh Dalton in July 1940 as a mechanism for conducting warfare by means other than direct military engagement. ...

References

• McDonald, Callum: The Killing of Reinhard Heydrich: The SS “Butcher of Prague”. ISBN 0-306-80860-9
• Burian, Michael: Assassination: Operation Anthropoid 1941–1942. Prague: Avis, 2002.
• Valka.cz, a complete Operation Anthropoid overview (Czech)

External links

• Radio Prague: Czechs in World War II
• Radio Prague: Exhibitions mark 60th anniversary of assassination of Nazi governor Heydrich
• Operation Anthropoid at Everything2
• Czechs in Exile website
• Exhibition on Operation Anthropoid at the Slovak Nation Museum

Coordinates: 50°07′06″N, 14°27′53″E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...