Papers by Stanislav Polnar
British Journal for Military History, 2024
The rapidly developing missile forces and air force of the Czechoslovak People’s Army (Czech acro... more The rapidly developing missile forces and air force of the Czechoslovak People’s Army (Czech acronym: ‘ČSLA’) was to receive nuclear munitions under a Czechoslovak-Soviet agreement of 1965. These were to be used to support the planned operations of the so-called Czechoslovak Front. The JAVOR operation consisted of the construction of three nuclear depots, which were manned by special units of the Soviet Army. A new agreement between the CSSR ( and the USSR (‘Union of Soviet Socialist Republics’) was entered into in 1986, extending the existing conditions of storage. Fundamental changes were brought about in 1989 by the Velvet Revolution and the end of the Cold War.
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ACTA HISTRIAE, 2023
THE IMPACT OF THE 1968 PRAGUE SPRING ON CZECHOSLOVAK
AND YUGOSLAV MILITARY DOCTRINES
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Historica Olomucensia, Dec 11, 2021
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Historica Olomucensia
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Historica Olomucensia
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Vyšetřování protistátní trestné činnosti příslušníků československé armády vletech 1948 - 1989 Ab... more Vyšetřování protistátní trestné činnosti příslušníků československé armády vletech 1948 - 1989 Abstrakt Cílem této disertační práce je rekonstruovat proces vyšetřování politické delikvence příslušníků československé armády, respektive jiných příslušníků ozbrojených sil, v periodě let 1948 - 1989. Autor se zaměřil na popis problematiky v širším kontextu vývoje socialistického práva, československého státu a dobové mocensko-politické struktury. V řešení uvedeného tématu bylo použito metod právněhistorické vědy, tedy ve své podstatě interdisciplinárního přístupu na rozhraní právní a historické vědy. Oborově text spadá do oblasti recentního oboru trestního práva hmotného a procesního. Kromě rozboru podstaty protistátní trestné činnosti disertace obsáhle čerpá z archívních dokumentů spisové povahy jakožto aktů aplikace práva vyšetřujících bezpečnostních orgánů a orgánů vojenské prokuratury. Při tom se text práce opírá i o rozbor takových méně tradičních historických pramenů, jejichž použ...
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Vojenská história, 2019
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Securitas Imperii, 2019
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Anti-state offences yesterday and today, 2021
Since the end of World War II, the investigation of anti-state delinquency of military personnel ... more Since the end of World War II, the investigation of anti-state delinquency of military personnel was realised by the military intelligence. It originated with Czechoslovak military units in the USSR and were influenced by Soviet security authorities. After 1945 and 1948 these bodies remained in the structure of the Ministry of National Defense, but from the beginning of the 1951 they moved to the structure of the Ministry of the Interior following the Soviet model. The legal status of these bodies was always unclear and did not correspond to the legal regulation. Another important article in the investigation of the political delinquency of soldiers was the military prosecutor’s office as part of the socialist-type prosecutor’s office, which was subjected to general trends in the regulation of criminal proceedings.
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Vojenská história, 2021
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Vojenské rozhledy, 2020
This paper is devoted to the role of a periodical Vojenská mysl in the reform of Czechoslovak &qu... more This paper is devoted to the role of a periodical Vojenská mysl in the reform of Czechoslovak "1968". There were various contributions on its pages, which criticized the lack of the Czechoslovak military doctrine. The corn of criticism was also aimed at non-systemic arrangements based on Soviet pressures in the area of diplomacy and military policy. Vojenská mysl reflected carefully the general process of democratization, which influenced the daily life in the Czechoslovakian army. The democratization required involvement of scientific base in military affaires, a long with better use of personnel capacity in the military.
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Czech-polish historical and pedagogical journal, 2020
The basic approach of the author was to place issues into the context of the political developmen... more The basic approach of the author was to place issues into the context of the political development of Czechoslovakia after the events of February, 1948. The applied research confirmed the theory that political delinquency of member of military personnel formed a unique class. The worst crimes of the founding period were the core of the author’s focus. This period can be characterized by political trials made as thought-out systems of illegalities organized by the bodies of military justice. Afterwards, the persecutions continued but only in an individual and more selective way. The author used original historical sources which are common for contemporary history.
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Katedra právních dějinDepartment of Legal HistoryFaculty of LawPrávnická fakult
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British Journal for Military History, Volume 8, Issue 3, 2022, 2022
Throughout its existence (1918–1992), Czechoslovakia had to fight to maintain its state sovereign... more Throughout its existence (1918–1992), Czechoslovakia had to fight to maintain its state sovereignty and independence. This struggle owed much to its geographical location in the heart of Europe, where the superpower interests of the main actors in global politics regularly clashed. As a rule, Czechoslovak operational plans did not reflect national interests. Nor did war plans, in many cases, correspond to real Czechoslovak economic and military capabilities, and the often offensive nature of such plans is somewhat surprising. On the other hand, the content of operational documents does reveal many features specific to Czechoslovakia – considerations regarding the shape of the state territory, the small depth of defence, and the factor of the German presence. Despite these strong foreign influences, Czechoslovak war
plans still express a wealth of domestic military thought and military science.
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Czech-Polish Historical and Pedagogical Journal, 2020
The basic approach of the author was to place issues into the context of the political developmen... more The basic approach of the author was to place issues into the context of the political development of Czechoslovakia after the events of February, 1948. The applied research confirmed the theory that political delinquency of member of military personnel formed a unique class. The worst crimes of the founding period were the core of the author's focus. This period can be characterized by political trials made as thought-out systems of illegalities organized by the bodies of military justice. Afterwards, the persecutions continued but only in an individual and more selective way. The author used original historical sources which are common for contemporary history.
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Books by Stanislav Polnar
Univerzita obrany v Brně, 2023
The question of Czechoslovak strategic thinking is closely linked to the existence of the Czechos... more The question of Czechoslovak strategic thinking is closely linked to the existence of the Czechoslovak state between 1918 and 1992. The issue of the state’s defense has always been linked to its diplomatic, political, legal and social history. This book cannot be viewed only as a historical handbook of the conflicts in which our country participated in the 20th century. Specific historical events only serve as a frame for the main subject of this inquiry. This subject is strategic thinking, which means finding of the necessary solutions aimed at choosing the optimal variant of the defense of Czechoslovakia and, since the 90s of the last century, the Czech Republic as well. This process relied on multiple instruments, such as diplomacy, the choice of a certain military system, war planning, legislation, and support of the military area from the national economy. An irreplaceable role was played in this respect by military science, which always fundamentally influenced the preparation of the armed forces for a future conflict. These measures represented a relatively diverse set of tools for determining the specific form of military and defense measures.
The subject of the book is interdisciplinary in nature. It lies at the intersection of the theory of military art, the history of wars and classical historiography. Therefore, the author uses the methods of several disciplines and at the same time tries to combine them appropriately. The interweaving of different approaches connects the common social science basis of the mentioned scientific disciplines. This fact must be emphasized especially in the case of the theory of military art, which is generally understood as the core of military science. If we think about the development of Czechoslovak and subsequent Czech strategic thinking, we can legitimately ask whether there were unifying points for this issue in the 20th century. One hundred years represents such a long period of time that it breaks up the imported homogeneity into sub-periods.
The most important strategic factor was primarily a question of the geopolitical position and geographical shape of the Czechoslovakian state. As already emerged from the previous interpretation, Czechoslovakia, as well as its successor entity the Czech Republic, were and still are located in the region of Central Europe, which is the intersection of power lines and the environment of interest of the great powers. In this situation, the Czechoslovakian state had a very elongated shape despite its current very small width. Given this factor, and in addition the limited economic and population potential, it could never think of an expansive or even aggressive foreign policy. Consequently, the basic paradigm of all military-political considerations could be the idea of strategic defense, which, however, could never acquire the necessary depth and division. The main security threat for Czechoslovakia was the permanent German neighborhood, whose danger, however, was often exaggerated on purpose for political and propaganda reasons. This was partially done on the basis of foreign (French, British or Soviet) influences, which always partly shaped or completely replaced domestic strategic considerations.
An important milestone for domestic strategic thinking was the emergence of the atomic age. Since the 1950s, Czechoslovakian doctrine and strategy were forced to identify with Soviet ideas of a total thermonuclear war, which, in Moscow's view, was the final solution to the political contradictions between capitalist and socialist states. The completely unprecedented achievements of Czechoslovak military science, culminating in the attempted reform of the Prague Spring of 1968/69, stemmed precisely from the need to find effective alternatives to such a form of war. The memorable Memorandum 68 and its creators were looking for the necessary variants of the Czechoslovak security policy so that the Czechoslovakia together with the Czechs and Slovaks would not disappear from the map of Europe due to the impending nuclear inferno. After the normalization persecutions, these ideas were reflected in the most independent strategic thinking that accompanied the last years or months of the problematically divided Czechoslovakian federation.
The Czech Republic partially followed up on this ideological link after 1993, which was reflected in the wording of the military doctrines and strategies created at that time. This was done despite the fact that the ideas of collective European security gradually weakened in the course of the 1990s, and their subsequent displacement was due to the idea of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as the only long-term functional guarantee of Czech national security. The entry of the Czech Republic into NATO on March 12, 1999 can then be understood as a politically realistic and pragmatic provision of the defense of the state, but not as a solution that is stable in all respects or completely immutable. This is especially true in a situation where the existence of only one dominant military-political bloc in Europe has sown elements of a certain imbalance in the relations between the countries of the old continent. Moreover, since the turn of the millennium, the above mentioned reason highlights the slow transfer of the political, military and economic power from the Euro-Atlantic to the Asian space and the gradual transition to a multipolar organization of the European and global security system. The core of Czechoslovak and Czech strategic thinking can be seen in the search for a certain form of neutrality with respect for international obligations and regional security anchoring.
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Papers by Stanislav Polnar
plans still express a wealth of domestic military thought and military science.
Books by Stanislav Polnar
The subject of the book is interdisciplinary in nature. It lies at the intersection of the theory of military art, the history of wars and classical historiography. Therefore, the author uses the methods of several disciplines and at the same time tries to combine them appropriately. The interweaving of different approaches connects the common social science basis of the mentioned scientific disciplines. This fact must be emphasized especially in the case of the theory of military art, which is generally understood as the core of military science. If we think about the development of Czechoslovak and subsequent Czech strategic thinking, we can legitimately ask whether there were unifying points for this issue in the 20th century. One hundred years represents such a long period of time that it breaks up the imported homogeneity into sub-periods.
The most important strategic factor was primarily a question of the geopolitical position and geographical shape of the Czechoslovakian state. As already emerged from the previous interpretation, Czechoslovakia, as well as its successor entity the Czech Republic, were and still are located in the region of Central Europe, which is the intersection of power lines and the environment of interest of the great powers. In this situation, the Czechoslovakian state had a very elongated shape despite its current very small width. Given this factor, and in addition the limited economic and population potential, it could never think of an expansive or even aggressive foreign policy. Consequently, the basic paradigm of all military-political considerations could be the idea of strategic defense, which, however, could never acquire the necessary depth and division. The main security threat for Czechoslovakia was the permanent German neighborhood, whose danger, however, was often exaggerated on purpose for political and propaganda reasons. This was partially done on the basis of foreign (French, British or Soviet) influences, which always partly shaped or completely replaced domestic strategic considerations.
An important milestone for domestic strategic thinking was the emergence of the atomic age. Since the 1950s, Czechoslovakian doctrine and strategy were forced to identify with Soviet ideas of a total thermonuclear war, which, in Moscow's view, was the final solution to the political contradictions between capitalist and socialist states. The completely unprecedented achievements of Czechoslovak military science, culminating in the attempted reform of the Prague Spring of 1968/69, stemmed precisely from the need to find effective alternatives to such a form of war. The memorable Memorandum 68 and its creators were looking for the necessary variants of the Czechoslovak security policy so that the Czechoslovakia together with the Czechs and Slovaks would not disappear from the map of Europe due to the impending nuclear inferno. After the normalization persecutions, these ideas were reflected in the most independent strategic thinking that accompanied the last years or months of the problematically divided Czechoslovakian federation.
The Czech Republic partially followed up on this ideological link after 1993, which was reflected in the wording of the military doctrines and strategies created at that time. This was done despite the fact that the ideas of collective European security gradually weakened in the course of the 1990s, and their subsequent displacement was due to the idea of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as the only long-term functional guarantee of Czech national security. The entry of the Czech Republic into NATO on March 12, 1999 can then be understood as a politically realistic and pragmatic provision of the defense of the state, but not as a solution that is stable in all respects or completely immutable. This is especially true in a situation where the existence of only one dominant military-political bloc in Europe has sown elements of a certain imbalance in the relations between the countries of the old continent. Moreover, since the turn of the millennium, the above mentioned reason highlights the slow transfer of the political, military and economic power from the Euro-Atlantic to the Asian space and the gradual transition to a multipolar organization of the European and global security system. The core of Czechoslovak and Czech strategic thinking can be seen in the search for a certain form of neutrality with respect for international obligations and regional security anchoring.
plans still express a wealth of domestic military thought and military science.
The subject of the book is interdisciplinary in nature. It lies at the intersection of the theory of military art, the history of wars and classical historiography. Therefore, the author uses the methods of several disciplines and at the same time tries to combine them appropriately. The interweaving of different approaches connects the common social science basis of the mentioned scientific disciplines. This fact must be emphasized especially in the case of the theory of military art, which is generally understood as the core of military science. If we think about the development of Czechoslovak and subsequent Czech strategic thinking, we can legitimately ask whether there were unifying points for this issue in the 20th century. One hundred years represents such a long period of time that it breaks up the imported homogeneity into sub-periods.
The most important strategic factor was primarily a question of the geopolitical position and geographical shape of the Czechoslovakian state. As already emerged from the previous interpretation, Czechoslovakia, as well as its successor entity the Czech Republic, were and still are located in the region of Central Europe, which is the intersection of power lines and the environment of interest of the great powers. In this situation, the Czechoslovakian state had a very elongated shape despite its current very small width. Given this factor, and in addition the limited economic and population potential, it could never think of an expansive or even aggressive foreign policy. Consequently, the basic paradigm of all military-political considerations could be the idea of strategic defense, which, however, could never acquire the necessary depth and division. The main security threat for Czechoslovakia was the permanent German neighborhood, whose danger, however, was often exaggerated on purpose for political and propaganda reasons. This was partially done on the basis of foreign (French, British or Soviet) influences, which always partly shaped or completely replaced domestic strategic considerations.
An important milestone for domestic strategic thinking was the emergence of the atomic age. Since the 1950s, Czechoslovakian doctrine and strategy were forced to identify with Soviet ideas of a total thermonuclear war, which, in Moscow's view, was the final solution to the political contradictions between capitalist and socialist states. The completely unprecedented achievements of Czechoslovak military science, culminating in the attempted reform of the Prague Spring of 1968/69, stemmed precisely from the need to find effective alternatives to such a form of war. The memorable Memorandum 68 and its creators were looking for the necessary variants of the Czechoslovak security policy so that the Czechoslovakia together with the Czechs and Slovaks would not disappear from the map of Europe due to the impending nuclear inferno. After the normalization persecutions, these ideas were reflected in the most independent strategic thinking that accompanied the last years or months of the problematically divided Czechoslovakian federation.
The Czech Republic partially followed up on this ideological link after 1993, which was reflected in the wording of the military doctrines and strategies created at that time. This was done despite the fact that the ideas of collective European security gradually weakened in the course of the 1990s, and their subsequent displacement was due to the idea of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as the only long-term functional guarantee of Czech national security. The entry of the Czech Republic into NATO on March 12, 1999 can then be understood as a politically realistic and pragmatic provision of the defense of the state, but not as a solution that is stable in all respects or completely immutable. This is especially true in a situation where the existence of only one dominant military-political bloc in Europe has sown elements of a certain imbalance in the relations between the countries of the old continent. Moreover, since the turn of the millennium, the above mentioned reason highlights the slow transfer of the political, military and economic power from the Euro-Atlantic to the Asian space and the gradual transition to a multipolar organization of the European and global security system. The core of Czechoslovak and Czech strategic thinking can be seen in the search for a certain form of neutrality with respect for international obligations and regional security anchoring.