Czech resistance members and civilians fighting during the Prague Uprising, which took place between 5-9 May 1945.
After six years of German occupation, but with the end of WWII in Europe looming closer, German forces in Bohemia and Moravia were attacked by civilians on May 5th 1945, with help from Czech resistance forces and the collaborationist Russian Liberation Army.
Czech forces made great progress during the first two days of the uprising, but started encountering massive problems once the ROA (Russian Liberation Forces) withdrew from the city following Germany’s provisional surrender on May 7th in Reims.
By the 8th of May, both parties were out of time and desperate, so an agreement of ceasefire has been reached. The Czechs would allow German forces safe passage through Prague in order to surrender to the Americans, while the leaving German forces would surrender their arms.
In the morning of May 9th, a part of the 1st Ukrainian front entered the city and quickly dealt with the few small pockets of German soldiers which had not yet left Prague, either because they were unaware of the ceasefire agreement, or because local resistance did not allow them to withdraw.
The uprising saw extreme violence and actions classified as war crimes from each side, as both Czech and German civilians (and surrendered soldiers) were abused, tortured, executed and massacred.
Book suggestion ⤵️
📖 Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948 (Madeleine Albright, 2012)
Photo source: Czech Radio archive