It needs to be said that Josef Smrkovsky didn’t live to experience any gratitude for any of posts he held. In the first case he fell into disfavour due to May negotiations with German occupants and on the second occasion for his firm approach when dealing with Soviet occupants.

 
In spite of the fact that during the spring 1968 he belonged among the most popular politicians and was often invited by working groups and students, he hold inside of the reformist movement a position of a “dyed-in-the-wool Communist” which he was for the whole duration of his life.

Minister of Woods, Waters and Hills 

We realized that if we let the American army into Prague it would mean that it would become an army of liberation. This would result in a political shift in favour of bourgeoisie. We didn’t know at this time that Winston Churchill was of the same opinion and therefore he advised Americans to make it to Prague. This is a statement that has been for long time put to Josef Smrkovsky. It is however, questionable whether in May 1945 this was really his opinion. Nevertheless, many people are of the opinion that his “class” conscience was doubtless.

Josef Smrkovsky was brought up in a family of farmers; he was trained as a baker and became the Secretary of Red Trade Unions (1930-32). After he had become a member of the KSC (the Czechoslovakian Communist Party) in 1933 he worked as a Secretary of the Communist Union of Youth in Prague (1933-35). He graduated from political school in USSR and afterwards worked as a Secretary of KSC in Brno (1937-38). During the war he participated in illegal activities of the KSC and between 1944 and 1945 was a member of its illegal central management. He became a Vice Chairman of CNR (Czech National Council) where he proceeded in harmony with the above stated quotation. CNR was however already in May 1945 dissolved at the request of the USSR because it had already on 8 th May came to an agreement with Germans about the capitulation of German army which subsequently left Prague before the legendary “liberation” of Prague by the Red Army.

In spite of that, Smrkovsky became a member of the management of the UV KSC (Central Committee of KSC) and was nominated as a Chairman of the National Land Fund and in May 1946 was elected as a Communist representative for the National Assembly. As an organiser and second-in-command of the People’s Militia, he participated in February 1948 on the establishment of the Communist regime and since 1949 he worked as a Deputy Minister of Agriculture and General Director of State Estates.

In 1951 he was suddenly taken into custody and sentenced for life because of an alleged abetment of R.Slansky’s “conspirators centre”. He was released in 1955 and between 1955 and 1963 he became a head of JZD (Unified Farmers Cooperative). He struggled for his rehabilitation among others also for his working in CNR.

He was rehabilitated in 1963 and between 1963 and 1965 worked at the Ministry of National Inspection (1963-65), in the Central board of water management (1965-67) and as a Minister of Water Management and Forestry (1967-68).

The Minister of forestry, waters and hills“ as he was then called, he once again became in 1966 a member of UV KSC and embraced the reformist movement. He significantly participated on the decline of A. Novotny and his articles in January 1968 brought about the events of “Prague Spring.

In April 1968 he was elected as Chairman of the National Assembly and a member of UV KSC presidium. As a firm supporter of reforms he became one of the most popular “Men of January”. He was opposed to the anti-Semitism of Josef Jodas and other “comrades” which was aimed against Sik and other reformists. On the other hand, the “democratisation” of former reformists had its boundaries as it is illustrated by Smrkovky’s speech at StB (State Security Corps) meeting on 6 th May 1968. Among others he said that it is necessary to use all “necessary means that we find suitable” to take action against “ impertinent people” who doubt the February 1948 and that it is necessary to step against everyone and everything that wants to reverse our social order… On 19 th May he also wrote an article for the newspaper Rude pravo (Red Truth) in which he described the formation of forces that, with the help of one-sided emphasis of deformations, cruelties and mistakes…prepare the ground for formation of none-socialistic elements and which struggle for the “formation of anti-Communist and anti-Socialist opposition”.

In the summer 1968 he was assuring citizens, saying that “ whoever thinks that the Soviet Union is in control of us is making a nasty mistake”. However, it was him who was mistaken.

In the beginning of the Soviet occupation he was, together with A.Dubcek and others, dragged to USSR where he took part on negotiation with Soviet’s representatives and signed the so called Moscow Agreements. These meant not only the end of the “revivalist process” but also the beginning of the end of Smrkovsky’s political career. He didn’t come to terms with the occupation and tried to prevent accession of collaboration forces. After the federalisation of the Republic in January 1969 he became a representative of the Federal Assembly but only as a Deputy Chairman and a Chairman of the People’s Chamber. After the accession of G.Husak, Smrkovsky was during 1969 withdrawn from all state and party functions and in 1970 he was expelled from KSC, being one of the most smeared and slandered representatives of the year 1968. He died in seclusion but he didn’t get rest even after his death and the urn with his ashes was treated in a disgraceful way.

Czech people against occupants

We will persist and win!

Czech People!

The Czech National Council as a representative of revolutionary movement of Czech people and as a representative of the Czechoslovakian government in Kosice is on this day taking a charge of supreme and executive power in the area of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. Under strokes of united armies and of active resistance of Czech people, the so called Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia that had been forced on us by Germans, ceased to exist as did all the administrative authority that was carried by the Protectorate government and by German authorities. The former Prime Minister of the Protectorate, Bienert, announced at the National Council’s meting, which he personally attended, that he is submitting to measures taken by the Czech National Council as this a single entitled government authority, delegated by the Czechoslovakian government lead by the President Edvard Benes. .

The Czech National Council is headed by the university Professor Dr Albert Prazak, Vice Chairman of the National Council are Josef Smrkovsky who represents the Communist Party, Dr Josef Kotrly who is a former representative of the Social Democratic Party, Vilem Schaffer represents Catholics , Dr Otakar Machotka is a former National Socialist, Ing Jaromir Kafka represents the revolutionary movement of Agriculturists. A General Secretary of the National Council is Josef Kubat who is a representative of the revolutionary trade unions movement. The Military Committee of the National Council is lead by Jaromir Nechansky who is a Deputy General of Czech partisan and parachutist’s brigades. Lumir Civrny is a Chairman of the Press Committee and Dr Vaclav Vacek was by the National Council entrusted with the management of the capital city’s administration and with the creation of the Prague’s National Committee.

In this historical moment the Czech National Council appeals to all Czech citizens to stay in full alert and wait for other instructions and proceedings of the Czech National Council.

In Prague on 5 th May 1945