By the early 1960s, Czechoslovak president and Communist Party head,
Antonin Novotny, grew concerned that the military opposed increasing involvement in the
Warsaw Pact. Accordingly, he moved to reorganize the CPA and reassign several generals. In 1965, Novotny reorganized the 1st Army into the
Western Military District, and the commander of the 1st Army, Lt. Gen
Stanislav Prochazka, saw his power significantly reduced. Nonetheless, he initially earned the favor of the new president,
Ludvík Svoboda, in 1968. When the
Prague Spring uprising occurred under
Alexander Dubcek, Svoboda initially sympathized with the protests. Prochazka then publicly expressed sympathy for the uprising as well. Additionally, Prochazka publicly expressed his opposition to
Warsaw Pact intervention in Czechoslovakia's internal affairs. When Svoboda decided to support Warsaw Pact intervention and Soviet suzerainty over Czechoslovakia, General Prochazka was forced into early retirement and the 1st Army reformed again under General
Karel Rusov.[3]
Units of the Army 1989
This listing is based on the Czech Ministerstvo národní obrany 1950-1990 website, which lists all units of the Czechoslovak People's Army in existence between 1950 and 1990, with their location, subordination, equipment and changes over time.
1st Army Structure in 1989 (click to enlarge)
The Army's 1st Headquarters Battalion was located in Příbram.
1st Tank Division in
Slaný (in case of full mobilization would have also formed the 16th Tank Division)
^PARALLEL HISTORY PROJECT ON NATO AND THE WARSAW PACT (PHP): Oral History Interviews with Czechoslovak Generals: Soviet-Czechoslovak Military Planning in the Cold War. |Edited by: Sieber, Karel and Mastny, Vojtech|
https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/108640/doc_10532_290_en.pdf
By the early 1960s, Czechoslovak president and Communist Party head,
Antonin Novotny, grew concerned that the military opposed increasing involvement in the
Warsaw Pact. Accordingly, he moved to reorganize the CPA and reassign several generals. In 1965, Novotny reorganized the 1st Army into the
Western Military District, and the commander of the 1st Army, Lt. Gen
Stanislav Prochazka, saw his power significantly reduced. Nonetheless, he initially earned the favor of the new president,
Ludvík Svoboda, in 1968. When the
Prague Spring uprising occurred under
Alexander Dubcek, Svoboda initially sympathized with the protests. Prochazka then publicly expressed sympathy for the uprising as well. Additionally, Prochazka publicly expressed his opposition to
Warsaw Pact intervention in Czechoslovakia's internal affairs. When Svoboda decided to support Warsaw Pact intervention and Soviet suzerainty over Czechoslovakia, General Prochazka was forced into early retirement and the 1st Army reformed again under General
Karel Rusov.[3]
Units of the Army 1989
This listing is based on the Czech Ministerstvo národní obrany 1950-1990 website, which lists all units of the Czechoslovak People's Army in existence between 1950 and 1990, with their location, subordination, equipment and changes over time.
1st Army Structure in 1989 (click to enlarge)
The Army's 1st Headquarters Battalion was located in Příbram.
1st Tank Division in
Slaný (in case of full mobilization would have also formed the 16th Tank Division)
^PARALLEL HISTORY PROJECT ON NATO AND THE WARSAW PACT (PHP): Oral History Interviews with Czechoslovak Generals: Soviet-Czechoslovak Military Planning in the Cold War. |Edited by: Sieber, Karel and Mastny, Vojtech|
https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/108640/doc_10532_290_en.pdf