State Security (Czechoslovakia)
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In former Czechoslovakia, State Security (Czech: Státní bezpečnost, Slovak: Štátna bezpečnosť) or StB / ŠtB, was a plainclothes secret police force from 1945 to its dissolution in 1990. Serving as an investigative, intelligence and counter-intelligence agency as well as the suppressive force, any activity that could possibly be considered antistate fell under the purview of StB.
From its very establishment on June 30, 1945, StB was bound to and controlled by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. The Communists used StB as an instrument of power and repression: StB watched and intimidated the political opponents of the Party and forged false criminal evidence against them, thus paving the way for the coup in 1948. Even then, before Czechoslovakia became a Communist state, StB used many brutal practices such as forcing confessions by means of torture or drugs, blackmailing and kidnapping. After the coup, these practices became common and widely used, supported and taught by Soviet advisors.
StB's part in the fall of the regime in 1989 is still uncertain. The fact is, that the reportedly dead student, Martin Šmíd, was actually an StB agent named Ludvík Zifčák. The rumour about a student killed in a demonstration enraged the public, easing the road to the overthrow of the Communist regime; StB's involvement in this crucial point therefore leads to various conspiracy theories.
State Security was dissolved on February 1, 1990.
Organization within the Czechoslovak government
The State Security was a part of the National Security Corps (Czech: Sbor národní bezpečnosti, SNB) along with Public Security (Czech: Veřejná bezpečnost, VB) – an uniformed force that performed standard police duties. Both forces had headquarters at regional and district levels. They were supervised by Ministries of Interior of Czech and Slovak Socialistic Republics, but operationally directed by the federal Ministry of Interior.Memorable people
- Alfred Frenzel, who infiltrated West Germany during the 1950s.
External links
- [Czechoslovak security forces profile]
- [Library of Congress country study of Czechoslovakia]
- [Nation's Memory Institute Slovak Republic]
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