Protection of Czechoslovak borders during the Cold War
The border of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (CSSR) to Western Europe, mainly to NATO-member Federal Republic of Germany (less so to neutral Austria), was during the Cold War until 1989 as fortified as the Inner German border of the German Democratic Republic, to prevent citizens of the Eastern Bloc from escaping to the West, although official reports stated it was for keeping Western Europeans out of the Communist nations. (For example, the East German border fortifications were euphemistically termed an "anti-fascist protection wall" by GDR apparatchiks.)
After World War II and the division of Germany in 1949, the border area of Czechoslovakia was already a restricted area. From 1951 onwards, this area was designated by a signal fence some kilometres inland, while the border itself was secured by a guarded strip with a single barbed wire fence. This fence, originally an electric fence with a voltage of 5000 V, was replaced starting in 1968 by a double wire mesh fence similar to that used for the Inner German border. In addition, the Czechs fitted their border with watch towers. In contrast to the concrete towers of the East Germans, these towers were usually made of wood or steel framework. In some areas various types of land mine were used, notably PP Mi-Ba, PP Mi-D and PP Mi.
The barrier typically lay around 100 metres inland from the actual boundary line. As the fence was not visible from there at some places, it repeatedly occurred that curious or careless West German strollers overlooked border markers and mistakenly entered Czechoslovak territory, which could lead to their arrest.
The Czechs witnessed the drama in the "Prague Embassy" of West Germany, where thousands of East Germans were hiding, wearing down also the patience of the Czechoslovak authorities which gave in eventually, letting all East Germans travel directly to West Germany on 3 November, thus breaking the Iron Curtain.
On 17 November 1989, the Velvet Revolution succeeded. The barbed wire at the borders to East Germany and Austria was removed from 5 December onwards, and from 11th the Czechoslovak fortifications on the West German border were dismantled.
Now the Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria are all part of the Schengen Agreement, which means that the border is no longer defended at all, and travelers are free to cross the borders without even passport checks.
See also
External links
- S-175 Gardina (The Curtain), the main type of electronic security barrier on the Soviet borders (in Russian)
- http://www.history.army.mil/documents/BorderOps/ch6.htmModern Border Operations], United States Army Center of Military History
- Czechoslovak Border Barrier System, United States Army Center of Military History
