How much more help was the West capable of giving Poland in its 1919-1921 war against the Bolsheviks?

[Futurist]

What were his other idee fixe?

[wm]

Do you think that Czechoslovakia would have avoided Communism had Benes died earlier?

That's not possible, Czechoslovakia as a collaborationist state was vulnerable, its government in exile illegitimate, it's president - Beneš fake.
For these reasons it was easier than in Poland, especially that Czechoslovakia was quite socialist pre-war (they even had kolkhozes there if I remember correctly). And socialism was a gateway drug to communism.

[Futurist]

Had Benes died earlier, would it have had another, equally fake president?

[wm]

No, Beneš was a fake president, but still, he was an impressive political fighter. For that reason, two Benešes in a row was rather impossible.

Beneš was a fake president because he resigned in 1938 and later nominated himself again with British and Soviet support but without any elections in Czechoslovakia.
Basically, in 1943 Beneš sold out Czechoslovakia to the Soviets for their support for his presidency.

[Sid Guttridge]

Hi wm,

If Benes was a "fake" President, who was the real one? Hacha?

Cheers,

Sid.

[wm]

Beneš resigned his presidency, and Hácha was elected president of Czecho-Slovakia. It seems the majority of Czechs supported Hácha till the last months of the war. So the choice is obvious.

[Sid Guttridge]

Hi wm,

Doesn't this present something of a problem for the Allies?

Clearly Hacha headed a state that had been taken over involuntarily by Germany. However, he also three times offered Czech troops to form a Legion on the Eastern Front like the French, Walloons and Spanish.

It is difficult to see where the Allies could find any other Czechoslovak with as high a profile as Benes to head a government-in-exile.

How can we be sure that Hacha retained public support in the absence of elections or opinion polls?

Cheers,

Sid.

[Futurist]

Maybe holding new elections in Czechoslovakia would have been prudent?

[wm]

They held elections shortly after the war. The Soviet Army and Czech communists (and Czech socialists - socialism the gateway drug to communism) made sure its results were "correct."
There was no chance in hell for free elections.
The "correct" results could have been achieved the hard or the easy way, but they were going to happen.

[wm]

How can we be sure that Hacha retained public support in the absence of elections or opinion polls?

It looks like they liked him:
The Czech nation swears its allegiance to the Third Reich (1942):


There were a few too many people there (i.e., the enormous Wenceslas Square) for comfort:

tema7b.jpg (68.13 KiB) Viewed 592 times

and the swearing event was one of many held all across the Protectorate.

Another one, Old Town Square, Prague:
https://youtu.be/wL6a2mL-o7o?t=2476

[Futurist]

Were people bribed to attend this rally?

[Sid Guttridge]

Hi wm,

Wow, who wouldn't get swept up by such wild enthusiasm?

Only one smiling face among thousands - and that was a small boy who lit up when he saw the camera was on him.

Some people claim that the numerous smiling faces in the minority crowds photographed for propaganda purposes during the Austrian Anschluss are evidence of overwhelming Austrian enthusiasm for union with Germany.

I wonder what they would make of these Czech crowds? Presumably the Czechs are here demonstrating their steely determination in support of the Third Reich?

A cynical Sid.

[Futurist]

Yeah, one would think that a regime would have ways of getting people to attend rallies--for instance, by threatening to severely cut their wages if they don't attend.

[wm]

Would you attend such a rally
and swear your aligence to the Third Reich
because of your wage or a bribe?

[Futurist]

Possibly. I mean, there would be no negative consequences for me if the Nazis would have subsequently lost the war, right?