Ethnic Composition of Czechoslovak Units during the Second World War
Ethnic Composition of Czechoslovak Units during the Second World War

Summary/Abstract: MARŠÁLEK, Zdenko: “Česká,” nebo “československá” armáda? Národnostní složení československých vojenských jednotek v zahraničí v letech 1939–1945 [A “Czech” or “Czechoslovak” army? The ethnic composition of Czechoslovak military units abroad 1939–1945). Praha, Academia 2017, 528 pages, ISBN 978-80-200-2608-8. The author examines in detail the ethnic structure of Czechoslovak units which were formed in France, Great Britain, Soviet Union, North Africa and Middle East during the Second World War. His work is based mainly on a statistical analysis of an extensive set of data stored in the complete electronic database of soldiers of the Czechoslovak foreign army of the Central Military Archives – Military History Institute in Prague. The reviewer describes the numerical methods used, including their benefits and limitations, and presents the author’s conclusions and hypotheses. In his opinion, the most significant finding of the book is that concerning the diversity of the Czechoslovak units abroad; compared to other exile armies, the Czechoslovak Army’s ethnic structure was by far the most diverse one. The diversity of and percentages of different nationalities in the units depended on the place where they were formed and the time of their formation.

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