People's Militia (Czechoslovakia)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: |
no
|
| PGM ID Number: |
8
|
| Country: |
Czechoslovakia |
| Date formed: |
Feb. 1, 1948 |
| Accuracy of date formed: |
month
|
| Details of Formation: |
The People’s Militia originated in 1948 as the armed part of the Communist Party and was involved in the Communist seizure of power. |
| Date dissolved: |
Dec. 22, 1989 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: |
day
|
| Details of Termination: |
The group was disbanded on 22 December 1989. |
| Termination Type(s): |
government defects
|
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): |
none
|
| Successor group(s): |
none
|
| Private Military Company? |
no |
| Former Group? |
no |
| Former Armed Group? |
no |
| Former Rebel Group? |
no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: |
none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? |
no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: |
none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: |
semi-official (type 2) |
| Created by the Government?: |
yes |
Main Creating Government Institution: |
governing party
|
| Government Link(s): |
political party
|
| If link to party, name of party: |
The Communist Party |
| Training and Equipment: |
no information |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: |
yes |
| Shared Personnel: |
no information |
| Type(s) of Material Support: |
no information
|
| State Sponsor(s): |
none
|
| Other Connection(s): |
|
Group Characteristics
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): |
none
|
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: |
not applicable
|
| Ethnic Membership: |
none
|
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: |
not applicable
|
| Ethnic Purpose: |
none
|
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: |
not applicable
|
Other Information
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: |
The group served as a kind of private army to the Communist Party and its main task was to uphold communist rule (e.g. by acting against potential guerillas and undercover agents). |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use |
loyalty
|
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: |
The PGM was used to disperse protests against the regime. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: |
unknown
|
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? |
no information |
| PGM Members Paid? |
no information |
| Reasons for Membership: |
Members mainly consisted of factory workers. |
| PGM Members Killed? |
no information |
PGM Size
| Size: |
The numbers reported went from 2,000 in 1948 (Slovakia) to roughly 10,000 in 1949 (Slovakia). Eventually the group numbered 86,494 members in the whole of the country. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: |
The group was armed with rifles, (sub)machine guns, mortars and anti-aircraft machine guns. |
Organisation
| Organisation: |
The People’s Militia was under the control of the Communist Party and, prior to 1952, the Ministry of Interior. It cooperated with the People’s Army and the Public Security Corps. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Information was taken from news sources listed in the PGMD.
Wikipedia. People’s Militias (Czechoslovakia). https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=People%2527s_Militias_(Czechoslovakia)&oldid=715784931
Evidence
