The Half -Forgotten Hero. Life Story of the Member of the Government Army on the example of Major Jan Pulkrábek
Abstract
The article presents a biography of major Jan Pulkrábek (1900 -1977), an of-fi cer of Czechoslovak Army and the Government Army of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. A prominent fi gure of interwar horse race, Anti--Nazi resistance fi ghter, political prisoner, and the victim of two 20th century totalitarian regimes.
His activity in resistance during his offi cer's service in the Government Army included planning the assassination of the State Secretary for the Protectorate, Karl H. Frank.
He also joined the foreign resistance after his infantry company's deployment to Italy. During the Communist regime, he was held in prison twice.
His dramatic life story demonstrates the apparent correspondence between Nazism and Communism in their cruelty and attitude towards inconvenient individuals. At the same time, it reveals how manipulation of history makes many remarkable fi gures of Czech modern history fall into unjustifi ed disregard or oblivion.