CIVIL DEFENSE IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79R01141A000700110002-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 57
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 10, 2013
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: November 30, 1956
• Content Type: REPORT

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SECRET
ECONOMIC INTELLIGENCE REPORT
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N? 63
CIVIL DEFENSE IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA
CIA/RR 85
30 November 1956
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND REPORTS
V('
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WARNING
This material contains information affecting
the National Defense of the United States
within the meaning of the espionage laws,
Title 18, USC, Secs. 793 and 794, the trans-
mission or revelation of which in any manner
to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
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ECONOMIC INTELLIGENCE REPORT
CIVIL DEFENSE IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA
CIA/RR 85
(ORR Project 41.1044)
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Office of Research and Reports
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CONTENTS
Summary
I. Organization
Page
1
3
A.
Command
3
B.
Province and District Offices
4
C.
Urban Areas
1.
D.
Industrial Enterprises
6
E.
Transportation
7
F.
Dwellings
7
G.
Recruiting
7
II.
Union for Cooperation with the Army
8
A.
Background
8
B.
Mission
9
C.
Organization
9
D.
Financing and Supply
11
E.
Support and Direction
11
III.
Security, Plans, and Training
12
A.
Security
12
B.
National Planning
12
C.
Civil Defense Plans in Enterprises
13
D.
Instructions for Alerts
15
1. SPecial Preparations
15
2. Antiaircraft Alert
16
3. Air-Raid Alarm
16
4. Gas Alarm
17
5. Postalarm Period
17
E.
Training
17
1. Instructors
17
2. Training in Enterprises
18
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IV.
3. General Public
4. Drills
Construction of Urban Air-Raid Shelters
Page
19
19
20
A. Governmental Shelters
20
B. Industrial Shelters
22
C. Central Shelters in Urban Areas
23
D. Dwelling Units
24
V.
Medical Civil Defense
25
A. Medical Resources
25
B. Medical Civil Defense Services
26
C. Czechoslovak Red Cross and First-Aid Training .
.
27
VI.
Other Aspects of Civil Defense
28
A. Police and Control Organizations
28
B. Fire Defense
29
C. Supplies
30
D. Finance
31
E, Chemical Defense
32
F. Camouflage and Blackout
33
VII.
Defense Against Nuclear Attack
33
A. Release of Atomic Information
33
B. Increasing Interest in Suburban Shelters . . .
.
34
C. Preparation of Plans for Evacuation and Shelter
.
35
1. Shelter Construction Outside Cities
35
2. Mobilization of Evacuation and Transporta-
tion
36
D. Other Nuclear Defense Measures
37
E. Significance of Nuclear Defense Developments ?
?
38
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Page
Illustrations
Figure 1. Organization of Civil Defense in
Czechoslovakia (Chart)
Following Page
4
Figure 2. Sketch of the Floor Plan of a Czechoslovak
Special Air-Raid Shelter 22
22
22
Figure 5. Sketch of the Air-Raid Shelter at the Main
Railroad Station in Prague, Czechoslovakia 24
Figure 6. Entrance to a Reported Air-Raid Shelter in
Brno, Czechoslovakia (Photograph) 24
24
Figure 8. Sketches of Apartment-House Air-Raid Shelters
in the USSR 24
24
Figure 3. Sketch of the Floor Plan of a Czechoslovak
Class II Air-Raid Shelter
Figure 4. Sketch of an Inner Cell of a Czechoslovak
Class II Air-Raid Shelter
Figure 7. Sketch of the Floor Plan of an Air-Raid
Shelter in Liberec, Czechoslovakia
Figure 9. Sketches of Soviet Gas Filters for Air-Raid
Shelters
Figure 10. Diagram of Geographical Defense Against
Nuclear Weapons (Based on Statements by a
Soviet Authority)
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(ORR Project ).i.1.1044)
CIVIL DEi0ENSE IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA*
Summary
Czechoslovakia is rapidly developing, under Soviet direction,
a civil defense system modeled after that of the USSR. The cost
of training, protective construction, administration, and supply
for civil defense purposes is estimated to have been US $40 million
in 1953 and has probably been about the same since then.
Since the winter of 1952-53 a determined effort has been made to
achieve widespread civil defense training under the nominal leader-
ship of the National Committees** and such organizations as the
Union for Cooperation with the Army (Svaz pro Spolupraci s Armadou --
SVAZARM), the Czechoslovak Red Cross (Ceskoslovensky Cerveny Kriz --
CsCK), and the Czechoslovak Union for Fire Defense. These organi-
zations have trained hundreds of thousands of Czechoslovak citizens
in civil defense, first aid, and fire fighting. SVAZARM, with a
membership of over 600,000, is responsible for conducting nationwide
civil defense instruction. It also organizes and trains civil
defense groups in residential areas. Leadership in civil defense
and assistance in the recruiting effort for such training has been
required of the Communist Party, various governmental bodies, Com-
munist youth organizations, and the trade unions.
Construction for air defense has been carried on simultaneously
with training and recruiting. Civil defense construction has in-
cluded the provision of air-raid shelters in newly erected buildings
and in many older buildings and factories, the reconditioning and
extension of World War II mass shelters in urban areas, and the
construction of new shelters outside cities. Repair of old, static
water tanks and the building of new water reservoirs for fire fight-
ing has also taken place. An air-warning system has been provided.
* The estimates and conclusions Contained in this report repre-
sent the best judgment of ORB as of 1 September 1956.
** National Committees are the executive bodies of Czechoslovak
government at the province, district, and local levels'.
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Supplies on hand for civil defense programs include trucks, fire-
fighting equipment, medical items, small tools, blackout materials,
and gas masks.
Continued construction, organizational drives, recruiting
efforts, and modification of training to include atomic-defense
information all indicate that the desired level of preparation
has not been attained.
The continued stress on preparation for civil defense in Czecho-
slovakia and in several other countries of the Soviet Bloc during
the past 3 years leads to several conclusions:
1. Soviet Bloc military planners have recognized that
heavy aerial attack is the most serious military threat to con-
tinuing Communist power. This recognition has been shown by
the simultaneous pursuit of the civil defense program, the de-
velopment of nuclear weapons, and the improvement of aerial
offensive and defensive capabilities.
2. Civil defense has been conceded to be a matter of
national concern. Its preparation has been advanced by means
of compulsory training and recruiting and by centralized direc-
tion of financing, supply, and construction.
3. Having initiated and publicized the need for civil
defense, it would now be embarrassing for the Czechoslovak leaders
to lessen considerably or to dispense with these preparations. If
they were reduced, it would probably be deemed necessary to justify
this action to the public. (Publicity in this case would probably
minimize the possibility of nuclear warfare.)
4. Several psychological advantages have probably been
gained by developing civil defense activity. These include placing
the Communist Party and the government in the role of protectors
from possible Western nuclear attack, getting the Czechoslovak
people and leaders working together in a common and largely humani-
tarian effort, and furnishing a directed activity as the outlet for
any anxiety Czechoslovaks may feel about nuclear attack.
The present capability of Czechoslovak civil defense to cope
with air attack is difficult to evaluate. It apparently should be
able to make a creditable showing against intermittent bombing with
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high-explosive weapons. It would probably be inadequate to cope
with heavy nuclear attack or saturation bombing with conventional
weapons unless extensive preparations have been accomplished with
complete secrecy.
Some dispersed shelters have been prepared outside Czechoslovak
cities, but these appear, at present, to be only for selected per-
sonnel. A plan to build more mass shelters for atomic defense has
been reported. If such shelters are built outside urban areas,
Czechoslovak civil defense capabilities against nuclear attack will
be considerably increased during the next few years.
I. Organization.
The USSR assumed the role of leadership in the preparation of
air-defense measures of the European Satellites in 1952, when Soviet
commissions were sent to the various Satellites to standardize and
organize air defense. 11* The parallels which have developed be-
tween Satellite and Soviet civil defense show that Soviet guidance
has been a dominant factor. This is particularly true in Czecho-
slovakia, where Soviet leadership and example have been acknowledged
in both civil defense and paramilitary organization. (For a
chart of the organization of civil defense in Czechoslovakia, see
Figure 1.**)
A. Command.
Civil defense in Czechoslovakia is organized under the Minis-
try of the Interior. It is probable that there is a corps of
civil defense staff officers similar to those in the, USSR,
Hungary, 2/ and Bulgaria Y and that the national civil defense
headquarters forms a separate administration, or directorate, under
the Ministry of the Interior. The chief of Czechoslovak civil de-
fense is reported to be a general officer. 1/
** Following p. 4.
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Career civil defense officers in Czechoslovakia probably
belong to the National Security Corps (Sbor Narodni Bezpecnosti --
SNB). SNB deputies for civil defense are assigned at nearly
all levels of government -- provinces, districts, 2/ and probably
larger cities. (Prague reportedly has a general officer in charge
of civil defense. 12/) Members of the SNE are also used as civil
defense staff officers in industrial ministries, at the various
economic administrative levels, and in large industrial installa-
tions. 11/ Inspectors of civil defense are known also -babe used
in industrial organizations, 12/ probably to supervise the prepara-
tions of enterprises having no special staff officer for civil
defense.
It is not known whether there are special civil defense
officers to direct or monitor protective construction, but it
seems highly probable. Career civil defense staff officers are,
presumably, specially trained and are apparently well paid. 12/
B. Province and District Offices.
"Directors" of civil defense, usually army reservists,
control civil defense at the province and district level. They
are usually assisted by an SNB deputy./ In addition to adminis-
trative duties, these intermediate civil defense headquarters prob-
ably supervise the civil defense schools operated by SVAZARM. 12/
It has. also been reported that training is given in so-called
provincial civil defense centers. Factory civil defense personnel,
particularly, have been reported to attend these courses. 1.?../
C. Urban Areas.
The nominal head of civil defense at the city level is the
president of the Local National Committee, 17/ assisted, in the
larger communities, by a civil defense staff officer.
Instructions published about 1949 show that the local
commander for air defense had a role in monitoring civil de-
fense preparation.* Civil defense plans drawn up by industrial
* Air defense includes aerial intercept, air-warning equipment, and
antiaircraft artillery. Civil defense includes passive measures
taken to minimize the effects of attack on civilians, to deal with
emergency conditions, and to effect restoration after attack.
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ORGANIZATION OF CIVIL DEFENSE IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
INDUSTRIAL MINISTRIES
Military Deputy
MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR
Commander of CO*
(Commanded by a General Officer)
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MINISTRY OF DEFENSE
Civil Defense Coordinating Office
Directorates
Provincial CO*
Prague Province CO*
Provincial Civil Defense
CO* Commander
Training Centers
Army or Civilian Director
(Commanded by a
with SNB** Deputy.
with SNB** Deputy
General Officer)
District CO*
Army or Civilian Director
with SNB** Deputy
Town-Village CO*
President of Local Counci
Figure 1
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION
Railroad Security Police
Enterprise CO*
Factory Manager or
special SNB** Referent
Alert Detachments
Order
Fire
Medical
Decontamination
Engineer
25645.1 11-56
Block Supervisor
Dwelling Supervisor
Fire-Fighting Unit
Medical First-Aid Unit
r
I Civil Defense Battalions I
(?)
I
1? ?1
Railroad Stations
Deputy Station-Master
for CO*
*Civil Defense (Civilni Obrono ? CO)
**Notional Security Corps (Sbor Norodni Bezpenosti ? SN8)
Ports
Guard Commander
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plants and office buildings were to be reviewed and approved by
him. 1__Y The local civil defense commander supervises passive
defense and may be fully subordinate to the active air defense
commander in an emergency situation, as is the case in the
USSR. 12/
The reported preparation and training of civil defense forces
in urban areas has so far been limited largely to those at the lowest
level -- those in dwelling units; factories; schools; and various
economic, social, and cultural institutions. Reports of organiza-
tion of city or area-wide civil defense forces or exercises have
been significantly lacking. If the Czechoslovaks use the Soviet
system of city and sector organization, they will have, under the
commanders of civil defense, crews or services for preservation of
order, fire fighting) medical aid, gas defense, transportation,
damage restoration, communications, shelter, and others. In the
USSR these services usually are headed by local officials and are
performed by existing organizations, agencies, or groups whose
peacetime occupation especially fits them for these tasks. For
example, the medical civil defense service is headed by the local
head of the health service, and the nucleus for his operative force
is the local medical installations. Civil defense police and fire-
fighting services are headed by the regular police and fire guard
commanders and include their police and fire-fighting units.
Necessary auxiliary personnel must be recruited and trained. These
are drawn from the public at large, particularly from the Union of
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the case of medical per-
sonnel L../ and probably from trainees of the Voluntary Society
for Cooperation with the Army, Air Force, and Navy (Dobrovolinoye
Obshchestvo Sodeystviya Armii, Aviatsii, i Flotu DOSAAF) in
the case of transport drivers, communication personnel, and the
like.
It is probable that this type of organization has been
initiated in Czechoslovak cities. Local administrations were directed
in 1953 to carry out plans for establishing a strong civil defense. L/
A civil defense battalion was established in one city by April 1954,
probably under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior. 2.
the inclusion of engineering
and chemical personnel the battalion was 'mobilized."
It does not seem probable that this type of unit is kept at war
strength with permanent personnel. Part of the personnel may be on
full-time duty, however, technical units of civil defense having
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been reported from both Hungary 2/..1J and East Germany. 2,2/ Civil
defense battalion headquarters have been reported in some cities
of the USSR, but available information suggests that they employ
locally recruited personnel. 26/
Civil defense units of cities will be quasimilitary in character,
and auxiliary medical personnel are in organized units and are
assigned military rank.
D. Industrial Enterprises.
The nominal directors for civil defense within industrial
ministries and the Ministries of Culture, Education, and Justice
are the ministers themselves. They have, however, special deputies
(military officers) who are subordinate to the national civil de-
fense command and act for them in civil defense matters. There
may also be officials concerned with civil defense-in various de-
partments of ministries. .2.2/ At the enterprise level the plant
director is the commander of civil defense. The deputy commander,
and probably the operative head for organization and training, is
reportedly the leader of the factory guard, responsible to the
Minister of the Interior. In large plants guarded by military
personnel, the deputy is a special SNB "referent" appointed by
the Ministry of the Interior. It is possible that these civil
defense leaders were designated as commanders of civil defense
some time in 1953.
Within the enterprise an alert-detachment is formed, made
up of the following units: (1) police unit, to maintain order,
organize movement to shelter, safeguard property, and the like;
(2) fire-fighting unit, to maintain fire latch and fight fire;
(3) medical unit, to administer first aid to the injured; (4) com-
munications and observation unit, to supply telephone, observation,
and liaison personnel; (5) engineer unit, to perform rescue work
and debris clearance; and (6) chemical unit, to reconnoiter and
mark off areas of atomic and chemical contamination and also to
supervise decontamination. 21/
It appears that the permanent guard and fire-fighting,
medical, and communications personnel present in the enterprise
will form the nucleus of these civil defense services. The senior
officials of the peacetime services probably will be assigned as
chiefs of the police, fire-fighting, and medical services of civil
defense.
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The strength of the civil defense unit within a given enter-
prise depends on the size of the enterprise and the number of em-
ployees. All employees not included in the alert-detachment are
considered to be in reserve and must carry out civil defense duties
when so ordered. 2/
E. Transportation.
The Minister of Transportation is the head of civil defense
for railroad and river transportation. His deputy for this purpose
is a police official who is also in charge of the Railroad Security
Police and who is answerable to the Minister of the Interior. In
large railroad stations, a railroad police official is in charge of
civil defense.
F. Dwellings.
Although widespread training has been noted among urban house-
holders generally, the organization of civil defense in dwelling
units apparently has lagged in Czechoslovakia. The civil defense
chain of command for dwellings passes from the local civil defense
commander through the block supervisor to the dwelling supervisor.1-2/
Reports of training and organization lead to the conclusion that
small groups (6 to 10 persons) are organized for fire fighting and
first aid in dwelling units. 1V
G. Recruiting.
Recruiting for civil defense has been both voluntary and
compulsory. Signs encouraging Czechoslovak citizens to join in
civil defense activity were reported during 1953-55. lY The
large amount of participation in civil defense activity, however,
makes it obvious that reports of compulsory enlistment 21/ and
training lY are reliable. Early in 1953 it was compulsory for
one member of each family to take the Czechoslovak Red Cross train-
ing while others were "drafted" for air-raid protection training. 22/
Compulsory enrollment of students in civil defense training courses
was also initiated in 1953. '12/ the
lower age limit for service is 16 and that the upper may be 60.Ill/
The degree of recruiting efforts combined with the report
of an organized civil defense battalion may indicate that city
operational units are being organized after early emphasis on the
organization and training of civil defense units in economic instal-
lations.
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II. Union for Cooperation with the Army.
The Union for Cooperation with the Army (Svaz pro Spolupraci s
Armadou SVAZARM) is the principal organization connected with
civil defense training in Czechoslovakia. In contrast to the
civil defense command structure, it receives widespread publicity
SVAZARM is the
organizing body for civil defense. Ey A counterpart of DOSAAF
in the USSR, the SVAZARM acknowledges the example and leadership
of DOSAAF in civil defense training LI-2/ and paramilitary activity.1111./
A. Background.
The SVAZARM was formed from sport groups* in 1951 and re-
portedly reorganized during 1952.Ill/ Activities during 1951-53
were probably limited to basic military training plus instruction
or club work in such fields as small-arms shooting, boating,
parachute jumping, and radio training.
During this early period, organizational efforts of SVAZARM
were directed toward forming primary organizations in enterprises,
factories, offices, and agricultural cooperatives. It was announced
in 1953 that the second stage of development would be aimed at estab-
lishing primary organizations in schools and educational centers. LI/
Since. 1953, SVAZARM has become increasingly involved in civil
defense activities. In In August 1953 a conference concerned with
the preparation of civil defense was held in Prague. SVAZARM
leaders attended this meeting as well as representatives of the
National Front, the Trades Union Council, the League of Czechoslovak
Youth, and the Czechoslovak Union for Fire Defense.
SVAZARM personnel were being used for
civil defense training and had formed some civil defense units,
probably for instructional purposes. L2/ It is possible that general
civil defense training for its members and for civil defense units
in dwellings, schools,. factories, and the like was assigned to
SVAZARM at the time of this meeting.
*. Some of these were the Auto Club of the Czechoslovak Republic,
the Aero Club of the Czechoslovak Republic, Czechoslovak Radio
Amateurs, Water Scouts, and the Club of Czechoslovak Tourists.
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B. Mission.
The tasks of SVAZARM include conducting premilitary train-
ing for Czechdslovak youth, encouraging members to learn military
specialties through training within SVAZARM, giving civil defense
training to its members and the general population, and teaching
correct political and patriotic attitudes to its membership.
At least until 1953, new members of SVAZARM were required
to take basic military training including close order drill, march-
ing, firing of small arms, grenade throwing, theory of fire, map
reading, and. first aid. 22/ This requirement may have been relaxed
for older volunteers since 1953 to increase membership. 21/
All members of SVAZARM are encouraged to acquire military
specialties. Military specialties may be acquired through SVAZARM
courses in radio, photography, parachute jumping, glider and flight
training, dog training, water sports, military engineering, map
reading and drawing, mountain climbing, horseback riding, skiing,
and driving. 2
SVAZARM has also been given the task of organizing nation-
wide civil defense training for its membership and the general
public. 2.3./
Political indoctrination is carried on in SVAZARM, as it
is in most Communist organizations, 2).._11 to implant Communist politi-
cal views, to explain the need for defense training, and to develop
loyalty to the Czechoslovakstate and the Communist system.
C. Organization.
Lieutenant General Cenek Bruskal the chairman of the Central
Committee of SVAZARM, 22/ is reported to be a member of the General
Staff, a Deputy Minister of Defense, and a member of the Central
Committee of the Communist Party. .2W The Central Committee of
SVAZARM probably has been superseded as the highest legal body of
SVAZARM by the NationAl SVAZARM Conference, which first met in
May 1956. 2// Central Sections of SVAZARM which are attached to
the Central Committee include those for motor transportation; dog
training; radio; and aviation, with subsidiary sections for aircraft
flying, glider training, and parachute training. It is probable
that sections also exist for premilitary training and civil defense
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inasmuch as these are well-known activities and would logically have
central direction. The commanders of Central Sections have been
reported to be members of the Central Committee. 2.Y
Provincial committees of SVAZARM are subordinate to the
national headquarters. They have activity committees which
correspond to the Central Sections at the national level. 22/ One
source has reported that, in addition to the chairman, there are
8 to 11 paid employees at the provincial headquarters...(2,/
District committees under the provincial committees are
organized along the same lines and are reported to have three
fulltime employees -- a chairman (usually a reserve officer), a
secretary, and a clerk. LI
Local organizations of SVAZARM, similarly organized, are
subordinate to the district committees. .?.2/ It is not known whether
they have any paid employees.
The basic organizations of SVAZARM are subject to local
committees. These organizations are formed in enterprises, offices,
factories, schools, and colleges, as well as on collective farms.
Although their size is not known, similar units in the USSR have
membership varying in size from three people to several hundred.
Basic organizations of SVAZARM elect a committee of 3 to 11 members,
depending on the size of the unit. The committee includes at least
a chairman, a secretary, and a treasurer. Larger committees may
have, in addition, a deputy chairman and a supply officer.
Committee members who do not hold a specific administrative office
are made responsible for definite sectors of the basic organization.
This basic organization is composed of groups divided by fields of
interest, such as radio operating, piloting, parachuting, motoring,
and dog training. 65/ There are circles within the basic organiza-
tion for teaching civil defense and probably also for giving basic
military training to new members.
SVAZARM membership is open to both sexes. The minimum age
is 14 years. SVAZARM's strength has apparently increased
rapidly since 1951. The growth of membership in SVAZARM in 1951-54
and 1956 is as follows:
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Year
Number of Members
1951
1952
1953
1954
1956
6o,000 0./
180,000 162/
310,000 7o/
500,000 11/
600,000 E/
It is assumed that most of the 600,000 SVAZARM members have
had basic military training. 12/ They constitute, therefore, an
auxiliary of impressive size for the armed forces of Czechoslovakia.
D. Financing and Supply.
Financing of SVAZARM is accomplished partly through regis-
tration fees and partly through annual dues. Each of these pay-
ments is reported to amount to 20 koruny (UE $0.6o*). IL/ It is
obvious that such a payment is not enough to pay for the various
activities of the organization and to provide the sizable sums
necessary for equipment, training, quarters, and the salaries of
paid workers. It has been reported that additional funds are made
available by the Ministry of Defense. 12/
The Army reportedly supplies SVAZARM members with one uni-
form, including beret, shirt and tie, leggings, and a belt. Issuance
of these, however, has not been extensively reported. The Army also
supplies SVAZARM units with weapons, ammunition, training aids,
signal-corps material, airplanes, parachutes, and training litera-
ture. IY Headquarters buildings, training areas in enterprises,
and areas for field training are made available to SVAZARM, but
financial means for their procurement are unknown.
E. Support and Direction.
SVAZARM is reportedly a voluntary organization. IV Con-
siderable pressure for recruiting is exercised, however, by the
Communist Party, ILY the League of Czechoslovak Youth, and the labor
unions.
* An exchange rate of US $0.03 per koruna is used throughout this
report.
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The Communist Party and the government also furnish direction
to SVAZARM. The keynoted SVAZkRM activities for 1956 (civil defense
and motor training 12/) are probably the result of defense directives
adopted by the 1954 Party Congress. 80/ They were amplified at a
1955 SVAZARM conference, which was attended by representatives from
the Central Committee of the Communist Party, the Ministry of National
Defense, the Premier's Office, the National Front Central Committee,
and the Central Committee of the League of Czechoslovak Youth. L31/
III. Security, Plans, and Training.
A. Security.
There is little doubt that many aspects of civil defense are
subject to security regulations in Czechoslovakia, as they are in
the USSR. 82/
Instructions
for urban areas, he indicated, are passed through the National Com-
mittees at various levels until they reach the housing supervisors.
Industrial installations receive instructions through ministerial
channels. ,212/ A 1949 instructional manual also indicated that there
is some degree of secrecy connected with civil defense. Civil defense
training, according to these instructions, was to be carried on within
a factory or office, and it was specified that drills should be
signaled by an alarm not audible outside the enterprise. 84/ The
latest evidence of the control of civil defense information occurred
in a published article on civil defense training which stated
specifically that trainees were to be lectured only on topics they
"should know." 85/
In view of the evident application of security restrictions,
it appears dangerous to assume that plans and activities of civil
defense are limited to measures which are publicized or are common
knowledge. It can be expected that civil defense plans, construc-
tion, stockpiling, and operations will be shielded as far as prac-
ticable from public and foreign curiosity.
B. National Planning.
Because of security restrictions, it is unlikely that high-
level plans for civil defense preparation in Czechoslovakia will
become available. It is probable that they are prepared in the Min-
istry of the Interior and coordinated with, or directed by, staff
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bodies of the Ministry of National Defense and the Communist Party
as well as by Soviet advisers. Central planning has been reflected
in many activities. These include the initiation of widespread
civil defense training, the preparation of .reserve fire-fighting
material, the renovation and construction of air-raid shelters, and
the preparation of warning systems, static water tanks, and black-
outs. 13,g Such measures, involving considerable expenditure of
funds, must be the result of direction and financial allocations
from the central government rather than the result of local initia-
tive and voluntary financing.
some of the provisions of a national emergency plan known as
"Plan S." These included the following: (1) alerting of the
interior guard and militia, (2) forming an auxiliary corps of the
security services, (3) issuing gas masks to the population,
(4) holding air-raid defense exercises throughout the country,
and (5) making harvest duties compulsory for all persons of 16 to
60 years of age.
The implementation of this elementary national emergency
plan, although reportedly ordered for July 1953, was apparently
never accomplished. It is noteworthy, however, that an auxiliary
militia has been recruited, civil defense training advanced, and
some gas masks issued since "Plan S" was reported.
C. Civil Defense Plans in Enterprises.
Civil defense organizations in industrial plants, office
buildings, department stores, banks, schools, hotels, hospitals,
and the like are referred to as "self-help" groups. A Czechoslovak
manual for the preparation of civil defense in such installations
was published in 1949. The preparation and submission of a model
plan for the civil defense of an enterprise was included in the
discussion. 21/ This plan describes the installation and its situa-
tion in relationship to the city) access roads, and neighboring
property. The factory management is described, and addresses of
prominent individuals in the enterprise are given, including that
of the civil defense commander. A description of the installation
with an accompanying sketch locates and names all buildings and
describes their construction in detail. Machinery, power sources,
and storage areas are located. The air-raid shelter is next de-
scribed in some detail. A description of the communications
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installation of the plant is given, followed by personnel lists
categorized by sex and civil defense assignments. Blackout pre-
cautions are set forth and a complete listing of fire-fighting
equipment and measures is given. Decontamination, engineering,
and medical equipment are also listed. One item tabulates ad-
ministrative objects to be stored in the air-raid shelter. It
includes material pertaining to the bookkeeping of the current
year, a portable safe, writing material, typewriters, and adding
machines. Accompanying the text of the plan are the following
enclosures:
1. A situation map of the establishment and its
Immediate surroundings.
2. A detailed plan locating all buildings and
indicating the specific purpose of each room; vulnerable points
during air attack; and the locations of hydrants, water tanks,
sewers, and fire-fighting equipment and materials. In connection
with the plan of the building, there are also plans of the elec-
tric, gas, and hot-water lines; a plan of the steampipe lines;
and a plan showing the location of the switchboard.
3. A plan of the air-raid shelter and a list of
equipment.
4. Lists of personnel of both the alert-detachments
and the reserve detachments of civil defense with an exact classifi-
cation of every individual.
5. A list of fire-fighting, sanitation (decontamination),
medical, engineering, and other equipment and apparatus. .?.2/
These instructions may have been modified since publication
in 1949, but more recent reports of organization and training re-
flect no basic operational change in the civil defense of enter-
prises. Such a plan probably is based on directives from local civil
defense headquarters and, in the case of enterprises subordinate to
a federal ministry, from the civil defense office of the ministry
concerned.
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D. Instructions for Alerts.
1. Special Preparations.
In addition to the normal preparations which might fol-
low a declaration of emergency, such as issuing gas masks and civil
defense equipment, eliminating fire hazards, and instituting black-
outs, many establishments have special instructions because of their
peculiar functions or characteristics. Instructions issued approxi-
mately in 1949 enumerated certain measures. 22/
a. Amusement Places.
In wartime, audiences or visitors in amusement
places may be restricted in number by the availability of adequate
shelter in or near the premises. At the start of each performance, '
the audience is to be instructed on behavior in the event of an
air-raid alarm.
b. Museums, Libraries, and Archives.
Museums, libraries, and archives must prepare and
remove particularly valuable works and papers to secure places out-
side inhabited areas.
c. Department Stores.
Inventories in department stores, particularly in-
flammable stocks, must be kept at low levels. Shelters are to be
prepared for customers.
d. Hospitals.
Hospitals should prepare shelters with emergency
operating rooms, emergency lighting, and reserves of drugs and
other materials. Patients who cannot be moved to a shelter are
to be kept on the ground floor and placed in hallways in the event
of alarm.
e. Food Processing Establishments.
Measures are to be taken in food processing establish-
ments to maintain a safe water supply and prevent contamination of
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food and equipment. The chemical team is to be specially trained
for decontamination of foodstuffs.
f. Circuses and Zoos.
The exhibition of wild animals in circuses and zoos
is forbidden. Control measures are to include the training of
personnel to destroy animals if necessary.
g. Gasoline Stations.
Stocks of fuel in gasoline stations are to be re-
stricted to 1 week's supply. 21/
h. Industrial Furnaces.
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workers employed at industrial furnaces are given instruction in
putting out fires quickly. 22/
2. Antiaircraft Alert.
Antiaircraft alert occurs when there is danger of air
attack and is said to correspond to a condition of "grave danger to
the state." Such a condition is said to be "announced" rather than
transmitted over an alarm system. (In the USSR the analogous
period is described as a "state of emergency," and decisions re-
garding this state are to be published in local newspapers and on
wall posters and announced over wired radio.212/) For the general
public, the noticeable effects would be the instituting of camou-
flage and blackout. Gas masks might be issued. After the alert
announcement, all persons would be warned to follow the orders and
directives pertaining to the air alarm. 95/
3. Air-Raid Alarm.
The air-raid alarm is usually sounded by several
fluctuating 1-minute blasts of air-defense sirens. 2..Y When the
alarm is sounded, persons with civil defense assignments take up
their posts, and others go to shelter after securing utilities and
machinery. Persons are forbidden to leave shelters without express
permission of the civil defense commander. (Articles published as
late as March 1956 in the USSR indicate that the general population
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is still instructed to use local shelters even under conditions of
atomic attack, 21/)
4. Gas Alarm.
It is probable that the warning for poison gas will be
the standard metal-on-metal signal supplemented by radio; telephone,
and word of mouth. (Current Sovtet instructions require that the
gas alarm be given to announce the presence of radioactive sub-
stances.) An atomic explosion in the vicinity is automatically a
gas alarm. In shelters', air-filtering mechanisms are to be used,
and people outside shelters are to put on gas masks and protective
clothing. 2Y
5. Postalarm Period.
Czechoslovak instructions emphasize that workers must
return to normal duties after the air-alarm period is terminated.
Shelters are to be returned to good condition, and the civil de-
fense commanders are to report on what has taken place during the
alarm period. The preservation of property and the repair of damage
are the responsibility of every worker. 22/ (In the USSR, similar
instructions are in effect.) In the case of chemical or radiological
alarm, however, people are directed not to leave protective shelters
until they receive special instructions from civil defense authori-
ties. 122/
E. Training.
Czechoslovakia has made a determined effort to propagate
civil defense training. It is quite possible that one-third of the
population in urban-industrial areas has received some training in
first aid, fire defense, or air defense.
1. Instructors.
It has already been stated that Czechoslovakia acknowl-
edges the leadership of the USSR in civil defense training. 121/
The lack of an effective paramilitary society already engaged in
civil defense instruction, however, forced the Czechoslovaks to
depend on the Communist Party to initiate serious civil defense train-
ing in 1953. Pursuant to an order which may have been Soviet in-
spired, training of instructors and selected segments of the population
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began by January 1953. Reliable members of the Communist Party took
special civil defense training. 122/ 5.11- 50X1
structor training for 130,000 reliable Communists was carried on
for the first 3 months of 1953 103/ by military and civilian experts
(doctors, army officers, firemen, and other specialists). 1212/
A school for the training of civil defense instructors
was operating at a SVAZARM secretariat by the summer of 1954. 122/
It is probable that SVAZARM schools for civil defense instructors
are now fairly common, inasmuch as SVAZARM itself has been made
responsible for the civil defense training of the general public as
well as its own members.12.4_6/ It is believed that these schools
are for the training of civil defense instructors and heads of self-
defense groups but that the civil defense officials within the
Ministry of the Interior are trained in a special course, as yet
unreported, similar to one reported in Hungary. 1E/ (The Hungarian
course is reported to include instruction on civil defense planning,
air defense planning for urban construction, camouflage, and the
"technical services" of air defense.)
2. Training in Enterprises.
Civil defense in Czechoslovakia was organized first in
major economic enterprises. Training of self-defense groups in
factories was the subject of instructions in 1949 but was not well
under way until the closing months of 1952. During 19530-compulsory
training of the various civil defense groups was effected in factories
and railroad installations. 17:1.08/ (Leaders of these grouts were re-
portedly trained in special 0-hour courses, staying after work on
weekdays but being excused from work on Saturdays. 109/) Team train-
ing was effected under the supervision of a factory civil defense
"referent." 110/ Men were trained by specialists in the evacuation
of the wounded, protection of public property, construction of
emergency shelters, fire fighting, warden duties, and traffic direc-
tion. Women were particularly in demand for first-aid training and
duties. 111/ Women and men exempt from military service were en-
rolled into civil defense teams.
Civil defense training in enterprises continued during
1954. one-third of the population was in- 50X1
volved during that year. 112/ In 1955, training continued under
the general leadership of SVAZARM and was announced to include in-
struction in atomic defense. In 1956 it was announced that a civil
defense goal was the training of 50 percent of enterprise workers. 113/
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3. General Public.
In March 1955 it was stated that all SVAZARM members
should become holders of the Ready for Civil Defense (Pripraven
k Civilni Obrane PCO) badge. 114/ This was probably prepara-
tory to implementing the decision to give to the general public
civil defense instruction including defense measures to be used
against atomic attack. 112/
Civil defense training for the general public which
started about 1953 now involves 20 hours of instruction. (In
the USSR, similar training lasts 21 hours. 116/) There are the
following four parts in such training: organizational familiariza-
tion with home and public civil defense; training in chemical
de-
fense; first-aid training; and fire-fighting instruction, which
includes training in rescue methods, familiarization with fire-
fighting equipment, and training in fire-fighting technique. 117/
It is not known how many people have completed these courses.
A Czech newspaper claimed that 100,000 PCO badges had been awarded
in Slovakia in July 1955. 118/ If this proportion were applicable
to the remainder of the country, over 350,000 PCO badges may have
been awarded in Czechoslovakia in the first half of 1955. SVAZARM
is also now engaged in recruiting and training for self-defense
groups -- that is, public civil defense units. A new award, PCO
grade II, has been authorized for persons having both "general"
and "specific" knowledge of civil defense. In 1955 the course in
basic civil defense was waived for members of organized self-help
groups in order to allow them to take specific courses in emergency
specialties. 119/ Public training for preparation of auxiliary
fire-fighting* and first-aid personnel was also carried on.
4. Drills.
Civil defense drills were held sporadically in schools,
institutes, and factories until 1953. 122/ Instructions probably
required that they be held twice a year. 121/ Weekly drills were
reported in some enterprises during 1954-55, 122/ but
probably refer to training programs and courses rather than to
drills. 123/ City or area civil defense drills are unreported.
See pp. 29-30, below.
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IV. Construction of Urban Air-Raid Shelters.
Significant and costly preparations for civil defense are re-
flected in shelter construction in and near 50X1
many urban centers of Czechoslovakia. Since 1949 the apparent aims
have been (1) to provide shelters in or near government, military,
and Communist Party installations and offices; (2) to equip indus-
trial installations and railroad and port facilities with emer-
gency shelter; (3) to provide some large shelters in major cities
by renovating, improving, and extending World War II shelters; and
(4) to include the construction of the cellar type of air-raid
shelter in new government buildings, apartment blocks, and other
public buildings.
Instructions to build air-raid shelters, particularly in
governmental, trade, and manufacturing installations, were pub-
lished before 1950. A Czechotlovak manual of that period states:
"In planning new constructions -- residential, industrial, or
others -- provisions must be made for the installation of an air-
raid shelter." In existing buildings, shelters will be installed
"if the building is structurally and technically adequate." Such
a shelter, according to the manual, should offer protection from
splinters of aerial bombs and other projectiles, blast effect,
chemical-warfare substances, atomic bombs, and fires. (From the
type of construction described, it is probable that "atomic"
bombs in this context referred to atomic weapons of the type used
against Japan in World War II as distinguished from thermonuclear
or hydrogen bombs.)
It is possible that extensive implementation of the shelter
building program did not start until 1951.
A. Governmental Shelters.
underground construction is assumed to be
for the protection of Party and government leaders if it is
rumored to be for this purpose or if it is located near govern-
mental offices.
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Repair work on underground shelters built during World War II
has been carried on since 1952. This work was probably undertaken
to protect officials of the secret police headquarters, officials
of the Commuhist Party, and leaders of the government. It was rumored
that shelters with the latest type of filters and radio transmitters
were beitg built in the capital of every province. LW An army
directive of 1951 required that World War II air-raid shelters, pre-
sumably in military headquarters and camps, be renovated: E2/
Two methods of building governmental shelters
the excavation of tunnel and gallery types of shelters in
hills and the construction of cellar shelters under government office
buildings. A good example of the cellar shelter is the basement
under the Ministry of the Interior in Prague which
extend two stories underground. .2g Larger air-raid shelters in
Prague are Connected to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, 127/ the General Staff Building, 128/ the building housing
the Ministerial Council, E2/ and other ministries. 130/ Lar :e
underground structures, rumored to be air-raid shelters, are
under the Letna 121/ and Petrin Hills.
Tunnel or bunker systems for or near govern-
mental installations in Brno, 132 Karlovy Vary, 4.33/ Ostrava 134
Prerov, 135 and Pardubice. _33 Military installations
have renovated 1E/ and built new shelters since 1952. 13
There is no reason to doubt that preparation of
shelters in governmental and military installations was ordered in
1951 or 1952. It is possible that countrywide preparation of these
has been substantially accomplished, in view of construc-
tion carried on in various localities. Some shelters
contain standby generators 139/ and switchboard rooms. LS/
A shelter for "high chieftains" in Prerov will contain radio equip-
ment, 141/ and one in Pardubice will be used to store vital military
records. 142/
plans for an underground Structure whiah
was "for the use of the commander." this title re-
ferred to the civil defense commander. Unfortunately, no
construction details other than the floor plan of the shelter. 112.V
(For a sketch of the floor plan of this air-raid shelter, see
Figure 2.*)
* Following p. 22.
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B. Industrial Shelters.
The building of air-raid shelters in industrial and trans-
port installations since 1952. New con-
struction as well as repair of wartime installations has taken place.
Principal designs have been of the basement type and the
hillside-tunnel type.
Designed in 1952, these shelters were repor eay or ere c
in all Czechoslovak plants, with priority given to defense plants
during 1953. The most common design was a Class II shelter similar
to the "category 2" shelter of the USSR. Both are supposed to with-
stand collapse of overlying building structures.
secret Class I shelters which were planned for some defense
plants, and which were able to withstand a "direct hit," presumably
of high-explosive bombs. a third type
of shelter, which used reinforced concrete tubes 2 meters in diameter
and 12 meters in length, with benches along both sides. These shelters
were to be built 1 meter below ground level, in older plants. Two
of the tubes, installed at right angles to each other, were to ac-
commodate 100 people.
?
- ?
(For sketches
of a Czechoslovak Class II air-raid shelter, see
Figures 3 and 4.*) They were divided into rooms 3 to 4 meters wide
and 4 to 6 meters long. Each room, as designed, contained either
from 35 to 50 seats or beds for up to 25 persons. A maximum pro-
trusion of 80 centimeters (cm) above ground level was permitted.
The ceiling was to consist of at least 25 am of concrete with 20-
millimeter (mm) reinforcement rods bent and anchored into the walls
to a depth of I meter. . Exterior walls were to be 75 cm thick if
constructed of brick or 6o cm if made of concrete. Interior parti-
tions were to be 45 or 4o cm thick if constructed of the same ma-
terials. Floors were constructed of concrete or tile depending on
sanitary requirements. 144/
Protective construction has also been initiated for trans-
portation facilities. In 1954, shelters were under construction
in the Bratislava river-port area, on the Danube River. In 1955,
shelters were to be built in ports on the Elbe River.
* Following p. 22.
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SKETCH OF THE FLOOR PLAN
OF A CZECHOSLOVAK SPECIAL AIR-RAID SHELTER
13 15 ?"?N:
N
\:\
' x'\
2 1
&X X.
&N1
\ 12 k
xxV ? \
25645.2 11-56
k?xx
14
11
10
N.
9
x.N
? ? N ? ?
16 7 4 4 6
1. Commander's work room
2. Operations room
3. Interconnecting chamber
4. Telephone rooms with switchboard
5. Radio room
6. Generator power room
7. Testing room
8. Storage room
9. Storage room
10. Storage room
11. Refreshment room
12. Wash room and toilet
13. Sanitation room
14. Antigas chamber
15. Filter-ventilation room
16. Boiler room
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SKETCH OF THE FLOOR PLAN
OF A CZECHOSLOVAK CLASS II AIR-RAID SHELTER
1. Antigas chamber: air-tight; two specially constructed steel doors
80s 180 centimeters opened in opposite directions. Inner door
opened toward the inside of the shelter; outer door opened toward
outside exit.
2. Emergency exit passage: the length had to be proportional to height
of building; two such exits were required for shelters which accom-
modated 250 people. Exit passages were constructed in zig-zag or
right angle patterns to minimize and decrease the concussion and
sound of exploding bombs.
3. Air-supply and purification room: purified air was supplied to the
outer parts of the shelter from this room and was electrically heated
in winter. Other heating methods were used when electricity was
not available.
4. Air-filter ventilation room: contained necessary apparatus for puri-
fying air in the event of a gas attack. Two such rooms were re-
quired for shelters accommodating 250 persons.
5. Air-intake tube: for the air filter ventilation room. These tube
lengths were proportional to the height of the building in which the
shelter was constructed. Two such tubes were required for shelters
accommodating 250 persons.
6. First-aid room: for gas attack victims and others.
7. Locker and shower room.
8. Men's locker room: for changing clothing after being exposed to
gas.
9. Women's locker room.
10. Storage room: for women's clothing.
11. Hallway: can be equipped with seats spaced at minimum interval
of 95 centimeters.
12. Air-Raid shelter inner cell: usually equipped to accommodate 35 to
50 persons; seats 45 x 45 centimeters, with 75 centimeter spaces be-
tween rows. The aisle was usually 95 centimeters in width.
13. Air-Raid shelter inner cell: equipped with double-decker steel beds,
50 x 180 centimeters, spaced from 75 to 95 centimeters.
14. Boiler room: for hot water; must be capable of furnishing hot shower
water at a constant flow for at least 2 flours.
15. Toilet.
16. Toilet,
17. Guard room and storage: for first-aid equipment.
18. Tool storage room: for such items as shovels and picks, in the
event of complete collapse of the shelter.
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13
13
13
11
11
15
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16
18 17 3
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Figure 3
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SKETCH OF AN INNER CELL
OF A CZECHOSLOVAK CLASS II AIR-RAID SHELTER
40
Figure 4
0
5
1 4 1 4
k-95 /80 ?4.-954.50
2
*')
Vf/
In
f
1/ -.440 320 40 I.?
I I I I I I
5
All dimensions ore in centimeters.
1.
Outside wall: concrete or brick
2.
Inside walls: concrete or brick
3.
Door: usually wooden
4.
Seats: usually wooden, either benches or individual chairs
5.
Beds: double-decker,
steel, 180 x 55 centimeters
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Underground shelters for railroad operations in an emergency are said
to be under construction at all important stations on main lines. 146/
C. Central Shelters in Urban Areas.
In several Czechoslovalvcities, large World War II shelters
still exist. Their renovation and extension, as well as the initiation
of new underground construction, have progressed during 1950-55. It
is difficult to discern whether these shelters are for the protection
of selected segments of the population or whether there is an actual
concerted effort to provide most urban residents with deep-level pro-
tection against possible air attack. Although there may be bonus
capacity in some large World War II shelters beyond that needed to
protect the bureaucracy, the new construction probably has not been
deliberately planned to provide deep-level shelter for all the urban
population.
Several large underground installations have been reported in
Prague. They include a vehicular tunnel with doors reportedly leading
to air-raid shelters near the Ministry of the Interior, 147/ a possi-
ble air-raid shelter near Hradcany Castle, 148/ a reported shelter in
Kralovske Vinohrady, 149/ and a shelter for the Prague main railroad
station. 150/
(For a sketch of the air-raid shelter at the
main railroad station in Prague, see Figure 5.*) The excavation is
under a small hill and has a minimum depth of 4 meters. Galle hei
is given as 2.2 meters and width as 5.5 meters. 151/ If
substantially correct, the capacity of this shelter would be over ,000
persons (3 cubic meters per person). Shelters at railroad stations
have also been built in smaller cities. 152/
Underground bunkers have been reported in Bratislava with
access tunnels leading from a vehicular tunnel. 153/
There is substantial documentation of underground construc-
tion in the city of Brno. The principal sites are under the Petrov
and Spilbrek Hills. Some shelters were located there during World
War II, 155/ but additional construction was under way between 1950
* Following p. 24.
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and 1955. 12Y 4 structures, 1 and 50X1
the length of construction activity indicates that they are of con-
siderable size. (For a photograph of the entrance to a reported
air-raid shelter near the railroad station in Brno, see Figure 6.* 12.8.0
Two large shelters located in Liberec are stated to have
been constructed during World War II but reconstructed in 1952-54. 122/
the galleries are cut in sandstone and are 50X1
cemented only where water seepage occurs: Ventilation shafts and
electric and telephone lines were noted. 1?.2/ (For a sketch
of an air-raid Shelter in Liberec, see Figure 7.*)
Detached shelter construction has been reported also,
but in most cases unconfirmed, in Karlovy Vary, 162/ Nachod,
Gottwaldov, 164 Kladno, 12./ Beroun, 166/ Vitkovice, 167/
Olomouc, 168 and Ostrava.
a considerable and presumably a
of construction during the past several years.
D. Dwelling Units.
costly program
Dwelling units, particularly apartment blocks built by the
government, also have been considered in the building program for
shelters. Since 1949 there have been indications that plans for
new apartment construction included air-raid shelters.
the inclusion of air-raid shelters in apartment
blocks has been attributed to a governmental decree. 112/
the inclusion of rooms for ventilating apparatus
within basement shelters. 121/ (For sketches of a floor plan and a
ventilating system of Soviet apartment-house air-raid shelters, see
Figure 8.* For sketches of Soviet gas filters for air-raid shelters,
see Figure 9.*)
Because most of this activity occurred after the Communist
rise to power in 1948, it is probable that shelters in Czechoslovak
government-built housing are similar to those built in the USSR in
the same period.
* Following p. 24.
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Figure 5
SKETCH OF THE AIR-RAID SHELTER
AT THE MAIN RAILROAD STATION IN PRAGUE, CZECHOSLOVAKIA
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214
Figure 6. Entrance to a reported Air-Raid Shelter in Brno, Czechoslovakia
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Figure 7
SKETCH OF THE FLOOR PLAN
OF AN AIR-RAID SHELTER IN LIBEREC, CZECHOSLOVAKIA
(The shelter is reported to be
cut in sandstone; its depth is
estimated to be 15 meters.)
o:g
meters
_ii
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SKETCHES OF APARTMENT-HOUSE AIR-RAID SHELTERS
Entrance
IN THE USSR
Filter? ventilating
chamber
Air lock
Air lock Toilets Entrance
.11r 4WOr 4E4V A111% A
111 l/aR4 25 25
MP pi,
/ I?
/
I 25 25/?
/
persons
persons
_ill II/
i" AMY dill' .1.Mw Awe z d
50 persons
123
I
,
/
50 persons
Ei
Hermetically
sealed doors
Pipes for air
to shelter
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FLOOR 'PLAN
VENTILATING SYSTEM
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Figure 8
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SKETCHES OF SOVIET GAS FILTERS
FOR AIR-RAID SHELTERS
Air inlet
Rubber union
\
To Blower
N.. \ \
I III III //III // /1/I II
FILTER-SORBENT TYPE FPU-ioo
Mechanical filter
Chemical absorbent
Activated charcoal
Central tube
420 millimeter
MM.
500 millimeters
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SCHEMATIC CONSTRUCTION
OF TYPE FPU-3.5o
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Figure 9
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The provision of shelters in new housing has been supple-
mented by preparation of shelters in older housing. In 1951,
houseowners were required to submit plans of the basement or cellar
of every house, giving its shape, size, and construction details. 122/
The cleaning of old air-raid shelters and the reinforcement of exist-
ing cellars in living quarters for use as air-raid shelters have been
reported since 1953. 173/ A Czechoslovak press article of December
1955 stated that shelters were being built in cellars for the pro-
tection of civilians against gas attack. 1112/
V. Medical Civil Defense.
A. Medical Resources.
The numbers of Czechoslovak medical personnel and avail-
able hospital beds have increased since World War II. There are,
however, still shortages of medical supplies. The medical poten-
tial of the nation seems to approach adequacy for peacetime needs,
but the country would probably have only limited capability to deal
with mass wartime casualties.
Although a shortage of doctors, particularly in rural areas,
has been reported, 1/2/ published statistics reflect a growing num-
ber of medical practitioners in Czechoslovakia. The number of
physicians in Czechoslovakia in selected years from 1937 to 1954
are as follows 176/:
1937
1946
1949
1954
Number of physicians
per 10,000 persons
8.21
6.97
8.12
13.25
Number of persons
per physician
1,218 1,433 1,233 754
These statistics probably should. be deflated to exclude dentists,
professional administrators, and others who do not normally serve
the public as practicing medical doctors. 1/3/ The marked increase
in medical graduates may have been achieved with some sacrifice in
the quality of training/ although the nubber of medical schools_
is reported to have doubled. 11Li/ Recently publicized specialized
and postgraduate work for medical personnel 122/ may reflect gaps
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in initial training as well as a desire to correct the known short-
age of medical specialists. 180/
A shortage of nurses and other auxiliary medical personnel
has also been reported. 181/ In time of emergency, Czechoslovak
Red Cross trainees probably would be used to supplement the num-
ber of regularly trained nurses. Czechoslovak Red Cross nurses
reportedly take courses of about 100 hours of instruction, half of
which is devoted to learning nursing duties in hospitals. 1132/
Hospital capacity has been announced as almost 90,000 beds
at the end of 1954. 183/ This number would be inadequate for
casualties that might be expected under conditions of nuclear
attack but can be supplemented by use of rest homes, youth camps,
and the like. Building plans of all spas and recreational insti-
tutes were ordered to be delivered to military authorities in
1953. 184/ Because many of these are located outside urban areas
and because many have some hospital equipment, it is assumed they
would be used as emergency medical facilities.
Medicines have been reported to be in short supply. 185/
Current reports of shortages were bitterly denied in a recent
Prague radio broadcast which stated that the production of peni-
cillin had reached the point where it was now available for agri-
cultural as well as human use. The broadcast also claimed that
the production of sulfonamides and insulin is now sufficient to
permit exports. The broadcast conceded that some preparations
such as cortisone are imported. 186/ The broadcast admitted some
shortage, and it is probable that medical supplies, even if ap-
proximately adequate for peacetime use, would be insufficient for
mass casualties. It is reported that medical stores are held for
each district by a "District Institute of National Health." 187/
Blood banks were reported to be well organized in 1952. 188/
an impressive blood donor installation
in 1955, 109/ and some plasma has been reported in a Prague hospi-
tal. 190/
B. Medical Civil Defense Services.
Medical civil defense is probably being organized similarly
to that of the USSR. 121/ There is evidence that the armed forces,
civil defense authorities, and the Czechoslovak Red Cross will assist
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the Ministry of Health in organizing a medical civil defense system
and in training its personnel. It has been reported that some
Czechoslovak Red Cross trainees and nurses have already been assigned
to disaster crews, whose leaders are given military rank. 192/ The
reported initiation of civil defense courses for doctors and nurses
at the beginning of 1955, however, 193/ makes it improbable that
medical disaster services are not effectively organized.
Hospitals were included among the institutions instructed
to organize self-defense groups in 1949. All employees of a hospi-
tal were to be enrolled in civil defense crews (police, fire-
fighting, antichemical, and the like). Objectives were to preserve
the hospital and its occupants and to maintain medical services
during and after attack. l94/ The establishment and preparation
of shelters in hospitals was particularly stressed. According to
the instructions, these shelters should have operating rooms,
storage space for drugs and supplies, and emergency lighting facili-
ties. Evidence has been received that shelters have been estab-
lished in or near hospitals, particularly in Prague. Operating
rooms were reported in two of the Prague shelters. 195/
C. Czechoslovak Red Cross and First-Aid Training.
First-aid training for civil defense has been widespread in
Czechoslovakia. A substantial reserve of auxiliary medical personnel
has been prepared through courses conducted under the auspices of the
Czechoslovak Red Cross. Reorganized in 1952 the Czechoslovak Red
Cross is affiliated with SVAZARM. It presently claims to have a
membership of over 500,000 persons who pay dues 196/ and to have
trained 600,000 holders of the award "Ready for Health Defense"
(Pripraven k Zdravotni Obrane PZO). The PZO badge is awarded
upon completion of 50 hours of first-aid training. Included in the
course are normal first-aid training, bandaging of various wounds
and fractures, transportation of the wounded, and some instruction
in chemical and bacteriological defense.
Successful completion of the PZO course qualifies the grad-
uates, particularly women, to apply for admission to a 50-hour
second-degree course which prepares them for nursing duties.
Instruction in this course stresses hospital nursing practice, and
the graduates receive the diploma of a Czechoslovak Red Cross nurse.
Both the first-aid and the nursing course are conducted by a quali-
fied medical staff and are free of charge. 197/
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Another course stressing hygiene and first aid is given to
school children. After examination, pupils receive the badge "Ready
to Defend the Health of the Country" (Pripraven k Zdravotnicke Obrane
Vlasti PZ0V). 1218/
First-aid training in village and urban areas has been fre.
quently reported to. be compulsory in Czechoslovakia. 199/ An
attempt has been made to train one member of each household, and
it is probable that successful graduates are assigned to civil
defense units. 200/
VI. Other Aspects of Civil Defense.
A. Police and Control Organizations.
In addition to the army, which has a currently estimated
strength of 170,000 men, Czechoslovakia has the usual security
forces, all of which would undoubtedly be used extensively in any
civil defense emergency. Those forces particularly useful would
be the Interior Guard, with a strength of 20,000 men, 201/ and the
regular police force of about 6o,000 men. 202/
Supplementing the regular police structure, an auxiliary
organization known as the Peoples Militia (Lidova Milice LM)
has been formed. 203/ It is assumed that this organization will
be incorporated into the civil defense system should the need
arise. Members of the Peoples Militia are recruited from the Com-
munist Party, particularly in plants and factories. Their mission
is to assist local police in plant protection and quelling civil
disorders. Training consists of weekly sessions during which
military drill, control of crowds, weapons handling, and prevention
of sabotage are taught. The strength of the Peoples Militia is
estimated to be 185,000. 205/
A second supplementary control force is the Auxiliary Guard
(Pomocna Straz -- PS), units of which are evidently formed in rural
areas and are recruited from the Communist Party and the League of
Czechoslovak Youth. 206/ Its size and strength are unknown. Some
recruiting publicity was carried on at the beginning of 1955. 207/
In addition to the regular and auxiliary police units, some SVAZARM
military trainees would be available for supplemental control per-
sonnel in any civil defense emergency.
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B. Fire Defense.
The city Fire Police of Czechoslovakia, which is subordinate
to the Minister of the Interior, is reported to be adequately equip-
ped and very efficient. 208/ the Prague
fire department is well manned, its strength having increased by 150
percent between 1945 and 1954. Prague fire-fighting equipment in-
cludes modern fire trucks with scaling ladders, pumps, and fire
extinguishers using foam and acid. Trucks are equipped with short-
wave radio, asbestos suits, oxygen apparatus, and gas masks. 209/
The Fire Police has been used extensively since 1952 for the train-
ing of fire-fighting auxiliaries for civil defense. 210/
In addition to city fire departments, there are generally
full-time fire departments in large industrial plants. 211/ It is
probable that these departments are a part of the guard force of
the plant and are paid by the ministry concerned but are under the
guidance of an inspection body of the regular Fire Police known as
the State Fire Control. 212/ Smaller plants 213/ and villages 214/
have volunteer fire organizations, which are probably supervised
similarly by the regular Fire Police.
Preparation of static water reserves (reservoirs and pools)
for fire-fighting has been extensively reported since 1952. 215/
Their preparation has been facilitated by the preservation of many
such reserves which were constructed during World War II. 216/
Static water reservoirs were renovated in cities -- principally dur-
ing 1954, 217/ in compliance with orders issued by civil defense
officials. 218/ Static water reservoirs are also maintained in
factories for fire fighting, 219/ sometimes under the guise of
swimming pools provided for the workers. 220/
In addition to the preparation of static water reserves and
the maintenance of an excellent regular fire-fighting organization,
Czechoslovakia has, since 1952, engaged'in widespread training of
auxiliary fire-defense personnel. At that time the Minister of the
Interior stressed the necessity of training "hundreds of thousands"
of people in first aid and fire fighting. ,221/ Initially instituted
as a voluntary activity intended for peaceful purposes, 222/ training
became compulsory in 1953 223/ for some factory employees and one
member of each household. 224/ Auxiliary fire-defense training was
firmly identified with civil defense preparations at about the same
time. 225/ The training courses are given under sponsorship of the
Local National Committees, 226/ SVAZARM, 227/ and the Public Fire-
men's Association. 228/
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According to a 1952 instructors' manual for the schooling
of auxiliary fire personnel, courses lasted 3 months and covered
the following subjects: (1) use of material and equipment (water,
sand extinguishers, hydrants, standpipes, gas and smoke masks,
ladders, and the like); (2) behavior of various building materials
during fire; (3) methods of extinguishing fires in attics, chimneys,
apartments, cellars, garages, shops, farm buildings, and the like;
and (4) rescue methods. The instruction included some familiarization
with organization of fire services and the trucks, vehicles, and
pumps in use. E22/ a 3-month
fire-fighting course is still standard and that fire-fighting courses
for civil defense now include defense against incendiary bombs and
against gas. 222/
The extent of auxiliary fire-fighting training is reflected
in an article of July 1955, which stated that 40,000 men and women
in Prague Province had been given this training. 221/ If the rest
of the country has had similar training, there should be 140,000
trained auxiliary fire fighters in Czechoslovakia.
Measures for fire prevention have also been noted. Attics
and cellars were ordered cleared of fire hazards in 1952 232/ and
fireproof paint has been applied to the wooden parts of some
roofs. 233/
C. Supplies.
Some civil defense supplies have been reported to be stored
with civil defense organizations. These supplies include trucks,
fire-fighting equipment, cots and stretchers, blackout materials,
gas masks and protective clothing, small engineering tools, first-
aid packets, and the like. 234/
Fire-fighting equipment has been reported at nearly all
levels, each provincial* head-
quarters of the SNB had enough equipment for the mobilization of
1,000 firefighters. 235
A fire-defense training manual of 1952 listed portable fire
pumps, trailer-mounted fire pumps, and water-tank trucks among
* There are 19 provinces in Czechoslovakia.
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vehicles and fire equipment used in Czechoslovakia. 236
The appearance of
portable and trailer-mounted equipment is believed to be significant be-
cause World War II demonstrated the need for fire equipment which could
be operated or manhandled over rough terrain and rubble-strewn streets
that largely immobilized conventional vehicles.
Reserves of small fire-fighting equipment, tools, and uniforms
have been established in each community.- They include extinguishers,
hoses, picks, shovels, and fire buckets. 238/ Plant police and fire
and civil defense personnel have been equipped with gas masks; first
aid kits; small fire-defense items; and uniforms. 239/ Blackout paper
and blinds also are installed or available, especially in industrial
installations. 240/ Finally, reserve power plants have been reported
in factories. 277 Mobile radio equipment is in use by police and
fire organizations. 242/ The SVAZARM Conducts radio training and
presumably has radio equipment which could be used in emergencies.
Field telephones were set up and operated by SVAZARM members at a
Czechoslovak fire-fighting demonstration. 243/
It is possible that emergency bridge-building material is
available or will be provided. Stored pontoons have been reported
at a border guard supply installation, 244/ and a factory civil
defense demonstration in Gottwaldov included the erection of an
emergency bridge.2112/
D. Finance.
Information on the cost of civil defense in Czechoslovakia
is limited. Construction, training, and supply reported extensively
since 1951, however, must have involved the expenditure of con-
siderable funds. the city of Prague alone
spent 50 million new koruny (US $15 million*) on civil defense
preparations in 1953. 246/ By applying this figure to all cities
with a population of over 25,000** it may be estimated that civil
defense in 1953 cost Czechoslovakia more than US $40 million.
* At the Czechoslovak exchange rate this would be US $69,450,000.
A more realistic rate of exchange, however (US $0.03 per koruna),
makes this US $15 million. 247/
** The combined population of all cities having population of more
than 25,000 is 2,486,000. Prague has a population of 922,000. 248/
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Much of the financing of civil defense is concealed and pre-
sumably distributed under other budgetary items. SVAZARM and the
Czechoslovak Red Cross, heavily involved in civil defense training,
are reportedly subsidized by the Ministry of National Defense 2112/
and the Ministry of Health, 222/ respectively. Factory "directors
funds," from above-plan profits are used to purchase such items of
civil defense as shovels, picks, and fire extinguishers. "Technical
Installations" in factories such as shelters and static water tanks
are financed by loans from investment banks. A portion of house
rentals is used to purchase civil defense supplies for dwellings. 251/
Air-raid shelters included in the construction of new buildings wafild
most logically be included in the initial cost of construction. Nor-
mal fire-defense and police activities presumably are paid for from
the budget allocations of the Ministry of the Interior.
It is not known how the larger detached air-raid shelters
are financed
E. Chemical Defense.
The small but relatively well-developed chemical industry of
Czechoslovakia has good capabilities for producing chemicals and
chemical protective equipment for civil defense. The Military Tech-
nical Institute, under the Ministry of National Defense, carries on
research directed in part toward improving gas masks and protective
equipment. 253/
Despite ability to produce high-grade charcoals, Czechoslovakia
tried to purchase 300 metric tons of activated charcoal from a Western
source early in 1953. It was specified. that the charcoal was to be
used in respirators. 254/ The attempted placement of this order out-
side the Sino-Soviet Bloc indicates that there was an urgent need to
procure enough charcoal for the manufacture of about 1 million new
masks. If this purchase is considered with the widespread civil
defense training and construction program of 1953, it seems probable
that production of gas masks for civilians was being initiated although
they are not known to have been distributed. Gas masks were issued
in 1953 for fire-fighting personnel, 255/ civil defense units in fac-
tories, 256/ and civil defense personnel of at least one city. 257/
Teams of chemical defense, who would be used in decontamination wo7k,
were also issued rubber capes,
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The plan for chemical civil defense in Czechoslovakia prob-
ably is similar to that in the USSR. Soviet instructions provide
for equipping the civilian population with gas masks, using filter
ventilating devices to protect personnel in air-raid shelters,
training all personnel in gas defense, organizing special civil de-
fense units for area decontamination, and preparing decontamination
stations and medical installations to handle gas casualties. 259/
F. Camouflage and Blackout.
Instructions of 1949 provided for the use of paint and
camouflage nets for designated industrial installations. Actual
camouflaging; however, was to occur only after an air alert (emer-
gency) was announced. 260/ The only measure already taken has
been that some factory roofs have been painted green. 261/ Black-
out is prepared in peacetime. Blackout paper has been stored, 262/
and some factories already have installed blackout equipment and
have painted skylights blue. 263/ Provisions for screening smoke
are unreported except for military units and old German installa-
tions at one plant. 264/
VII. Defense Against Nuclear Attack.
In Czechoslovakia the introduction of civil defense training
against atomic weapons represents a recent development.
A. Release of Atomic Information.
Some information on atomic weapons has been made available
to the Czechoslovak military forces since 1954 265/ and has been
printed in publicly available periodicals since 1955. 266/ There
has been no detailed information published, however, on weapons
larger than the nominal atomic bombs.* 267/ Similarly, there has
been no discussion of the heavy nuclear contamination possible in
some areas after a hydrogen bomb explosion. Attempts have been
made to minimize the fear of atomic weapons and to reassure the
population that proper civil defense measures will be effective
in the case of atomic attack. 268/
The services of the Society for the Dissemination of Polit-
ical and Scientific Knowledge** have been enlisted to lecture on
* The so-called "nominal" atomic bomb used at Hiroshima had an
explosive power approximately equal to 20,000 tons of TNT.
** Similar organizations have been identified in the USSR, Rumania,
Poland, East Germany, and Hungary.
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atomic subjects. Open publications have established the fact that
there are close connections between this society and SVAZARM. 269/
Speakers of the scientific society prepared lectures in July 1955
on nuclear weapons and protection against them. 270/ Lectures and
courses on atomic physics were scheduled to be given in Czechoslovak
factories in October 1955. 271/ The use of organized technical
personnel to lecture on atomic defense should make instruction more
informative and arouse increased interest in civil defense training.
Expansion of civil defense training courses to include
atomic subjects has been announced. The chemical defense teams of
self-help civil defense groups have thus had their course of in-
struction extended by 14 hours. Members of other teams (fire,
first-aid, and the like) are to receive 5 hours' training in atomic
defense. ?:E/ The content of such defense training is unknown, but
it is probable that only the effect of smaller nuclear weapons is
considered.
B. Increasing Interest in Suburban Shelters.
Known Soviet Bloc civil defense instructions direct the
population to take cover near their residences or places of work,
utilizing available public shelters as well as shelters in dwell-
ings and enterprises. In the event of an attack with heavy nuclear
weapons, this would probably reduce the number of casualties in
areas sufficiently removed from the point of impact, or "ground zero."
However, the existing cellar and detached, surface-level shelters
with concrete ceilings 25 to 100 cm thick would probably be de-
stroyed if they were in the central target area.
It is assumed that the Soviet civil defense planners are
aware of the limitations of the present system and that, on the
basis of knowledge gained from foreign and domestic tests, they
know the radius of heavy destruction (4 miles) which may be caused
by modern nuclear weapons (10 to 15 megatons), the hazards of fall-
out, and other effects. They undoubtedly are also informed of
measures such as evacuation or dispersal which have been suggested
in other countries to overcome these dangers.
An article in a recent Soviet publication stated that the
present "common" air-raid shelters would be destroyed if they were
close to the impact point of a surface or underground explosion of
a nuclear weapon and that, therefore, plans should provide for
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dispersal of the population of likely target areas to shelters
located at a distance from the potential impact area which is
greater than twice the radius of probable destruction. 273/ It
is likely that the concept of combined evacuation and shelter
will be examined further in the Soviet Bloc, as it was in the
US, 274/ and that construction of suburban air-raid shelters at
locations twice the radius of probable destruction will be ac-
celerated. (For a diagram of geographical defense against nuclear
weapons, based on statements by a Soviet authority, see Figure 10.*)
C. Preparation of Plans for Evacuation and Shelter.
1. Shelter Construction Outside Cities.
construction of air-
raid shelters in rural or suburban areas of the Soviet Bloc. In
view of the lack of published information on evacuation plans, it
is assumed that the shelters are intended for use by selected
members of the Communist Party, government officials, and civil
defense forces.
underground construction outside
the city of Magadan. 275/ this cpnstruction
was to provide air-raid shelters. Bomb shelters reportedly have been
constructed for Party and government officials near Bucharest, Ru-
mania, and there have been underground construction in
suburban areas of other Satellite cities. 276/ The clearest pattern
of large shelter locations outside of a large Soviet Bloc city has
evolved near Sofia, Bulgaria. In this area it is reported that air-
raid shelters have been completed in seven nearby villages. 277/
Several additional large underground construction projects in the
foothills north or south of Sofia have also been reported. 278/ Two
or three of these locations were the sites of governmental shelters
during World War II, but others seem to be of new construction. They
are generally located on access roads at distances varying from 3 to
10 miles from the city.
It is reported that the construction of "atomic" shelters
in Czechoslovakia was ordered in 1952 and began in 1953. One of these
shelters has reportedly been built in a wooded valley northwest of
* Following p. 36.
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Bratislava and contains storage areas for food, a hospital area,
ventilating equipment, and its own water supply. 212/
Other suburban shelter or underground construction has
been reported near the cities of Prague, 280/ Plzen, 2f21./ Prerov, 282/
Usti nad Labem,2,f1/ Gottwaldov, 2g2/ Liberec, 285/ Nitra, and
Zbysov. 287/ Some of these sites for underground construction may
be for military or storage purposes, but others are specifically re-
ported as air-raid shelters particularly intended for highly placed
personnel. More "atomic" shelters were to have been started in 1955
for the cities of Plzen, Usti nad Labem, Liberec, Decin, Most, Brno,
Moravska Ostrava, Olomouc, and Trencin. These are presumably sub-
stantial shelters constructed under hills either in the cities or
just outside. 22y
2. Mobilization of Evacuation and Transportation.
. The planned evacuation of Soviet Bloc
cities 2D:i apparently refer only to strategic evacuation -- that
is, removal of selected groups before an air-raid alarm occurs.
The evacuation of school children from large cities was
mentioned in Czechoslovak civil defense instructions in 1949, 290/
and such plans for Prague school
children in 1954. 291/ It was more recently reported that the
SVAZARM will take over all nonmilitary road transportation in the
event of mobilization and arrange for the evacuation of the "civilian
population." 222/
seven measures which have
been taken in uzecnoslovakia.
a. A motor transportation alert plan was drawn up in
1953, to become effective on 1 January 1954. 293/
b. Buses of Czechoslovak State Automobile Transporta-
tion and some trucks were painted olive drab in 1954. 294/
c. Early in 1954, farm machinery stations were ordered
by the Ministry of National Defense to maintain a 300-litre fuel re-
serve for every prime mover. 295/
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DIAGRAM OF GEOGRAPHICAL DEFENSE
AGAINST NUCLEAR WEAPONS
(Based on Statements by a Soviet Authority)
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Figure 10
?
Built up area
Circle beyond which shelters
should be ideally located.
Its radius is twice that
of the smaller circle.
Circle of
expected destruction
Access road
? Air-raid shelter
Railroad
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d. On 1 January 1954, driver training was made the
responsibility of SVAZARM. License tests were made more rigid, and
tests included driving while wearing a gas mask and night and cross-
country driving. 296/
e. Courses for training motorcycle riders for courier
and civil defense tasks were started in early 1954. 297/
f. In one region, police and army officers carried
out registration of motor vehicles in May 1955. This included both
nationalized vehicles and private vehicles which would be available
for mobilization or emergency. 298/
g. Drivers of the Czechoslovak State Automobile
Transportation have been ordered since February 1954 to practice
blackout driving at every opportunity. 299/
Transportation mobilization may be related to purely
military preparations. Driver training, however, has received in-
creasing emphasis during the past 2 years in Soviet Bloc paramilitary
organizations. Simultaneously these organizations are becoming more
and more heavily involved in civil defense training and organization.
Premilitary, driver, and communications training given to SVAZARM
members should establish a capability for disciplined control of the
transportation operation and communications necessary for evacuation.
D. Other Nuclear Defense Measures.
Several additional developments indicate that Soviet Bloc
civil defense planners are considering the effects of heavy nuclear
attack.
In Poland, for example, members of air and chemical civil
defense groups have been urged to acquire a knowledge of meteorology
which would help them to determine the persistence of "chemical"
agents and the direction of flight to be taken by threatened per-
sons. 300/ It seems likely, however, that these.defense groups are
supposed to use their knowledge of meteorology in nuclear as well as
in chemical defense.
Meteorology has not been linked directly to civil defense in
Czechoslovakia. SVAZARM members have been
studying meteorology, 301/ and SVAZARM radio operators have been
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encouraged to study radio telegraphy in order to receive meteorologi-
cal reports in their clubs.
In the US, publicity has been given to the desirability of
devising a meteorological forecasting system to enable civil defense
officials to delineate fall-out areas. 303/ It seems probable, there-
fore, that Soviet Bloc interest in meteorology evolves partly from
interest in nuclear defense.
Some measures have apparently been taken in Czechoslovakia
to reduce the communications disruptions which might occur under
conditions of nuclear warfare. An underground network of telephone
cables connects the large Czechoslovak centers of population. It
is supplemented by open wire lines, radio relay facilities, and
some domestic, high-frequency radio. 12/1/ Interruption of this sys-
tem could be expected if several of the large cities were placed
under simultaneous attack. This danger, however, is lessened by
the density of the system and the availability of alternative
routes of wire communications. New long-distance telephone lines,
installed since 1952, are reportedly constructed to bypass towns.
The existence of mobile exchanges has also been reported, although
their purpose is unknown. 305/ The furnishing of radio equipment
to organizations involved in civil defense also tends to reduce
communications vulnerability.
Another step taken to improve protection against atomic
weapons has been a recent Czechoslovak directive which reportedly
calls for an increase in the ceiling thickness of industrial air-
raid shelters. 306/ This directive also mentions a special venti-
lator apparatus which the USSR would provide. The USSR has ex-
pressed an awareness of the danger of shock waves penetrating the
shelter, 307/ and it is probable that a baffle has been designed
to overcome this hazard.
E. Significance of Nuclear Defense Developments.
The Soviet accent on the development of civil defense and
the announced reduction in ground forces seem to indicate that the
USSR and the Soviet Bloc now consider the use of nuclear weapons a
primary possibility and the greatest danger in war. If this is the
governing consideration of Soviet planners, it is logical to expect
continued development of all civil defense measures to diminish the
-effects of nuclear attack.
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Civil defense preparation in Czechoslovakia has reflected this
policy. The increasing pronouncements regarding atomic defense, the
construction of shelters outside major urban areas, and
plans to build more suburban shelters indicate an awareness of
the necessity to prepare for defense against nuclear weapons. The
training of large numbers of Czechoslovaks for atomic civil defense,
the development of transportation mobilization, and the recruiting'
of auxiliary fire and police bodies may likewise be related to the
expectation of nuclear attacks in the event of war. Some of these
measures would also be useful if a plan for more extensive evacua-
tion or dispersal were adopted. These preparations are timely, and
their development since 1953 implies recognition of the fact that
major cities may be largely untenable in the event of nuclear attack.
Although present Soviet civil defense instructions require the general
population to remain in cities, using locally available shelters, it
is possible that additional suburban shelters will be prepared. The
construction of such shelters would provide improved protection for
larger segments of the population.
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