Institute of Contemporary History

During World War II, many citizens of occupied European countries were forcibly mobilized into the German armed forces, even though they were not ethnic Germans. Some served until the end of the war, others tried to avoid service, and many even defected to the Allies and joined their own national units. Forced mobilization also affected a surprisingly large part of the population of the Czech lands. After the war, however, the story of that individuals did not fit into the general narrative of a simple trichotomy of victimhood, resistance, and collaboration. Therefore, it was received with ambivalence in Europe and in Czechia and was long neglected, marginalized, or even concealed. Set in an international context, the book presents the Czech perspective on this truly transnational European topic.

MARŠÁLEK, Zdenko – NEMINÁŘ, Jiří – SOVILJ, Milan. V uniformě nepřítele. Čechoslováci, služba ve wehrmachtu a návrat pod prapory. Praha: NLN; Ústav pro soudobé dějiny AV ČR, v.v.i., 2025. 329 s. ISBN 978-80-7422-884-1 (NLN), ISBN 978-80-7285-280-2 (ÚSD).