Courchaine 1 Matthew Courchaine Ms.

Girasole The Fourth Genre, Honors Level 2 23 March 2012 Operation Anthropoid The Assassination of Reinhard Heydrich One more point, said General Moravec, Under no circumstances and I mean none at all is either of you to get in touch with the underground, directly or indirectly. You are absolutely on your own. The underground is infested with informants; Heydrich has done his usual masterful job. For this reason we have not sent out one word about you, even to the most trusted leaders there. If anyone approaches you and says that he comes from the underground, he is a provocateur. Treat him as such. The planning for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, known as The butcher of Prague in some circles, or The man with the iron heart in others, was nearing completion. It had taken some time. There were various questions that had needed to be answered prior to. Which member of the Nazi party residing in Czechoslovakia was most influential? Though Heydrich was the Protector of Czechoslovakia, he was most certainly not the only Nazi there. In fact, Heydrich was not General Moravecs first choice. The original target was a man named Emanuel Moravec. But, to the Czech government this man was simply a worm. He was not well known abroad, and Czech prestige would not be raised significantly by crushing a worm (Jaggers). Thus, Heydrich was selected for assassination. Who could be persuaded to participate in the operation? All politicians that had fled Czechoslovakia in a desperate attempt to escape the German onslaught were now

Courchaine 2 scrambling to maintain those positions in the provisional government operating out of London; Czech financiers were more concerned with their wallet than their own country; many of their countries airmen had joined Britains Royal Air Force, and the Air Ministry intended to keep them. It must have seemed to General Moravec, at least at the outset, an impossible task (Jaggers) to find people who could very well be martyrs. Moravec found himself with a particularly limited selection of 2,500 men, part of a brigade operating out of Cholmondly. After careful analysis of the various men, and a great deal of contemplation, two men were selected: Jan Kubis and Josef Gabcik. "Please understand," pleaded General Moravec, "that I am not testing you now. You have proved that you are brave and patriotic. I am telling you that acceptance of this mission is almost certainly acceptance of death--perhaps a very painful and degrading death--because I do not believe that the man who tries to kill Heydrich can succeed if the awful realization that he too will die comes too late, and unnerves him. I have another reason, too: if you make your choice with open eyes, I shall sleep a little better." (Jaggers). The two men agreed, and were given their final warnings before rehearsal commenced. To these warnings, Gabcik said No, whilst looking at Kubis, We want to do it. (Jaggers). Both men received training that any man or woman going on a clandestine mission would. Cover stories had to be developed and then memorized to the most trivial detail. Methods on resistance of enemy interrogation, and most likely torture, had to be ingrained into these mens minds. Later each man would be given a cyanide pill, and were told to keep it on their person at all times this would be a last resort, to be used when it was clear that escape would not and could not happen.

Courchaine 3 However, this was not the only training necessary. Both men needed to know Prague like the back of their hand it had to seem like Kubis and Gabcik were natives. To demonstrate the level of detail that went into the training, Kubis needed to be taught to ride a bike. This training was completed hastily, as Heydrichs rule in Czechoslovakia had become extremely oppressive. It was time for review. And now, a review. Kubis, where does Heydrich have his office? asked General Moravec (Jaggers). Prague Palace. He replied, swiftly and confidently (Jaggers). Show me on the map. persisted Moravec. Kubis identified it correctly, pointing it out quickly on a map of Prague (Jaggers). Moravec moved on to Gabcik, inquiring Gabcik, where do you land? (Jaggers) Here, sir. Gabcik pointed out a spot on the map fifty miles southeast of Prague (Jaggers). This area provided much camouflage, allowing for an unnoticed entry. Going back to Kubis momentarily, Moravec asked Kubis, what do you do first, after touching ground and removing the parachute? (Jaggers) We destroy all traces of the descent, sir. He replied (Jaggers). Do you proceed to the palace Gabcik? asked General Moravec, going back to Gabcik (Jaggers). No. It is too heavily guarded. All visitors are thoroughly checked. asserted Gabcik (Jaggers). His private residence? Moravec continued (Jaggers). The same, sir. said Gabcik (Jaggers). Kubis, where do you go? asked Moravec (Jaggers).

Courchaine 4 Kubis pointed out a spot on the map midway between the village of Brezary and Prague, Here, sir. (Jaggers) Moravec turned to Gabcik, Gabcik, when does Heydrich pass this spot? (Jaggers) Daily, sir, going into the city, and at night on his return. We shall observe the time. Gabcik replied confidently (Jaggers). Why have we chosen this particular spot on the road? questioned Moravec (Jaggers). Sir, there is a sharp curve. His car and the motorcycles must slow down to twenty kilometers. said Gabcik (Jaggers). How many motorcycles, Kubis? asked Moravec, returning to Kubis (Jaggers). Probably two, sir. Well find out. replied Kubis (Jaggers). General Moravec imparted some final advice. Avoid the use of pistols the machine guns and bombs would be infinitely more effective. If either failed to work, wait until the next day. Moravec then had the two men go on one more practice run, and they discussed extraction. Gabcik and Kubis would make their way to the mountains of Slovakia, an area that Gabcik knew well. Slovakia was not as tightly controlled as the Czech Republic was, and would allow for an easier escape. Moravec made sure that a Czech pilot, Captain Anderle, would be flying over this are continuously in the weeks after the target date for Heydrichs assassination. The extraction could not fail. Well pull it off, Kubis and I. Gabcik told Moravec (Jaggers). Moravec reminisced on all the courageous men he had trained. No. None of them were braver. (Jaggers) he said proudly, but also despairingly

Courchaine 5 ~~~ On May 26th, 1942, Operation Anthropoid commenced. The road from Prague Palace to the streets was winding to begin with, but towards the bottom, where the road met the streets, there was a particularly sharp curve. Any car traveling on it must slow down if it did not want to get into an accident. Heydrich always arrogantly road with an open-top Nazi state car. He was confident that his brutal, oppressive rule had eliminated any possibility of a rebellion, let alone an assassination attempt. His only protection was the pistol he carried on his person, his armed chauffer, and two Gestapo officers riding motorcycles at the front of his motorcade. At 10:32 a.m., Heydrich was leaving his residence and was about to turn this corner. Gabcik and Kubis readied their weapons, prepared to complete their mission at any costs. Even death. As Heydrichs convertible turned the corner, Gabcik left his hiding spot and stepped onto the road confidently. He aimed his gun at Heydrichs car, preparing to fire just as it turned the corner. Gabcik pulled the trigger. It jammed. Heydrich did not like this. Not one bit. In a rather stupid move for the man who was the operational mastermind behind the worst genocide in history, he commanded his driver to stop. A more logical move would have been to have the driver speed away. He stood up, pulled his pistol from its holster, and began firing at Gabcik, with the absolute intention to kill this swine. This would prove to be the worst decision he ever made, and ever would make.

Courchaine 6 Kubis took this chance to leave his hiding spot and lob a grenade into Heydrichs car. The Czech assassins, unfortunately, were the recipients of what appeared to be bad luck at the time. The grenade, not having enough force behind the throw, struck Heydrichs Mercedes and came to rest on the street. The back-left corner of the car was enveloped in a blistering inferno. Shrapnel and the fabrics of the seat whistled through the air, quickly slicing into Heydrichs chest and stomach. At the same time, a jagged piece of metal flew through the air and made a sharp, straight gash right above Kubis brow. It was as if he had been cut by a razor. Though both Heydrich and his driver, Johannes Klein, were stunned, it did not stop the two from exiting the car and firing at Kubis. Kubis hastily hopped onto a bike that had been brought for their escape and, with blood pouring down his face, rode away. Heydrich and his driver began, to fire on Gabcik, who had yet to escape. Suddenly, the color quickly drained from Heydrichs face. He doubled over in pain, only having time to make it back to the Mercedes before collapsing the shock was taking affect. Get that bastard. hissed Heydrich to his driver (Curry). Bystanders ran to Heydrich and got the attention of a truck driver. They put Heydrich in the back and he was taken to the hospital. X-rays would reveal the extent of Heydrichs injuries. In addition to the obvious lacerations from the shrapnel, the metal launched into Heydrichs body had collapsed his left lung, broken one of his ribs, and punctured his stomach. In addition, the springs and fabrics that the seat was made up of had been sent into Heydrichs spleen.

Courchaine 7 Several surgeries by Germanys best doctors would remove the majority of metal and fabrics from his vital organs, but the real damage had yet to be revealed. Unknown to the doctors, the horse-hair fabrics of the seat of the Mercedes had left Heydrich with a fatal infection, septicemia blood poisoning On June 2nd, while eating his lunch in his hospital bed, Heydrich collapsed. He fell into a coma from which he would never recover. On June 4th, SS Obergruppenfhrer Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich died at the age of 38. ~~~ Unusually, both Adolph Hitler and Heinrich Himmler attended the funeral. Both men were usually in separate locations in the event of an assassination attempt on one or the other. This was different Heydrich had been infinitely important to the Nazis and their plans. What ever actions he took he carried them out as a National Socialist and an SS man, from the very bottom of his heart and through his blood, he carried out felt and understood Adolf Hitlers world vision. said Himmler at his funeral One of the best national socialists, one of the best believers in the German ideology, and one of the greatest opponents to all enemies of the Third Reich. said Hitler as part of the eulogy. The funeral was very solemn. Hitler displayed this solemnity on his face, but on the inside, he was absolutely livid. Who would dare attack a Nazi? Hitler soon ordered massive reprisals for this deed. Josef Gabcik and Jan Kubis had been incorrectly linked to a village near Prague, called Lidice. All men ages 16 to 45 in this

Courchaine 8 village were rounded up by the SS, and marched to a nearby forest. Every single one was shot. All women and children would also be rounded up and deported to one of Hitlers death camps. All would be gassed. To finish the job, Hitler ordered the town to be dynamited. SS men ran through the entire village and tossed a grenade into every single structure. Then the town was hit with a massive barrage of artillery. The town was leveled entirely, and any remaining members of the populace incinerated. In memory of Reinhard Heydrich, Hitler renamed one of the Nazis major operations after him, calling it Aktion Reinhard. This operation now goes by a different name, however the Holocaust.

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Works Cited Corera, Gordon. "Licence to Kill: When Governments Choose to Assassinate." BBC.co.uk. British Broadcasting Company, 16 Mar. 2012. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17353379>. Curry, Andrew. "The Heydrich Equation." History Net: Where History Comes Alive. History Net, 4 Aug. 2011. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. <http://www.historynet.com/the-heydrich-equation.htm>. Gale, Thomson. "Edward Benes Edward Benes." BookRags. BookRags, June 2011. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. <http://www.bookrags.com/biography/edward-benes/>. Jaggers, R. C. "The Assassination of Reinhard Heydrich." CIA.gov. Central Intelligence Agency, 4 Aug. 2011. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. <https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-ofintelligence/kent-csi/vol4no1/html/v04i1a01p_0001.htm>. Kenety, Brian. "Current Affairs Unearthing 'The Czech Connection' in WW II-era Buckinghamshire." RadioPrague.cz. Radio Prague, 5 Aug. 2005. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. <http://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/unearthing-the-czech-connection-in-ww-iiera-buckinghamshire>. Lisciotto, Carmelo. "The Killing of Reinhard Heydrich." Holocaust.EducationandArchiveResearchTeam.org. Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team, 2009. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. <http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/nazioccupation/heydrichkilling.html>. Taraborelli, Michael. "The Assassination of Reinhard Heydrich." Johnston Senior High School, Johnston. 17 Mar. 2012. Lecture. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. "Reinhard Heydrich." Holocaust History. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 6 Jan. 2011. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. <http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007406>.