The Challenges of Our Defence: Military Knowledge and Officers’ Writings in Interwar Czechoslovakia

Abstract

A central focus of this study is the process of knowledge creation and circulation of military texts in interwar Czechoslovakia and the role of professional officers in it. Their writings were circulated through books, professional journals and the daily press, but their ability to publish was managed by the military administration. At first, these publications provided a platform for the articulation of the role of the Czechoslovak military in an often antimilitary-minded society. Later, they functioned especially as instruments of military preparedness propaganda. This article aims to demonstrate both the societal context and the control over officers’ writings, not only in discussing military thought but also in bolstering society’s resolve, thereby contributing to the military culture of fledgling Czechoslovakia in the interwar period.