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Radola Gajda

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Radola Gajda

Radola Gajda (born Rudolf Geidl, February 14 1892, Kotor, in Montenegro – April 15 1948, Prague) was a Czech military commander and politician.

Early years

Geidl's father was an officer of Austro-Hungarian Army serving in Kotor base, his mother was a poor Montenegrin noblewoman. Later, the family moved to Kyjov, Moravia where Geidl studied at a gymnasium. In 1910 he went through year long compulsory military service in Mostar. Afterwards Geidl left for Balkans and likely took part in Balkan Wars (1912-1913). At the start of World War I he rejoined Austro-Hungarian Army and served on positions in Dalmatia and in Sarajevo. In September 1915 he was taken prisoner in Višegrad, Bosnia.

Legions

Immediatelly after taken prisoner Geidl switched sides, changed his name and became Captain of Montenegrin army. Having some experience as an apothecary he pretended to be studied physician. At the beginning of 1916 Montenegrin army collapsed but Gajda managed to escape into Russia where he joined Serbian battalion as a physician.

At the end of 1916 the battalion was destroyed and Gajda joined Czechoslovak Legions (January 30 1917) at position of staff captain. Gajda had proved himself as an able commander in the Battle of Zborov and quickly climbed up through military hierarchy.

During evacuation of the Legion (1918) by the Trans-Siberian railway violence clashes out and Czechoslovak soldiers quickly occupied large tracts of the railway east of Volga. Gajda commanded the area from Novonikolayevsk (Novosibirsk) up to Irkutsk. Aggressive tactic, sometimes against orders of superiors, had helped to defeat Bolshevik forces and connect all units of the Legion. The most successful operation was capture of Perm (December 24 1918) where Legion took 20,000 prisoners and grabbed 5,000 railway cars, 60 cannons, 1,000 machine guns and river fleet, frozen in Kama River.

Gajda's popularity among troops and White movement was very high. He was promoted to Major-General and given nicknames "The Siberian Ataman" and "The Siberian Tiger". Admiral Aleksandr Kolchak had asked Gadja to became commander of his army.

The career in Siberian army was less successful - Red Army has started to take the initiative while Kolchak troops crumbled away. Gajda, enjoying luxury and dictatorial habits was dismissed by Kolchak on July 5 1919. After involvement in unsuccessful mutiny of Esers against Kolchak (November 1919) he escaped from Siberia and took ship to Europe.

Military career in Czechoslovakia

After arrival to Czechoslovakia in early 1920 Radola Gajda was given rank of General but all suitable positions were already taken. Gajda was provided with a pension and told to stay at home. In November 1920 he was sent to study military theory at École supérieure de guerre in France (he also studied at agricultural Institute technique de practique agricole).

In 1922 he returned back and on October 9 1922 was named General Officer commanding 11th division in Košice, Slovakia. As a supporter of local cultural life Gajda got very popular among citizens. On December 1 1924 he was named Deputy Chief General Staff in Prague (the Chief was General Eugene Mittelhauser, head of French military mission in Czechoslovakia). Gajda tried to limit influence of the mission and succeeded in 1926. In the same year (March 20) he became Acting Chief General Staff.

Gajda had publicly shown sympathies to Italian fascism. This, envy, intrigues and fear of military coup (similar to what just happened in Poland) led to dismissal of ambitious general. Under pressure from president Tomáš Masaryk Gajda was forced to retire.

Politician

Still young (34) Radola Gajda turned to politics. At the end of 1926 the took part in the founding of the National Fascist Community (Národní Obec Fašistická, NOF), modeled on Benito Mussolini's National Fascist Party and became its leader on January 2 1927. In 1929 the party took several seats in parliament. In 1931 Gajda was shortly imprisoned and stripped of all military ranks due to an older affair.

During night from 21/22 1933 Židenice Mutiny broke out in Brno. It was attempt of 70-80 fascists from Brno to take over local garrison and start military overthrow of the government. The mutiny got suppressed immediatelly and next day, on January 23, Gajda was imprisoned and charged with inciting the coup. Initially he was absolved but after political pressure the trial was revised. Gajda was sentenced for half a year and his military pension was stopped.

In 1935 NOF succeeded in elections and Gajda obtained parliament seat (held until 1939). The party had strong anti-German orientation, supported military buildup and favored war over giving up Sudetenland. After Munich Agreement Gajda, as a gesture of defiance, returned all French and British honors and medals. In 1939 he was rehabilitated and returned into rank of General. He also got active in newly established Party of National Unity (Strana národní jednoty).

During March 1939 Czechoslovakian political scene was in state of turmoil. Several coups were attempted, one expecting Gajda to became new head of state. These amateurish coups ended in fiasco and few days later Czech lands were occupied by Nazi Germany.

After the occupation Gajda has been politically ignored and abandoned politics. He occasionally helped Czech resistance (helping army officers to flee into Poland, covering resistance activity of his son). He was investigated by Gestapo but avoided imprisonment.

When the World War II ended Gajda was inprisoned by NKVD (May 12 1945) and interrogated under harsh conditions (he lost eyesight while jailed). In April 1947 he was put before court and the prosecutor asked lifetime penalty due to "propagation of Fascism and Nazism". The case was far from clear and result sentence of two years allowed Gajda to leave prison shortly afterwards. Penniless and forgotten, Gajda died few months later.

During communist era (1948-1989) Gajda, being legionnaire and fascist, was ignored by official historiography and practically unknown by public in Czechoslovakia.

References

  • The Czech Fascist Movement: 1922-1942 by David Kelly (Columbia University Press, 1995, ISBN 0880333278)
  • Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890 edited by Philip Rees (1991, ISBN 0130893013)
  • "Radola Gajda of Czechoslovakia" by Joseph F. Zacek in East Central European War Leaders: Civilian and Military edited by Bela K. Kiraly (Columbia University Press, 1988, ISBN 0880331402)
  • "The Would-Be Führer: General Radola Gajda of Czechoslovakia" by David Kelly in Issue 12.3 of The Journal of Slavic Military Studies
  • Jiří Fidler: "Generálové legionáři", 2001, ISBN 80-7242-043-7
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