SVAZARM
Encyclopedia
Svazarm or Union for Cooperation with the Army
(Czech
: Svaz pro spolupráci s armádou / Svazarm, Slovak
: Zväz pre spoluprácu s armádou / Zväzarm), was, in Communist Czechoslovakia
, the largest "paramilitary
" organisation, though in fact many of the activities that Svazarm provided for its members were more reminiscent of a Boy Scout
movement than of a regimentend paramilitary group.
Established in 1951, the Svazarm was an almost exact copy of the Soviet Union
's DOSAAF
, however, with massively scaled down water
activities as Czechoslovakia was landlocked
. However, canoeing
was still a popular activity. In 1985, it had about one million members, 60% of whom were under 35 years of age.
training to dog
training. Dog lovers would be instructed in the training and breeding of dogs suitable for military purposes, especially German Shepherds. Shortwave radio operation was another popular activity, and was also useful for creating future radio
operators in the army.
A more specialised branch of the Svazarm, based at Košice
, trained pilots for the air force. Training included at least twenty flight hours of glider
training and forty hours of basic training on motorised aeroplane
s, as well as the necessary aviation
theory
.
There ware also sections: Model airplanes and gliding (formally DOSLET), motor sport section (motorcycles and cars) and all sort of shooting sports. (rifle, pistol)
were usually less than impressed with the recruits that the Svazarm sent them, complaining that Svazarm members were "too soft" and lacked military knowledge. As military training for Svazarm members totalled 25 hours per year, and nearly all Svazarm instructors were insufficiently trained, this complaint was not unfounded.
Many Svazarm members thought that as any World War III
would be fought with nuclear weapon
s, conventional military training was a complete waste of time and thus took up an apathetic
view of the entire Svazarm enterprise
.
It was also rumoured that many Svazarm trainers were not too enthusiastic themselves and would tell their students how to avoid being conscripted
.
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
(Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
: Svaz pro spolupráci s armádou / Svazarm, Slovak
Slovak language
Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...
: Zväz pre spoluprácu s armádou / Zväzarm), was, in Communist Czechoslovakia
History of Czechoslovakia
With the collapse of the Habsburg monarchy at the end of World War I, the independent country of Czechoslovakia was formed, encouraged by, among others, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson...
, the largest "paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
" organisation, though in fact many of the activities that Svazarm provided for its members were more reminiscent of a Boy Scout
Junák
Junák, or more properly, Junák - svaz skautů a skautek ČR , is the largest association of Scouts and Guides of the Czech Republic...
movement than of a regimentend paramilitary group.
Established in 1951, the Svazarm was an almost exact copy of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
's DOSAAF
DOSAAF
DOSAAF was a paramilitary society in the Soviet Union, Voluntary Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Fleet . The society was preserved in a number of post-Soviet Republics, e.g., in Russia and Belarus...
, however, with massively scaled down water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
activities as Czechoslovakia was landlocked
Landlocked
A landlocked country is a country entirely enclosed by land, or whose only coastlines lie on closed seas. There are 48 landlocked countries in the world, including partially recognized states...
. However, canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
was still a popular activity. In 1985, it had about one million members, 60% of whom were under 35 years of age.
Activities
The activities the Svazarm provided were extremely diverse, ranging from medicalMedicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
training to dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
training. Dog lovers would be instructed in the training and breeding of dogs suitable for military purposes, especially German Shepherds. Shortwave radio operation was another popular activity, and was also useful for creating future radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
operators in the army.
A more specialised branch of the Svazarm, based at Košice
Košice
Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary...
, trained pilots for the air force. Training included at least twenty flight hours of glider
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
training and forty hours of basic training on motorised aeroplane
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
s, as well as the necessary aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
theory
Theory
The English word theory was derived from a technical term in Ancient Greek philosophy. The word theoria, , meant "a looking at, viewing, beholding", and referring to contemplation or speculation, as opposed to action...
.
There ware also sections: Model airplanes and gliding (formally DOSLET), motor sport section (motorcycles and cars) and all sort of shooting sports. (rifle, pistol)
Svazarm members in the armed forces
The Czechoslovakian militaryMilitary
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
were usually less than impressed with the recruits that the Svazarm sent them, complaining that Svazarm members were "too soft" and lacked military knowledge. As military training for Svazarm members totalled 25 hours per year, and nearly all Svazarm instructors were insufficiently trained, this complaint was not unfounded.
Many Svazarm members thought that as any World War III
World War III
World War III denotes a successor to World War II that would be on a global scale, with common speculation that it would be likely nuclear and devastating in nature....
would be fought with nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
s, conventional military training was a complete waste of time and thus took up an apathetic
Apathy
Apathy is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation and passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of interest in or concern about emotional, social, spiritual, philosophical or physical life.They may lack a sense of purpose or meaning in...
view of the entire Svazarm enterprise
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
.
It was also rumoured that many Svazarm trainers were not too enthusiastic themselves and would tell their students how to avoid being conscripted
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
.