Czechoslovak resistance movement in World War II (WFAC)

The Czechoslovak resistance movement in World War II, with the Defence of the Nation (Obrana národa) at its forefront, was one of the largest underground resistance movements in all of occupied Europe, covering both the German and Hungarian zones of occupation. The Polish resistance is most notable for disrupting German supply lines to the Eastern Front, providing military intelligence to the British, and for saving more Jewish lives in the Holocaust than any other Western Allied organization or government. It was a part of the Czechoslovak Underground State.

Civilian
The government in exile, located first in France and later in the United Kingdom, with the President, Prime Minister and the Commander-in-Chief of the Czechoslovak Army was the top military and civilian authority, recognized by the authorities of the Underground State as their commanders. The government in exile was represented in the occupied Czechoslovakia by the Government Delegation for Czechoslovakia, headed by the Government Delegate for Czechoslovakia.

The Central Leadership of Home Resistance (Ústřední vedení odboje domácího, ÚVOD) was the was the central body of the Czechoslovak Underground State that directed and coordinated the different movements of the resistance, such as military resistance groups, underground press, trade unions and members of political parties. The ÚVOD also acted as the principal clandestine intermediary between the Czechoslovak government-in-exile and the home front, and its long-term purpose was to serve as a shadow government until Czechoslovakia's liberation from Nazi occupation.
 * Central Leadership of Home Resistance

The central leadership was headed by a chairman, and comprised:


 * Chairman: Josef Černý
 * Government Delegate for Czechoslovakia:


 * Represenatives of the major resistance movements:
 * Defence of the Nation (Obrana národa, ON)
 * Political Centre (Politické ústředí, PÚ)
 * Committee of the Petition "We Remain Faithful" (Petiční výbor Věrni zůstaneme, PVVZ)
 * Red Front (Rudá Fronta)
 * Czechoslovak Youth (Mladé Československo, MČ)
 * Sokol Community in the Resistance (Obec sokolská v odboji, OSVO)


 * Representatives of the trade unions:
 * (Odborové sdružení československé, OSČ; Czechoslovak Trade Union Association)
 * (Československá obec dělnická, ČOD; Czechoslovak Trade Union Association)
 * (Odborová jednota zemědělských a lesních zaměstnanců; Trade Union of Agricultural and Forest Employees)
 * (Rudé Odbory, Red Trade Union)
 * (Říšská odborová rada křesťanských odborových organizací, ŘOR; National Council of Christian Trade Unions)


 * Representatives of the six main political parties of the Czechoslovak First Republic:
 * (Social Democratic Party)
 * (Republicans)
 * (National Socialist Party)
 * (Czechoslovak People's Party)
 * (Slovak People's Party)
 * (Communist Party)

The three major resistance groups that consolidated under ÚVOD were the Political Centre (Politické ústředí, PÚ), the Committee of the Petition "We Remain Faithful" (Petiční výbor Věrni zůstaneme, PVVZ), and the Defence of the Nation (Obrana národa, ON), which was the largest of all armed resistance groups.

The Political Centre (Politické ústředí, PÚ) was the political leadership of the home front. The members of the leadership were (Social Democrats);  (National Socialists),  (Republicans),  (National Democrats) and  (People's Party).
 * Political Centre


 * Committee of the Petition "We Remain Faithful"


 * Communist Party of Czechoslovakia

Military
The largest of all Czechoslovak resistance organizations was the Defence of the Nation (Obrana národa, ON), loyal to the Czechoslovak government in exile in London. The ON was formed in 1938 and would eventually incorporate most other Czechoslovak armed resistance groups (except for the communists). It was the military arm of the Czechoslovak Underground State and loyal to the Czechoslovak government in Exile.