Emil Hácha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emil Hácha
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Hácha c. 1940s
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| State President of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia | |
| In office 16 March 1939 – 9 May 1945 |
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| Prime Minister | Rudolf Beran (acting, 1939) Alois Eliáš (1939-1941) Jaroslav Krejčí (1941-1945) Richard Bienert (1945) |
| President of Czechoslovakia | |
| In office 30 November 1938 – 14 March 1939 |
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| Prime Minister | Jan Syrový (1938) Rudolf Beran (1938-39) |
| Preceded by | Edvard Beneš |
| Succeeded by | Edvard Beneš |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 July 1872 Trhové Sviny, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary |
| Died | 27 June 1945 (aged 72) Prague, Czechoslovakia |
| Resting place | Vinohrady Cemetery |
| Political party | National Partnership |
| Spouse | Marie Háchová (1873–1938) |
| Education | University of Prague |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Signature |  |
Emil Dominik Josef Hácha (born 12 July 1872 – died 27 June 1945) was a Czech lawyer and politician. He served as the president of Czechoslovakia from November 1938 to March 1939. After Czechoslovakia was broken up in March 1939, Hácha became the president of the new German-controlled area called the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.
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Early Life and Legal Career
Emil Hácha was born on 12 July 1872, in a town called Trhové Sviny in the South Bohemian Region.
He finished secondary school in Budweis. Then, he went on to study law at the University of Prague. After he finished his studies in 1896, he started working for the Country Committee of the Kingdom of Bohemia in Prague. This was a local government body with limited power. In 1902, Hácha married Marie Háchová. They had a daughter named Milada. Marie passed away in 1938, just ten months before Hácha became president.
Soon after World War I began, Hácha became a judge at the Supreme Administrative Court in Vienna. This court handled legal cases for the western part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He met Ferdinand Pantůček there. After the war ended and the Treaty of Versailles was signed, Czechoslovakia became an independent country. Pantůček became the President of the Supreme Administrative Court of the Republic of Czechoslovakia in Prague. Hácha joined him as a judge in 1918 and then became Deputy President in 1919.
When Pantůček died in 1925, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, who was the first president of Czechoslovakia, chose Hácha to take his place. Hácha then became the President of the Supreme Administrative Court.
He became one of the most respected lawyers in Czechoslovakia. He was an expert in English common law and international law. Besides his legal work, he also translated English books, like Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome. He also collected art and wrote poetry. His book Omyly a přeludy (Errors and Delusions) was first published without his name in 1939, and then under his own name in 2001. He was also a member of the country's Legislative Council.
President of Czechoslovakia
Becoming President After the Munich Agreement
After the Munich Agreement in September 1938, parts of Czechoslovakia were given to Germany. The previous president, Edvard Beneš, resigned. Emil Hácha was chosen to be the new President of Czechoslovakia on 30 November 1938. He was picked because he was Catholic, conservative, and hadn't been involved in the governments that led to the country being divided.
The time he was president before Germany fully occupied the country is known as the Second Czechoslovak Republic. During this short period, Czechoslovakia changed from a democracy to a more authoritarian state. The president and government were given unusual powers, and the power of the parliament was limited.
Meeting with Hitler
After Slovakia and Ruthenia broke away from Czechoslovakia in March 1939, the British Ambassador suggested that President Hácha meet with Adolf Hitler. When Hácha arrived in Berlin, he first met with the German Foreign Minister, Joachim von Ribbentrop.
On the evening of 14 March 1939, Hitler called President Hácha to his office in Berlin. Hitler made Hácha wait for several hours. Finally, at 1:30 a.m. on 15 March 1939, Hitler met with Hácha. Hitler told Hácha that the German army was about to invade Czechoslovakia.
Hitler gave Hácha two choices:
- Cooperate with Germany. If he did, German troops would enter peacefully, and Czechoslovakia would keep some independence.
- Resist. If he resisted, Germany would use force, and the resistance would be crushed.
This was a very difficult decision for Hácha. He believed that in the future, people would understand his choice. Some reports say that Hácha was under extreme pressure during this meeting. He eventually contacted Prague and agreed to the German occupation to prevent further violence.
President of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
After Germany occupied the rest of Czechoslovakia on 16 March 1939, Hácha remained President. However, he had to promise loyalty to Hitler. Hitler then appointed Konstantin von Neurath to be the "Protector" of Bohemia and Moravia.
During his time as President of the Protectorate, Hácha had to sign laws that were similar to Nazi laws. These laws treated Czech Jews unfairly. He also dissolved the parliament and replaced it with a new political group called the National Partnership.
Hácha's situation became even worse on 29 September 1941. This was when Reinhard Heydrich was appointed as the new Deputy Protector. Heydrich was known for being very harsh. Hácha lost almost all his power and became a "puppet" leader, meaning he had to do whatever the Germans told him. Many of his colleagues and friends were arrested, including the Prime Minister Alois Eliáš. They were either shot or sent to Nazi concentration camps.
After Heydrich was assassinated, Kurt Daluege became the new Deputy Protector. Hitler had planned to punish many Czechs for Heydrich's death. He warned Hácha that if anything like that happened again, the entire Czech population might be deported.
See also
In Spanish: Emil Hácha para niños
- List of unsolved deaths
