English Translation

37 L.7 Her attitudes were welcomed by the people's representatives. After all, the ancient names of noble families reminded of traditions, historicality and state continuity, i.e. values that in times of national threat needed to be stamped and defended more than ever.8 The engagement of nobility's workers in political life at the beginning of the pros- torat was a surprise for the Czech public, on the other hand, the thoughtful and targeted step of General Alois Elias' government. The enforcement of some Czech nobles to the front positions of the protector-department organizations and authorities was decided at the meetings of the so-called troika, formed by the above-mentioned Prime Minister Elias and his close colleagues: Minister and Háchová by right hand Jiří Havelka and Hubert Ma- sarík (former head of the Cabinet of the Foreign Minister, from April 1939 to October 1941 directed the coordinating department of the Protectorate Government). Hugo Strachwitz and Karel Belcredi and František Prince Schwar- zenberg.10 The Office of the Minister of Agriculture, after the escape of Dr. L. K. Feierabenda 7 See the Collection of Laws and Regulations of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, year 1939, 220. governments- her regulation of 18 September 1939 amending the Law of 10. December 1918, No. 61 Sb. z. a n., which abolishes aristocracy, order and titles, as amended by the Act of 21 October 1936, No. 268 Sb . and N., on Orders and Titles, Prague 1939, p. 717. 8 Josef Nebeský, Chairman of the Deputy Committee of National Coherence, on which the national declaration of the Czech nobility was read in September 1939, even from the notil this step by the Czech nobles said: ...that the misunderstandings between the nation and its nobles arose in the past are thus removed. 9 The fundamental purpose of National Coherence was to prevent the fragmentation of the national community and to create the broadest possible anti-German bloc. Its creators, however, believed that not insignificant components of the National Team remained outside; to these they had to be found connections, made contacts with them, involved them in the negative front. Only flags and other fascists were excluded from this community, otherwise the national front for us went from the left worker to the Catholic nobility, from the communists to the socialists of both directions to the folks, agrarians and national democrats. See MASAŘÍK, Hubert: In the transformations of Europe, Prague, Litomyšl 2002, p. 3123. 10 After the war, František Schwar- zenberg spoke somewhat soberly and cautiously about his appointment to the Committee of National Coherence. According to his own testimony, he knew about it from the newspaper. Subsequently, he informed himself whether this function could be rejected.