The first knife in our joint project, “War Veteran,” with the Military Solidarity Fund is the officer’s version of the M-1917 trench knife. The knife also serves as an expression of our tribute to General Josef Bílý. We would therefore like to highlight three main reasons that led us to this decision in our blog.
- General Bílý was a soldier in both body and soul
He graduated from the cadet school in Trieste and the Military Academy in Vienna. He served in several military units and was selected as an instructor at the cadet school in Vienna, where he taught tactics and drill. When World War I broke out, he did not remain at the academy but left to serve as a commander on the Russian front. After recovering from a war wound, he commanded a special unit in Italy that bore his name and remained in the Austro-Hungarian Army until the end of the war. There are not many men and women for whom their profession became their life’s purpose.
- General Bílý remained loyal
Just as he remained loyal to Austria-Hungary until the very end, he also remained loyal to the Czechoslovak Republic until his death, having voluntarily enlisted in its army as early as November 1918. Although most of the other officers came from the ranks of the legionnaires, he was a highly respected and recognized figure. He was therefore promoted to the rank of general as early as 1921 and retired in 1935 with the rank of army general.
- General Bílý was not broken by adverse circumstances
After the Nazis occupied the republic, he co-founded the resistance organization Obrana národa (Defense of the Nation) and led it. From 1939 onward, he went into hiding, but was nevertheless arrested by the Gestapo on November 14, 1940. Despite harsh interrogations, he did not betray his cause. When he was sentenced to death, his last words were: “Long live the Czechoslovak Republic! Dogs, fire!”