Reinhard Heydrich: Encyclopedia II - Reinhard Heydrich - Occupation role and Assassination

Reinhard Heydrich - Occupation role and Assassination

On September 27, 1941 Heydrich was appointed acting Reichsprotektor ('Imperial Protector', the nazi representative) in the Czech puppet-state called the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, de facto replacing Konstantin von Neurath whom Hitler considered insufficiently harsh (but who remained titulary protector till 20 Aug 1943).

While virtual military governor of Bohemia and Moravia, exercising real executive power above the Czech President and Prime Minister, Heydrich often drove alone in a car with an open roof — a show of confidence in the occupation forces and the effectiveness of their repressive measures against the local population (See Czech resistance to Nazi occupation).

On May 27, 1942, a team of British-trained agents of the Czechoslovak government in exile carried out the assassination of Heydrich in Operation Anthropoid. The team comprised Adolf Opálka (the leader), Josef Valčík, Jan Kubiš and Jozef Gabčík. Heydrich's car, driven by SS-Oberscharführer Klein, had to slow down to take a sharp bend where the Czech team waited. As the car approached, Gabčík took aim and pulled the trigger of his Sten, but the gun failed to fire. Klein, believing Gabčík to be alone, stopped to shoot at him. Heydrich stood up and took out his pistol, trying to shoot Gabčík. Kubiš then threw an anti-tank grenade at the car. This exploded and severely wounded Heydrich, forcing car seat material including horse hair into his spleen. Evidence suggests that if Heydrich had remained seated, he would have lived. The Czech agents were later tracked down by occupation forces to a nearby church in Prague and committed suicide to avoid capture.

Despite Himmler sending his best doctors, Heydrich died in agony in a Prague hospital at 4:30 a.m. on June 4 at the age of 38. Although the exact cause of death has not been definitively established, the autopsy states that Heydrich's death was most likely septicemia caused by bacteria and toxins from grenade splinters. A highly elaborate funeral was staged for him in Berlin, with Hitler attending (and placing on Heydrich's funeral pillow his decorations, the highest grade of the German Order and the Blood Order Medal). Hitler himself perhaps best encapsulated Heydrich's general attitude in his acknowledgment that Heydrich was partly to blame for his own death through arrogance and a blasé attitude:

Lina Heydrich later stated that she believed Heydrich had expected an early death, saying that she saw his frequent unnecessary risk-taking (such as his valiant adventures in his Luftwaffe Me 109) as an attempt to ensure that, should he die, his would be a dramatic death.

It is said that, less than twelve months before his death, Heydrich entered the Treasure Chamber of Prague Castle in which the Crown Jewels of Bohemia are kept, took the Crown and placed it on his own head. Legend has it that whoever puts on this Crown without lawful right will die within a year.^{[citation needed]}

The Nazi retaliation was savage and a brutal warning against further armed resistance. On June 10 all males over the age of 16 in the village of Lidice, 22 km north-west of Prague, were murdered a day after the town was burned. It has been reported that over 15,000 Czechs were killed in reprisals.

Heydrich's eventual replacements were Ernst Kaltenbrunner as the chief of RSHA and Karl Hermann Frank 27 - 28 May 1942 and Kurt Daluege as 28 May 1942 - 14 Oct 1943 the new acting Reichsprotektors.

After Heydrich's death, the first three "trial" death camps were constructed and put into operation at Treblinka, Sobibór, and Belzec. The project was named Operation Reinhard in Heydrich's honor.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Occupation role and Assassination", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki