Civic Defence

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Civic Defence (Czech: Občanská obrana) was a Czech paramilitary organisation active on the territory of Cieszyn Silesia during the so-called plebiscite period of the Polish–Czechoslovak dispute over Cieszyn Silesia (1919–1920).

The Civic Defence was created based on the system of the so-called fives: in each municipality there was one trustee who directed five persons he selected. Each such selected person further selected in a similar way five other persons an so on.^[1]

Later in time the Civic Defence was rebuilt on a military basis and became substantially stronger. The head of the organisation was captain Kučera of Orlová and lieutenant Cingr of Ostrava, for a certain period of time it was led also by major Uvíra of Kroměříž.^[2]

The Civic Defence was active also on the Polish side of the demarcation line, led by captain Puckman of Cieszyn.^[2]

The declared goals of the Civic Defence were defence against the attacks of Polish guerrillas and support of Czechoslovak gendarmerie, defence of the Czechoslovak-Polish demarcation line against Polish incursions and, in case of Polish invasion, holding back of Polish advance until the arrival of Czechoslovak troops.^[2]

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