Josef Šnejdárek

Infobox Person
name = Josef Šnejdárek


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birth_date = birth date|1875|4|2
birth_place = Napajedla, Austria-Hungary
death_date = death date and age|1945|5|13|1875|4|2
death_place = Casablanca, French Morocco
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ethnicity = Czech
citizenship = Austrian, French, Czechoslovak
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occupation = Military officer
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Josef Šnejdárek (2 April 1875 in Napajedla - 13 May 1945 in Casablanca) was a Czech soldier, who served 43 years in the French Foreign Legion and later was a military officer for Czechoslovakia. He participated in World War I, conflict with Poland over Cieszyn Silesia and with the Hungarian Soviet Republic over territories in todays Slovakia.

Šnejdárek was born in a miller's family. After graduating from the cadet school he entered the Austro-Hungarian Army and served in Budapest and Innsbruck. He left then the Austro-Hungarian Army and joined the French Foreign Legion, in their ranks took a part in fights in North Africa.

In World War I Šnejdárek fought on the Western Front, was wounded several times and awarded. He served then in the Czechoslovak Legion in France.

In 1919 Šnejdárek returned (as a French citizen) to Czechoslovakia. He became the commander of Czechoslovak forces operating in Cieszyn Silesia and led his forces in a short armed conflict with Poland. He later became the commander of division in fights against the Hungarian Soviet Republic in todays Slovakia, where was victorious in the battle of Zvolen. However as late as in 1927 Šnejdárek formally left French Army and joined the Czechoslovak Army.

In the Czechoslovak Army Šnejdárek was named the general and land military commander in Slovakia. In 1932 he gave order to fortificate Petržalka with concrete bunkers. Nine objects have been built. He retired in 1930s.

In 1939 Šnejdárek went to the French exile. When France was defeated by Nazi Germany he went to North Africa, where he died. His remnants were in 1996 transferred from Casablanca to family grave in Napajedla.

In 1939 he published his autobiography named "Co jsem prožil" (What I Lived Through). It was published again in 1994 under the name "Pochoduj, nebo zemři!" (March or Die!).

External links

* PDF| [http://www.wittmannholding.sk/eng/fam/snejdarek.pdf Slovak article about Šnejdárek] |979 KB