The Czech-German coexistence and the "wild expulsions" from Ústí nad Labem/Aussig, 1918-1945

This study, which spans from the creation of Czechoslovakia in 1918 to August 1945,examines the factors that played a role in the postwar violence against Sudeten Germans and their “wild expulsions” from the city of Ústí nad Labem while considering the deterioration of the local Czech-German relations prior to the expulsions as one of the possible factors. This thesis argues that while the Czech-German coexistence rapidly deteriorated in the late 1930s, this fact did not play a significant role in the violence against Germans in Ústí nad Labem during the period of the “wild expulsions.” Other factors such as the attitude of the Czechoslovak government, military leaders, and individuals within military and paramilitary formations proved to play a major role. A factor uniquely specific to Ústí nad Labem was, for example, the close proximity to Prague and easy access by railroads. While Ústí’s Czechs did not participate in violence against Germans, there does not seem to be any evidence that they opposed the expulsions.