The series of mini-documentaries A Minute of History was created in the workshop of the Lidice Memorial on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the annihilation of Lidice and Ležáky. It is a series of one-minute documentaries mapping key historical events related to both tragedies in their immediate and broader factual context.
In 2022, 80 years have passed since the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich and the subsequent events, which became some of the most tragic for the Czech nation. Let’s take a look at what actually happened in the form of one-minute mini-documentaries focused on key historical contexts, events and people.
To this project contributed: Eduard Stehlík, Jiří Studnička, Martin Dobrovolný, Tomáš Studnička, Michal Kocián, Zdenka Landová (in memoriam), Martin Brabec, Martina Kantová, Jana Chourová Plachá.
Episode I – Silver A – Part I
History comes to life in the mini-documentaries of the Lidice Memorial. With the first of them, on the topic of Silver A, we are launching the regular series A Minute from History.
Episode II – Silver A – Part II
History comes to life in new mini-documents of the Lidice Memorial. The second part brings Silver A to Ležáky.
Episode III – Anthropoid – Part I
In the third part of the documentary A Minute from History, the Anthropoid parachutists drop into the territory of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.
Episode IV – Jan Kubiš
Another video from the series of mini-documentaries „A Minute from History“, this time we will introduce you to Jan Kubiš.
Episode V – Resistance fighters from Pardubice
The fifth episode of the miniseries A Minute of History will introduce viewers to the cooperation of Silver A with the resistance in Pardubice.
Episode VI – Libuše Is Calling London
In the sixth episode of the series A Minute from History, Jiří Potůček establishes a connection with London.
Episode VII – Jiří Potůček
In the seventh episode of the series A Minute of History, we will introduce you to Jiří Potůček.
Episode VIII – Anthropoid – Part II
Jan Kubiš and Josef Gabčík choose a suitable place for the assassination. You will see what preceded the selection in the eighth episode of the mini-documentary A Minute from History.
Episode IX – Josef Gabčík
In the ninth episode of the series A Minute from History, we will introduce you to Josef Gabčík.
Episode X – Looking for the Third King
„Looking for the Third King“ is the title of the tenth episode of the documentary A Minute from History.
Episode XI – Three Kings
Have you heard of the intelligence-sabotage group Three Kings? Let’s introduce it through A Minute of History.
Episode XII – The Falcons
An important part of the anti-Nazi resistance was the Sokols. Did you know? You can find out more in the 12th episode of the series A Minute of History.
Episode XIII – Prague Resistance
You can find out who passed on information about R. Heydrich from Prague Castle to Anthropoid and much more in the 13th episode of the series A Minute of History.
Episode XIV – Out Distance
The group OUT DISTANCE parachuted into the territory of the Protectorate with a spare radio station and a traitor… Introducing the fourteenth episode of the mini-documentary „A minute of History“.
Episode XV – The Fateful Turn
This Minute of History takes us to a key moment in the preparations for the assassination of Reinhard and Heydrich.
Episode XVI – Reinhard Heydrich
Cruel and merciless, such was the acting Reich Protector Reinhard Heydrich. We present the sixteenth episode of the documentary A Minute of History.
Episode XVII – Libuše on the Road
We will recall how complicated and demanding was the journey of the Libuše transmitter through the territory of the Protectorate in this episode of Minutes from History.
Episode XVIII – the Training Ground
„the training ground, easy on the battlefield.“ You will learn how the training of paratroopers in Scotland took place, which Josef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš also went through, in the next Minute from History.
Episode XIX – Pre-war Lidice
Fast forward eighty years to the beginning of June 1942.
Fateful events leading to the annihilation of Lidice are slowly approaching.
But what did Lidice look like before the tragedy? Find out in this episode of Minutes from History.
Episode XX – People from Lidice – Part I
In today’s mini-documentary „A Minute of History“
get to know some of the inhabitants of the original village of Lidice with us.
Episode XXI – The People of Lidice – Part II
Get to know some of the inhabitants of the original village of Lidice with us. In today’s mini-documentary „A Minute of History“, we will introduce them to you.
Episode XXII – The Assassination
Exactly eighty years ago, on June 27th, 1942…
A minute from history will guide us through the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich.
Episode XXIII – Children from Lidice
On the occasion of Children’s Day, we have prepared a special episode of Minutes from History dedicated to the children of Lidice.
Episode XXIV – Tragedy Is Coming
Tragedy is coming…
Episode XXV – The Lidice Tragedy
A minute from history focuses on the tragedy of Lidice itself.
Eighty years have passed since the annihilation of the village of Lidice in June 2022.
With this video, we will remember their fate.
Episode XXVI – Betrayal and the Last Fight
June 18th, 1942. The Orthodox Church of St. Cyril and Methodius in Prague’s Resslova Street. Let’s recall the events that will forever go down in history…
Episode XXVII – Ležáky
This episode of Minutes from History is dedicated to the settlement of Ležáky in the time before the tragedy.
Episode XXVIII – The Ležáky Tragedy
On June 24th, 2022, we commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Ležáky tragedy…
Episode XXIX – What Lies Ahead
Over the holidays, we will not broadcast our mini-documentaries A Minute from History, we will resume broadcasting in the first week of September. You will find out what awaits us in the individual episodes until the end of the year in today’s summary.
Episode XXX – Kobylisy Shooting Range
This Minute from History focuses on the shooting range at Kobylisy, the dreaded execution site where the lives of the Lidice family were sacrificed.
Episode XXXI – Reprisals
After the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, cruel reprisals began on the territory of the Protectorate. Learn more in this History Minute.
Episode XXXII – The Last Fight – Part I
This episode of the documentary A Minute from History shows in more detail how bravely the paratroopers fought against multiple odds in the Orthodox Church of Cyril and Methodius in Resslova Street on June 18th, 1942…
Episode XXXIII – The Last Stand – Part II
In this Minute of History, the fight of the paratroopers continues in the Cathedral of St. Peter. St. Cyril and Methodius in Resslova Street with Nazi superiority…
Episode XXXIV – Kladno Hell
On June 12th 1942, the Nazis separated the children of Lidice in the Kladno grammar school from their mothers. The most emotionally tense event of the Lidice tragedy will be commemorated in this Minute from History.
Episode XXXV – Posthumous Men Part I
The Nazi fury affected even the most defenseless – unborn children. Their sad fates are the subject of two episodes of the mini-documentary A Minute of History.
Episode XXXVI – The Posthumous Part II
The Nazi fury affected even the most defenseless – pregnant mothers and their unborn children. The second part of the mini-documentary #minutazhistorie dedicated to the fate of pregnant Lidice women and their children is presented in October 2022, i.e. eighty years since the Lidice women, whose pregnancy was subsequently discovered in the Ravensbrück concentration camp, were transferred to the institute in Dykova Street in Prague.
Episode XXXVII – Ravensbrück Part I
The women of Lidice were sent to concentration camps, where they suffered in inhumane conditions. Some of them did not survive the hardships. The first part of the mini-documentary will introduce you #minutazhistorie their fates.
Episode XXXVIII – Ravensbrück Part II
The women of Lidice were sent to concentration camps, where they suffered under inhumane conditions. Some of them did not survive the hardships. The second part of the mini-documentary #minutazhistorie also focuses on their difficult fates.
Episode XXXIX – Łódź
The murder of the children of Lidice is the most heinous crime of all that the Nazis committed at Lidice. This #minutazhistorie deals with the transport of Lidice children to a factory in Łódź, Poland, and about the beginning of their journey of death…
Episode XL – Łódź Part II
The murder of the children of Lidice is the most heinous crime of all that the Nazis committed at Lidice. In the factory in Łódź, Poland, the children were separated – seven of them were selected for re-education and the other eighty-one were sent to their deaths in gas vans in Chelmno. You can find out more in this episode of the #minutazhistorie mini-documentary.
Episode XLI – Children of Lidice. Letters
Shortly before their bestial murder, the children of Lidice were asked to write letters to their relatives in the Protectorate. The writing was supposed to give the impression that the children were alive and well. The harsh truth came to light many years later. By the time the letters were delivered to the recipients‘ mailboxes, the children were already dead…
Episode XLII – Children of Lidice. Death
The lives of eighty-two Lidice children were extinguished in gas vans in the Polish town of Chelmno. The bestial murder of defenseless children was the pinnacle of the Nazi regime’s monstrosity. The memory of this tragedy is brought to you in the next episode of the mini-documentary #minutazhistorie
Episode XLIII – Destruction of Lidice
The order was clear: „The village of Lidice should be razed to the ground and erased from the map!“
Episode XLIV – Lidice under the Snow
Lidice is covered with snow in December, there hasn’t been so much snow before Christmas for a long time… However, it cannot compare with the snowfall in pre-war Lidice. Come with us before the end of the year to stop for a while and reminisce about the winter in old Lidice…
Episode XLV – Harbinger of War
In the new episodes of the #minutazhistorie series, we will cover a wider range of topics. Let’s go back to 1914 and start our story with World War I.
Episode XLVI – The Pretext of War
The pretext for the First World War was the assassination of Franz Ferdinand d’Este and his wife in Sarajevo on 28thJune 1914.
Episode XLVII – The Outbreak of War Part I
On July 28th 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. This happened after unsuccessful negotiations on the investigation of the assassination on Serbian territory and the extradition of the assassins.
Episode XLVIII – The Outbreak of War Part II
Who declared war on whom…? You will find out in the second part of the episode dedicated to the outbreak of the First World War.
Episode XLIX – Czechs in the Austro-Hungarian Army
Why did the Czechs have a reputation as an „unreliable“ nation when they were also brave and tenacious fighters? Find the answers in today’s episode of Minutes from History.
Episode L. – The Czech Lands at the Beginning of the First World War
Every war brings painful changes to people’s lives, and it was no different in the First World War. The abolition of basic constitutional rights, executions, persecution and terror… You can find out how the beginning of the war affected Czech society in this Minute from History.
Episode LI. – Political Situation in the Czech Lands
In this episode of the Minute of History series, we focus on the political situation during the First World War. Anti-militarism was unforgivable…
Episode LII – Masaryk’s Journey Abroad
Finding allies of the Czech nation abroad – that was a clear task set by Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk when he left in 1914. With whom did he negotiate and why did he end up staying abroad? You will learn this and much more in this Minute of History.
Episode VIII – Masaryk’s Foreign Action
A thorny path to an independent Czechoslovakia was diplomatically trodden by Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. He initiated the Independent Bohemia memorandum and publicly declared the resistance of the Czech nation against the Habsburg monarchy. You can learn more about his negotiations in this Minute from History…
Episode LIV – Western Front 1914 – 1916
What was the Schlieffen Plan? And what was the strategy of fighting on the Western Front of the First World War? Find the answers in this episode of the Minute of History series.
Episode LV – The Battle of Verdun
One of the greatest battles on the Western Front of World War I was the Battle of Verdun. It has claimed hundreds of thousands of unnecessary victims. Why? Find out in this Minute of History.
Episode LVI – The Battle of the Somme
The battle that claimed the most casualties during the First World War. It lasted almost five months and featured the first use of tanks. This is a brief description of the Battle of the Somme. You will find out what its outcome was and how many human lives it claimed in this episode of Minutes from History.
Episode LVII – Eastern Front 1914-1918
On the Eastern Front of World War I, Russia and Austria-Hungary fought against each other. What was the strategy of the fight and why Germany got into a dispute with Austria-Hungary, you will learn in this Minute from History.
Episode LVIII. – Another battlefield of the first war
In previous parts, we dealt with the Western and Eastern Fronts of the First World War. However, there were many more battlefields. We will introduce at least some of them in this episode of Minutes from History.
Episode LIX – Russia in 1917
This episode of the Minute of History series will describe Russia’s role during the First World War.
Episode LX – The Western Front in 1917
The Western Front of the First World War. The year is 1917. The Central Powers have depleted their economic resources and the population is beginning to revolt. This is followed by the declaration of unrestricted submarine warfare by Germany, which causes the US to enter the war. But let’s take a look at the whole situation in order… In this Minute of History…
Episode LXI: The Bolshevik Revolution
The Great October Revolution, initiated by the Bolsheviks led by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and Lev Davidovich Trotsky, heralded the end of the fighting on the Eastern Front. Let us recall the circumstances that preceded the Bolshevik Revolution with this episode of Minutes from History.
Episode LXII – Russian Bolshevism
How a totalitarian regime comes to power is illustrated in this episode of Minutes from History on the example of Russian Bolshevism.
Episode LXIII: Lenin’s State Policy of Terror
Who was Fanja Kaplan? And what if her attempt was successful? Perhaps Lenin’s state policy of terror would never have happened… But everything turned out differently… Learn more in this History Minute.
Episode LXIV – Peace Negotiations During the War
In December 1917, peace negotiations between the Central Powers and Russia began, resulting in the signing of the Peace of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918. He ended the fighting on the Eastern Front. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson was also involved in peace negotiations between the Central Powers and the Entente. We will tell you how the negotiations took place in this Minute from History.
Episode LXV – The Year 1918
We bring you the penultimate pre-holiday episode of Minutes from History, this time dedicated to the end of the First World War.
Episode LXVI – Paris Peace Conference
World War I was officially ended by peace agreements. You will find out what these agreements were and what they contained in today’s history in today’s minute.
Episode LXVII – part of the Czechoslovak Legion in Russia. Formation of the Czech retinue
In the next part of Minutes from History, we focus on the topic of the Czechoslovak Legions in Russia, specifically the formation of the Czech Legion.
Episode LXVIII – Czechoslovak Legions in Russia. Czech-Slovak Rifle Regiment
In this minute of history, we will follow up on the formation of the Czech Retinue and introduce the formation of the Czechoslovak Regiment.
Episode LXIX – Czechoslovak legions in Russia. Battle of Zborov
In this Minute of History, we will focus on the Battle of Zborov, in which the Czechoslovak legions also participated. The battle caused the death of 167 men, more than 900 soldiers were wounded.
Episode LXX – Czechoslovak Legions in Russia. Changes after the Peace of Brest-Litovsk
This Minute of History closes the chapter of the Czechoslovak legions in Russia and maps the changes after the Peace of Brest-Litovsk.
LXXI. díl – Československé legie v Rusku. Radikální legionáři
Jak se radikalizovali českoslovenští legionáři, jaká byla ruská reakce, a kolik neuvěřitelné síly v sobě čs. bojovníci našli, se dozvíte v tomto dílu Minuty z historie.
LXXII. díl – Československé legie v Rusku – Vzestup generála Kolčaka
Tato Minuta z historie opět na téma československých legií v Rusku představuje osobu admirála A. V. Kolčaka a jeho diktátorskou vládu s prvky bílého teroru.
LXXIII. díl – Lidičtí muži v boji za svobodu I
V novém díle Minut z historie vzpomeneme na lidické muže, kteří bojovali za první světové války.
LXXIV. díl – Lidičtí muži v boji za svobodu II
Mezi lidické muže, kteří bojovali za druhé světové války, patřil i poručík letectva Josef Horák. Více se dozvíte v dnešní Minutě z historie.
LXXV. díl – Lidičtí muži v boji za svobodu III
Cyklus Minuta z historie dnes zakončíme příběhem Josefa Stříbrného, lidického muže, který nastoupil roku 1941 na vlastní žádost k letectvu a poté se stal jedním z nejlepších navigátorů bombardovací peruti.