The February Crisis of 1948 in Czechoslovakia in the American Intelligence Materials

In February 1948, an acute government crisis broke out in Prague, culminating in the transfer of power in Czechoslovakia to the Communist Party and the destruction of the democratic opposition. These events completed the consolidation of the Soviet sphere of influence in Europe and contributed to the formation of a US containment policy. The causes of the Czechoslovak crisis and the particularities of the Communist strategy became the subject of study by the American intelligence services. The purpose of the article is to examine the main issues that were the focus of their attention, to analyse the sources of information, to assess its completeness and the adequacy of their reports and conclusions. The study draws on an analysis of documents from the US National Archives. TThe author concludes that US intelligence did not foresee a rapid transition of power in Czechoslovakia to the Communists in early 1948. Their information about the causes and development of the crisis was based primarily on the testimonies of Czechoslovak political emigrants, which were mostly opinionated and subjective in nature. Much attention was paid to the influence and possible intervention of the USSR in the Czechoslovak crisis, the causes and preconditions for its development, the communists' strategy and tactics for seizing power, and the possibilities of preventing similar events in other countries. The American experts drew conclusions about the importance of controlling the main centres of power (police, secret services, trade unions and public organisations) and information resources to prevent similar events in other countries.

Czechoslovakia, USA, foreign policy, emigration, political crises, Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, seizure of power, February crisis of 1948, special services, intelligence, emigrants, multiparty