The Petschek Palace    <=|   08   |=>  
    Prague. He especially aimed terror at the members of revolt, First of all against Communists where he rightfully saw the greatest danger. The only ones, in spite of the great losses, had overcome the critical period of Heydrich and were developing the revolting movement on a wide basis.
    Under the influence of the victory of the Red Army on the east front the communist revolt strengthened and the Communist Party was consolidating its leading position in the Czech National Liberation Movement. The occupants, their criminal instrument Gestapo, in spite of proclaiming the liquidation of the revolt kept having more and more troubles and therefore they increased the terror.
    Since summer 1942 the arrested had to undergo more and more often very severe interrogations, which were allowed by the chiefs of the executive offices of Gestapo. It was more essential however, that besides a few exceptions the use of physical violence was not controlled or forbidden by anybody. The Gestapo people were appraised according to the results of their police work and nobody was interested in the ways they achieved them on the occupied territory.  Beginning with slapping, kicking, forcing the detainees to an endless number of squats till they were completely worn out, the Gestapo sadists went over to a more perfect forms of torture.  For example, the prisoner was bucked (arms and legs bound), between his arms and legs a stick was placed. Then he was hanged on this stick between two tables and "swung" by kicks or beating with clucks.  The instructor of the 3rd illegal central CPC executive Emil Sirotek was bound to the Petschek Palace and he suffered from unbearable singes, but nevertheless the tortures did not fulfill the expectation of Gestapo.  A number of examines died during such "investigation" in the Prague central office of Gestapo.
    In spite of all this terror Gestapo found out that they were not able to liquidate the Czech revolt.
    The Slovak National Insurrection and especially the arrival of the Partisan organizational units from the Soviet Union strongly activated the Czech National Liberation Movement.