Declaration of the International Students´ Day
Introduction; closing down of Czech universities Escape from the Protectorate to Yugoslavia Czechoslovak units in France Reputation of Czech pilots in England Service in the RAF“When our country granted us permission to form an organization, we founded the Central Union of Czechoslovak students in the foreign army, in order to represent our students abroad. In the first place, we contacted the association of British students with the aim to explain to them what had actually happened in our country, because the rest of the world had no clue about it. In war, news cannot get from one side to another, and thus it was completely new for them to learn what had happened in Prague and in Czechoslovakia. (alluding to events related to the closing down of Czech universities in November 1939 – ed.´s note) And they were very kind to us and they promised us all help we would need. We wanted to organize a big demonstration in London, where we would communicate these issues. And during the preparations for it, there was a suggestion that this day (November 17th) be declared the International Students´ Day. This was enthusiastically received by the Englishmen and they assisted us by contacting the other Allied governments and persuading them to recognize this day. They obtained for us fourteen signatures from governments who committed to observing that day. And this declaration was organized in London in November 16th 1941 in the auditorium of Caxton Hall with the participation of representatives of those fourteen governments, and this was spread to the whole world. At all British universities, not only in England, but abroad as well, lectures were interrupted and the memory of Czech students was observed. And this also immensely helped our government, which at that time was struggling for recognition of Czechoslovakia in her pre-Munich borders. Till that time there was uncertainty as to whether the Sudetenland ought not to be annexed to Germany. But we succeeded. Munich has been recognized as illegal, and thus the Munich agreement became annulated. Our President was very happy and grateful to us that in this way we turned the attention of people worldwide to the injustice that has been committed in our country; since that time we were received in an audience by the President on every November 17th, by which he demonstrated that we also have played a role in that.”
