WesWorld

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Czechoslovakia's International Outlook
Though Europe is at peace, the Czechoslovaks remain wary. Within the last ten years, the Czechs have seen major changes and challenges which could threaten their position in Central Europe, and they believe their armed forces should be carefully maintained in the event of a foreign threat.

German pressure over the issue of the Sudetenland has eased substantially in the past five years, as the Czechs have upheld the compromise position negotiated with Berlin. The Germans, for their part, seem to find the situation acceptable. The Germans are the most powerful of Czechoslovakia's neighbors and thus represent the most potent military threat to Czech fortunes. Prague believes that the Sudetenland situation is solved to the mutual satisfaction of both Germany and Czechoslovakia. So long as the current status quo remains, then armed conflict is unlikely.

Hungary's release from the Treaty of Trianon prompted Czech concerns of Hungarian irredentism. Although various political rumors to this effect have been heard, irredentist policies as a whole are not present at high levels of the Hungarian government, and relations are not unusually strained. The Hungarian Armed Forces, although released from their treaty restrictions, have adopted an economic and relatively low-key rearmament policy. In the short term, Czechoslovakia is not worried about any significant threat from the direction of Hungary.

Czechoslovakia regards Poland with some suspicion over issues related to the Teschen region. These issues resulted in diplomatic tensions during the 1930s, just prior to Poland's Wilno misadventures. Although the saber-rattling Polish leaders of that period have since left power, Czechoslovakia has closely monitored Poland's 1939 army reorganization and reequipping, particularly in regards to the growth of the Polish armoured forces. The formation of the Warsaw Pact did little to ease Prague's fear of eventual clashes with Poland. The Czechs regard Poland (and to a lesser extent the Warsaw Pact) with suspicious watchfulness.

Partly due to its military strength and partly as a result of their participation in the Warsaw Pact, Romania is also the recipient of some uncertainty, although Bucharest has allayed most suspicions by their high level of support during negotiations over the Sudetenland. Romania's continuing alliance with Poland, however, means the Czechs still keep a watchful eye on Romanian military developments.

The nations of the FAR alliance - France, Atlantis, and Russia - are relatively well-regarded by the Czech government do to their support during the Sudetenland issues. Of these states, Russia remains the most highly regarded as the longtime proponent of peace and stability in eastern Europe. Czech troops served in the Great War with both Russia and France, and the Czech Army draws much of its origins and doctrine from French and Russian sources. Great Britain is also seen in a positive light, although distanced from the affairs of Central Europe.

Czechoslovakia's Strategic Goals
Czech goals are almost exclusively defensive in nature. The primary goal of the armed forces is the maintenance of the nation's territorial integrity and internal order. This is accomplished in two ways. First, the Czechs hold significant forces in defensive regions and border fortresses, presenting any potential attacker with the probability of immediate armed resistance. Second, the Czech armed forces contribute to the national defense through the perception of their professionalism and strength. For this second reason, the Czechoslovakian government determined to participate in the League of Nations Arghanistan Field Force, where Czech troops would be seen contributing to the advancement of peace while still demonstrating the flexibility and strength of Czech muscle.

Military Export
Czechoslovakia has made a name for themselves throughout the 1920s and 1930s by their extensive exports of military equipment. This export policy has resulted in excellent arms production capabilities and the inflow of foreign hard currency into Czech bank accounts. Foreign exports also help in economies of scale for the Czech Army's own equipment acquisitions.

Doctrine
As Czechoslovakia's national strategic goals are primarily defensive, Czech army doctrine is similarly oriented towards the defense. Significant investments are made each year in the creation and maintenance of defensive fortifications, as well as troops to garrison them.

The growing importance of mobile armoured warfare by other European powers has posed a conundrum of sorts for the defensively-minded Czechs. If a Czech defensive line is broken, many Czech strategists fear that armoured units could get loose in the rear of a defensive army and wreak havoc. After significant discussion and debate, the Czech Army is slowly remolding its defensive planning in order to account for mobile armoured warfare. Defensive lines and fortifications are being re-arranged for all-around defense. In the event of a mobile breakthrough, these defensive redoubts will allow Czech troops to continue to fight on even when surrounded by more mobile troops. Enemies will be tied down attacking these encircled elements. In the meantime, a mobile reserve of Czech troops, composed of Czech tanks and mobile infantry, can launch their own counterattacks against enemy units that attempt to bypass the encircled bastions. In the event of war with a less mechanized power, this Czech mobile reserve has the flexibility to launch spoiler attacks on an advancing enemy, or counterattack weakened enemy units.

Afghanistan Field Force
The Czech Army received significant combat experience during their participation in the LON's Afghanistan Field Force. The Czechs sent a composite force of tanks, motorized infantry, and horse-mounted infantry (dragoons) together with supporting units. Through field experience, the Czechs determined that their matchup of horse dragoons and armoured tanks was flawed; the tanks and cavalry proved unable to work smoothly together, although the motorized infantry proved invaluable in operations alongside the tanks. The Irish Army, deployed alongside the Czechs, drew similar conclusions. This had substantial repercussions for the Czech Army, as the formation of the four Fast Divisions, composing the Czech mobile reserve, was founded on this pairing of tanks and horse cavalry. At the end of 1940, the Czech Army began retiring the horse-mounted troops and replacing them with motorized forces, placing increased emphasis on the development of both trucks and armoured infantry carriers. By 1942, some of the new equipment resulting from this experience is starting to appear in trials. Horse troops remain primarily for patrol work in mountainous regions, or in places where a light footprint is required, but the Afghanistan experience has largely resulted in the demise of the Czech cavalry.

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Originally posted by Vukovlad
Just curious about why you decided against using the A18 as the next tankgun like Hood suggested? Or have the OTL THN 57/900 as the LT vz42?