National Front (Czechoslovakia) - Other Civil Organizations

Other Civil Organizations

The Front controlled all political activity, and its role was expanded to control of all organized activity of any kind, excluding only religion. Thus the Front was extended to include mass organizations that were not political parties. All large organizations of any kind were included, except churches. Among the organizations brought into the Front were:

• Revolutionary Trade Union Movement (to which all unions belonged)
• Socialist Union of Youth (1.5 million members)
• Union for Czechoslovak-Soviet Friendship
• Czechoslovak Union of Women (1 million members)
• Czechoslovak Red Cross
• Union for Czechoslovak-Soviet Friendship
• Union of Agricultural Cooperatives
• Union of Anti-Fascist Fighters
• Svazarm (Union for Cooperation with the Army)
• Peace Committee
• Physical Culture Association
• Union of Philatelists

All these groups were given the standard Communist organization, and Party members held all controlling posts. These groups permeated workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods. As with the Front, many of these organizations added Czech and Slovak regional components in 1969 and after.