Úloha novináře Oldřicha Švestky v přípravě politického procesu proti rolníku Josefu Kalvodovi v roce 1948
The Role of Journalist Oldřich Švestka in a Preparation of the Potitical Process against Peasant Josef Kalvoda in 1948

Summary/Abstract: The study outlines the role of Czech Communist journalist and official Oldřich Švestka, famous such as a long time editor-in-chief of the Red Truth, a propagator of anti-reform and pro-Soviet (after August 1968 prooccupation) opinions and a signatory of the so-called letter of invitation, during the trial against peasant Josef Kalvoda soon after the coup in February. Švestka, at that time a not very known journalist – just in the earlystage of his career, described the safety authority what happened during the agricultural meeting in Chotěboř in 1947. At this meeting, peasant and youth official of the Czechoslovak People’s Party Josef Kalvoda reputedly appealed for rejecting the line of the Ministry of Agriculture, governed already by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. The testimony of Švestka, which was not definitely led for Kalvoda’s benefit and had an almost denunciation character, together with other statements of two alleged witnesses, was used by the prosecution in Kutná Hora such as the only evidence of an alleged illegal activity of Josef Kalvoda. Kalvoda spent more than five months in custody, was released before the trial which he used for successful emigration. Later, he was acknowledged as a very good historian and teacher in the USA and also lived to November 1989.

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