STB (Czechoslovak State Security)

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In former Czechoslovakia, State Security (Czech: Státní bezpečnost, Slovak: Štátna bezpečnosť) or StB / ŠtB, was a plainclothes secret police force from 1945 to its dissolution in 1990. Serving as an intelligence and counter-intelligence agency, any activity that could possibly be considered anti-communist fell under the purview of StB.

From its establishment onward June 30, 1945, the StB was bound to and controlled by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. The communists used the StB as an instrument of power and repression: the StB spied on and intimidated political opponents of the Party and forged false criminal evidence against them, thus paving the way for the coup in 1948. Even then, before Czechoslovakia became a communist state, the StB used forcing confessions by means of torture, including the use of drugs, blackmail and kidnapping. After the coup, these practices developed under the tutelage of Soviet advisors^{[citation needed]}.

The StB's part in the fall of the regime in 1989 is still uncertain. The reported murder of a student by police in action against a peaceful demonstration in November 1989, was the catalyst for wider public support and further demonstrations, leading to the overthrow of the communist regime. The StB are alleged to have used an StB agent, Ludvík Zifčák, as the dead student, Martin Šmíd, who is alive, giving an interview to the press on the 2005 anniversary.

State Security was dissolved on February 1, 1990.

[edit] Organization within the Czechoslovak government

The State Security was a part of the National Security Corps (Czech: Sbor národní bezpečnosti, SNB; Slovak: Zbor národnej bezpečnosti, ZNB) along with Public Security (Czech: Veřejná bezpečnost, VB; Slovak: Verejná bezpečnosť, VB) – a uniformed force that performed standard police duties. Both forces worked at regional and district levels, supervised by the Ministries of the Interior of the Czech and Slovak Socialistic Republics, but operationally directed by the federal Ministry of Interior.