On October 1 and 14, 2008 the study trip to historical places commemorating the fights of the First Chzechoslovak Army Corps was organized. Students of Joint Staff Officers’ Course and Senior Staff Officers’ Course visited Svidník and Dukla mountain pass led by Chief of Courses Management Department, Lt Col Štefan Lipták and two syndicate instructors, Maj Ján Čurilla and Maj Iveta Petrová.

    These areas as well as the Polish one in a close vicinity were the places of the largest operation in terms of casualties conducted in rough mountainous terrain at the Eastern front during the World War II. Planning and preparation of the operation ought to be done in four days after the Slovak National Uprising outbrake. The aim was to enable the corps to join the insurgent army as soon as possible. Due to certain circumstances the intention of the 38th Soviet Army was not accomplished and Stará Ľubovňa – Prešov battle line control was not taken in five days as planned before. The fights extended and more than 80000 Soviet, 6500 Czechoslovak and 52000 German soldiers died in 82 days long battle.

    Study trip was comprised of two parts.

    The first one included a visit to the Military Museum in Svidník. The students saw an exhibition on „History of Military in Eastern Slovakia“ which documented a period before outbrake of World war I and II, raise of the resistance movement, course of battle of Dukla and Dukla traditions. Fierce battle in Karpaty during the World War I in winter 1914 – 1915 which claimed one million Russian and approximately 800 000 Austrian and Hungarian lives proved the great military – strategic importance of Dukla mountain pass. In the other parts of museum, heavy armoured vehicles were exhibited. Students visited a Soviet Army Monument as well, place where 9000 Soviet soldiers were buried in four mass graves.

    During the second part of the excursion the students visited 20 square kilometres large Natural military museum situated between Svidník and Dukla mountain pass. They stopped by Czechoslovak Army Monument and Cemetery in Dukla. 565 Czechoslovak soldiers have been buried there. Tour followed by visiting the memorials symbolizing a reconnaisance patrol as the first one entering our land on October 6, 1944. The other memorials honour engineers killed in the battle of Dukla. They extent to the Valley of Death, place of a vicious tank battle.

    Dukla battlefield is kept perfectly preserved and tidy, with a lot of Russian, Czech, German, Ukrainian and Slovak wreaths decorating the memorials, laid on the occassion of 64th Anniversary of the Battle. Study trip to the Dukla battlefield as an activity of the Course Block Programme allowed the students to understand the significance of battles for the present generation.