Karl Hermann Frank rose through blood and treachery to become the Nazi overlord of Czechoslovakia. Known as the "bloody dog," he served as secretary of state and chief of police.
In that role, Frank controlled the Nazi police apparatus in the protectorate. This included the Gestapo, the secret police of Nazi Germany.
It was Frank who, after the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich in 1942, ordered the shooting of all the men of Lidice. He sent all the women to concentration camps.
The few children considered worthy of Germanization were placed in the care of SS families in Germany. The rest were murdered.
These actions were something the Czechs could not forgive or forget.
Frank was arrested by U.S. Army troops on May 9, 1945. This cold-blooded tyrant was so hated in Czechoslovakia that for a long time no attorney wanted to defend him. Eventually, he did get one.
The verdict was handed down on May 21, 1946. The people's court found him guilty of treason, 300,000 murders, and responsibility for wiping out the entire village of Lidice.
His execution took place the next day. Due to the extraordinary seriousness of his actions, the public was invited to view his execution.
Thousands of people attended the public execution. Among them were seven surviving women from Lidice, who sat in the front row.
There were no tears shed for Karl Hermann Frank.