A Unique Partnership: Czech Mausers for Ethiopia after WWII

/ forgottenweapons
www.floatplane.com/channel/Fo...
Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! shop.bbtv.com/collections/forg...
After World War Two, the Czech economy was in serious need of money to recover from the ravages of war. The arms factory at Brno was not bound by the same restrictions as German manufacturers, and still had a production line for the Mauser K98k, which they had been making for the Wehrmacht. Eager to bring in some hard currency, Brno continued to produce rifles on that German tooling, and sold them internationally. One of the not well known buyers was Israel, but another was Ethiopia (which also acted as the transit point for the shipments bound for Israel).
These rifles used remaining inventory of receivers already marked with German arsenal codes, as well as other parts that had been manufactured during the war, so some will have waffenamt’d small parts. The trigger guards and magazine floor plates presented a problem, however, as these had been supplied by German factories during the war. So, Brno tooled up its own design, with a stamped floor plate reminiscent of the American 1903A3 and a large stamped trigger guard to allow for use with thick gloves. On this Ethiopian contract, a stock disc was added to each right stamped with an image of St George slaying the dragon, an Ethiopian national symbol.
Thanks to InterOrdnance for giving me access to this rifle to bring to you!
Contact:
Forgotten Weapons
6281 N. Oracle #36270
Tucson, AZ 85740

[@markwalshopoulos]

The reason why Ian says "in the years after 1948"is because before the 1948 coup Czechoslovakia was a democratic country, not a communist one

[@splunky6314]

The Mauser is like the ak47 before the ak47. Gotta love 'em.

[@fetsumm-wassie3970]

I'm an Ethiopian and I remember my grandfather having a mauser gun locally known as "Chekoz" which is probably this model manufactured in Chekoslovakia. Unfortunately it was confiscated by the communist govt around 1975.

[@Commander_tewu]

Italians “tried” to hold Ethiopia as a colonial possession. we are maybe the only African country that was never fully colonized. Do not deprive us of one of our most important points of pride.

[@GrumblingGrognard]

Ethiopian troops very much

[@tomt810]

The story is more interesting than the gun itself

[@GunsNGames1]

I'm a simple man, I see Mauser I click like.

[@PonchoANS7]

Mexico was one of the countries that opposed Ethiopian's occupation.

[@justincarrasco3680]

These videos on Ethiopia’s weapons have been excellent.

[@alanvonify]

Nice to see you Czech these out

[@tehgreatvak]

Love the irony of the winter trigger guard that doesn't get used on the eastern front but becomes mandatory for Ethiopia.

[@Tobascodagama]

"We're here to liberate you from the Italians!”

[@FolgoreCZ]

Nice. Until you said it at

[@toledo152]

For those who don’t know I.O. bought a shit ton of rifles from Ethiopia. These items were stacked like cordwood in shacks barely kept out of weather.

[@jankopransky2551]

A Jewish guy once told me: "I like you czechs for two reasons. First- when we needed guns, you were the only one willing to sell. Second- you asked a three times normal price for that, which is exactly what we would do."

[@jindrichfischer2331]

We were making mauser style rifles in Brno since 1920ies the vz. 23 and vz, 24 which were well received, I think that we sold them to Lithuania, China and Argentine. So the tooling was there even before the war, we just got even more of it left over.

[@warrenlehmkuhleii8472]

Ethiopian: Wait, this is not German.

[@TheDoorspook11c]

Ian, history is literally written in the implements of violence and war. You, sir, are an awesome curator to that varied and often pixilated pieces of seemingly unconnected history!

[@AviacionBolivianaNet]

8:45

[@commandZee]

LOVE love love the extra historical context you provided this episode!