The Good Soldier Svejk

Published in 1921, The Good Soldier Svejk is a fictional black comedy by Jaroslav Hašek. Set in Czechoslovakia during World War I, the story follows the misadventures of "feebleminded" Josef Svejk, as he is drafted into the army and bungles everything he does. Hašek, a famous anarchist and one of the most celebrated of Czech authors, intended The Good Soldier Svejk to comprise six volumes, but in 1923, he passed away from heart failure after completing only four. The final two volumes were penned by the journalist Karel VanÄ›k.

The last time Josef Svejk was in the army, he was discharged for being "feebleminded." Since then, he has worked as a dog trader, but now that World War I is beginning, the army needs every man it can get. However, no sooner is Svejk drafted than he is already in trouble. After making a politically insensitive remark, Svejk is arrested and sent to prison. Once there, he blames his feeblemindedness, so he is transferred a madhouse. He is so cheerful and enthusiastic that the staff quickly grows irritated with him. Labeling him a malingerer, they send him back to the army.

Svejk arrives for his intake medical exam in a wheelchair, citing a flare-up of his rheumatoid arthritis. Annoyed by this, the doctor declares him fit for duty, nevertheless. Svejk is assigned to the military prison, where Otto Katz, the prison's alcoholic chaplain, takes such a liking to Svejk, he makes him his altar boy. They spend many days drinking and debating religion.



Unfortunately for Svejk, Katz wagers his altar boy in a poker game with Lieutenant Luka. When Katz loses, Svejk becomes Luka's assistant—a job that mainly requires him to delicately handle the many problems that arise from Luka's constant womanizing. Though Svejk earnestly tackles each issue, he only succeeds in making them worse, causing immense embarrassment to the Lieutenant.

One day, Svejk presents his superior with a gift: a pet dog. Unbeknownst to Luka, however, the dog belongs to Colonel Kraus, who is frantic with worry over his missing pet. When Luka takes the dog for a walk, Kraus sees them. In retaliation for taking his dog, Kraus transfers Luka and his battalion to the front lines.

On the train to the front lines, Svejk accidentally releases the emergency brake on the train. This earns him a large fine; when he is unable to pay it, he is kicked off the train at the next station. Luka is overjoyed to be rid of Svejk, but the people at the train station who witness his treatment assume that he is yet another war hero being abused by the military. They buy him drinks and pitch in to pay his fine.



Eventually, the military police find him and arrest him for being without papers. When they learn the situation, they say he can linger no longer but must proceed to the front lines on foot. Svejk obeys, but he begins walking in the wrong direction. The military police finally catch up with him again much later, arresting him as a deserter. At the interrogation, Svejk gives innocent but confusing replies, and the sergeant asking the questions is convinced that Svejk is actually a highly intelligent spy. The sergeant's supervisors do not agree, however, and Svejk is sent back to his battalion.

Aghast to see Svejk returned to him, Lieutenant Luka sends him to prison for his unauthorized absence. After only three days, Captain Kraus (who is still angry at Luka) frees Svejk, sending him back to Luka with strict orders that the Lieutenant must accept his services. Luka begrudgingly does and sends him off to deliver a letter to his latest lover. Svejk gives the letter to the woman's husband instead. Enraged, the man attacks him, forcing Svejk to fight back to defend himself. Eventually, the police arrive and arrest Svejk.

Despite the bad publicity surrounding this event, Luka is appointed the commander of a unit on its way to the front lines in Russia. Svejk accompanies them as a phone operator, but his confusing replies to every communication cause so much havoc with the battle preparations that he is reassigned. His next duty should be easy; he must give everyone a copy of the second volume of a novel. The army has created a code based on the novel, and so each soldier must have a copy to decode messages. However, Svejk distributes the novel's first volume, instead, because everyone knows that you should always read a book from the beginning.



Lieutenant Dub, the most disliked officer in the battalion, believes he has enough evidence against Svejk for a court-martial. However, one night, Svejk finds Dub drunk in a brothel, giving him leverage to avoid the court-martial. Luka then instructs Svejk to find the fastest road to the next village. Svejk refuses to use a map, instead, thinking that he will find the fastest way by instinct.

Svejk heads towards the next village on foot but quickly gets lost. He happens upon a pond in which a Russian soldier is bathing. When the soldier sees him, he is so frightened that he runs away still naked. Svejk decides to see if the Russian's uniform will fit him, and so he tries it on. Just then, Svejk's battalion arrives. Believing him to be an enemy soldier, they arrest him and assign him to railroad repair duty with the rest of the captured Russian soldiers.