Do you know the meaning of the word ‘Tchecos’? Do you know the meaning of the word ‘Tchecos’ in the second to last line? Does it the Italian spelling of Czech? Thanks. It’s from A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (Chapter 9). the context: "It could not be worse," Passini said respectfully. "There is nothing worse than war." "Defeat is worse." "I do not believe it," Passini said still respectfully. "What is defeat? You go home." "They come after you. They take your home. They take your sisters." "I don't believe it," Passini said. "They can't do that to everybody. Let everybody defend his home. Let them keep their sisters in the house." "They hang you. They come and make you be a soldier again. Not in the auto-ambulance, in the infantry." "They can't hang every one." "An outside nation can't make you be a soldier," Manera said. "At the first battle you all run." "Like the Tchecos." "I think you do not know anything about being conquered and so you think it is not bad."