▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁ ▁The ▁programme ▁target ed ▁former ▁officials ▁and ▁members ▁of ▁main stream ▁centre ▁and ▁left - wing ▁" B our ge ois " ▁parties ▁from ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁dem ocr atic ▁government ▁that ▁been ▁declared ▁illegal ▁after ▁January ▁ 1 9 3 3 . ▁▁ ▁Those ▁arrested ▁included ▁Social ▁Democr ats ▁and ▁tr ades ▁union ists , ▁Liber als , ▁Commun ists ▁and ▁Bav arian ▁People ' s ▁Party ▁members , ▁along ▁with ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁centre ▁parties . ▁ ▁The ▁name ▁The ▁word ▁" G itter " ▁can ▁be ▁translated ▁into ▁English ▁as ▁" gr ille " ▁or ▁" l attice ": ▁ ▁in ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁A ktion ▁G itter ▁it ▁refers ▁to ▁putting ▁people ▁" be hind ▁bars ". ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁had ▁already ▁been ▁officially ▁used ▁before , ▁in ▁connection ▁with ▁a ▁mass ▁arrest ▁over night ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁ 4 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁that ▁had ▁taken ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁Prote ctor ate ▁of ▁Boh emia ▁and ▁Mor avia ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁March ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁in ▁connection ▁with ▁completion ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁take over ▁in ▁what ▁had ▁previously ▁been ▁the ▁western ▁part ▁Czech oslov ak ia . ▁ ▁A ktion ▁G itter ▁was ▁the ▁official ▁title ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁government , ▁but ▁these ▁events ▁are ▁also ▁sometimes ▁identified ▁in ▁sources ▁as ▁A ktion ▁Gew itter ▁or ▁A ktion ▁Him ml er . ▁▁ ▁" G ew itter " ▁is ▁a ▁German ▁word ▁for ▁a ▁"