Czechoslovakia was a landlocked country in Central Europe that was created in 1918 when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. The Kingdom of Bohemia was incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and came under the domain of the Habsburg monarchs. Czech nationalism grew throughout the nineteenth century as a cultural movement, and the creation of Czechoslovakia was the culmination of the long struggle of the Czechs against their Austrian rulers.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Was Czechoslovakia once part of Austria? | Yes, before 1918, Czechoslovakia was part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. |
When did Czechoslovakia gain independence? | Czechoslovakia gained independence from the Austrian-Hungarian Empire on October 18, 1918. |
What countries did the Austrian-Hungarian Empire become? | The Empire split into several countries, including Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. |
What was the relationship between Austria and Czechoslovakia after independence? | The two countries had diplomatic relations, but there were also territorial conflicts and periods of strained relations. |
What was the economic situation of Czechoslovakia after independence? | Czechoslovakia had a strong economic foundation due to its industrial production, but it also faced challenges due to post-war depression and economic protectionism. |
What You'll Learn
Czechoslovakia's independence from Austria-Hungary
Czechoslovakia was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which ended with the fall of the empire in 1918. The creation of Czechoslovakia in 1918 was the culmination of a long struggle by the Czechs and Slovaks against their Austrian and Hungarian rulers, respectively.
The ancestors of the Czechs and Slovaks had been united under the same empire in the 7th century, known as Samo's Empire, and later in Great Moravia between 833 and 895. The Czechs and Slovaks also shared a common history under the rule of the Habsburg dynasty, which lasted from 1526 until 1918. However, the Czech and Slovak situations were very different by the late 19th and early 20th centuries due to the varying stages of development within Austria-Hungary. Bohemia, under Austrian rule, was the most industrialised part of the Empire, whereas Slovakia, under Hungarian rule, remained largely rural and less industrialised.
Czech nationalism grew throughout the 19th century, and during World War I, nearly 1.5 million Czechs fought in the Austro-Hungarian army. However, many Czechs and Slovaks defected on the Russo-Polish front, forming the Czechoslovak Legion. Exiled Czech politicians, backed by these military legions, worked towards regaining the independence of Bohemia, in the form of a Czech-Slovak union. The idea of a "Czecho-Slovak" entity was also advocated by some Slovak intellectuals, who began to challenge the old Slovak National Party.
On October 18, 1918, while in the United States, Czech leader Tomáš Masaryk issued a declaration of Czechoslovak independence. This was recognised by the Allies in the summer of 1918, who acknowledged the Czechoslovak National Council as the supreme organ of a future Czechoslovak government. The Czechoslovak Republic was officially recognised by the United States on November 12, 1918, when Assistant Secretary of State William Phillips announced that the US recognised Charles Pergler as the Czecho-Slovak National Council's Commissioner in Washington.
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The Kingdom of Bohemia and the Habsburgs
The Kingdom of Bohemia was a medieval and early modern monarchy in Central Europe. It was an imperial state in the Holy Roman Empire, and its king was a prince-elector of the empire. The kingdom was established by the Přemyslid dynasty in the 12th century and was ruled by various houses, including the House of Luxembourg, the Jagiellonian dynasty, and, from 1526, the House of Habsburg and its successor, the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.
Numerous kings of Bohemia were also elected Holy Roman Emperors, and its capital, Prague, was the imperial seat at various points between the late 14th and early 17th centuries. The kingdom was dissolved in 1918, and Bohemia became the core part of the newly formed Czechoslovak Republic.
Bohemia was bounded by Austria to the south, Bavaria to the west, Saxony and Lusatia to the north, Silesia to the northeast, and Moravia to the east. It was the predecessor state of the modern Czech Republic and is now its westernmost and largest historical region.
Bohemia's name comes from a Celtic people known as the Boii, though the Slavic Czechs were firmly established in the region by the 5th or 6th century. The country reached a new peak of political power and economic prosperity under King Ottokar II, who consolidated control over parts of Austria and waged wars for territory with Hungary, extending Bohemia's domain to the Adriatic Sea.
In the 13th century, there was a period of large-scale German immigration, and in the following centuries, Bohemia became a bilingual country. In the 18th century, under the Habsburgs, Czech nationalism was suppressed, and German was instituted as the language of instruction in grammar schools and the university.
In 1848, the Czechs of Bohemia and Moravia revolted against Habsburg rule, and in the latter half of the 19th century, the Czechs demanded to be ruled by a government in Prague, not in Vienna. In 1918, Bohemia became part of the Czechoslovak Republic, and the Czechs and Slovaks joined together to form a new republic, of which Bohemia became the westernmost province and the industrial heartland.
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Czech nationalism in the 19th century
Czech nationalism, or the Czech National Revival, arose in the 19th century as a cultural movement to revive the Czech language, culture, and national identity. This was in response to the Germanisation policies of the Habsburg emperors, which had, over the previous two centuries, largely eradicated the Czech language from state administration, literature, schools, and universities.
In the 19th century, the Czech National Revival movement led to the establishment of the National Museum in 1818 and the National Theatre in 1881. The movement was influenced by the Enlightenment and romanticism, and was led by prominent figures such as Josef Dobrovský and Josef Jungmann. Dobrovský published a Czech grammar book in 1809, and Jungmann published a Czech-German dictionary in five volumes between 1834 and 1839, which had a significant influence on the Czech language.
In 1848, Czech nationalism became a significant political force in the Austrian Empire due to the activities of the Old Czech Party, led by František Palacký. Palacký was recognised as a dominant figure in the movement and became the political leader of the Czech nationalists. In opposing the oppressive regime of Austrian chancellor Prince von Metternich, the Czech nationalists sought an alliance with German liberals. When the Revolutions of 1848 reached Bohemia, Czech and German leaders collaborated to try to bring down absolutism through constitutional reform. However, they were unable to resolve some specific problems of a common political future, and the Germans cooperated with their kinsmen in other Habsburg lands and in Germany. The Czech leaders, on the other hand, were concerned about the German unification schemes and wanted to preserve the ancient legal prerogatives of the Bohemian crown.
During this period, the Czechs pursued two contrasting aims: the liberal ideal of "natural rights" and the conservative aim of preserving the ancient legal prerogatives of the Bohemian crown. This vacillation caused by the inability to harmonise the emphasis on historical rights with devotion to the modern principles of Czech nationalism and Slavic solidarity continued until the end of the century. In 1874, the National Party split, with the progressive wing, known as the Young Czechs, gaining popularity among the urban middle class and well-to-do peasants. They advocated ending the parliamentary boycott and emphasised progress in education, emancipation from clerical influences, and improvement of living standards.
By the end of the 19th century, the situation of the Czechs and Slovaks was very different due to the varying stages of development within Austria-Hungary. Bohemia, under Austrian rule, had undergone a vigorous industrial revolution, transforming it into a differentiated society. On the other hand, Slovakia, under Hungarian rule, remained mostly rural until the end of the century. Despite these differences, the idea of a "Czecho-Slovak" entity began to emerge, advocated by some Czech and Slovak leaders, including Tomáš Masaryk, who became the first president of Czechoslovakia.
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The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867
The Compromise established a military and diplomatic alliance between two sovereign states, Austria and Hungary, with a single monarch. The emperor of Austria, Franz Joseph, became the head of the dual monarchy, reigning as Emperor of Austria in the Austrian half of the empire and as King of Hungary in the Kingdom of Hungary. The agreement restored the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Hungary and put an end to the 18-year-long military dictatorship and absolutist rule over Hungary instituted by Emperor Franz Joseph after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848.
Under the Compromise, the two states, Austria and Hungary, were governed by separate parliaments and prime ministers. Each conducted its internal affairs independently, but they shared unified diplomatic and defence policies, with common ministries of foreign affairs, defence, and finance for these common portfolios. The two countries formed a customs union, and their commercial and customs agreements were renegotiated every ten years.
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The Czechoslovakian Republic as a successor state
The Czechoslovakian Republic, or Czechoslovakia, was a successor state to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed in 1918 at the end of World War I. The Czechoslovakian Republic was recognised under international law through the Paris Suburb Contracts of 1919-1920.
The Czechoslovakian Republic covered around 20% of the area of the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, making it the largest of the successor states. The newly established state was divided into four provinces: Bohemia, with its capital in Prague; Moravia and Silesia, with its capital in Brno; Slovakia, with its capital in Bratislava; and the Carpathian Ukraine, with its capital in Uzhhorod. Czechoslovakia was assigned the historical lands of Bohemia and Moravia from the Austrian half of the Imperial Habsburg Monarchy, as well as a major part of former Austrian Silesia. From the Hungarian half of the empire, the Czechoslovakian government claimed Slovakia and the Carpathian Ukraine.
The new Czechoslovakian state was founded on strong economic premises. Prior to 1918, 70% of Austria-Hungary's industrial production was based on the territories of the Bohemian lands (without Slovakia and the Carpathian Ukraine). However, the country had to deal with the post-war depression and the loss of its traditional market due to new customs borders. There was also an extreme economic imbalance between the highly industrialised Bohemian lands and the comparatively underdeveloped Slovakia and Carpathian Ukraine.
Czechoslovakism, the movement among Czechs and Slovaks for a common nation, formed the ideological foundation of the newly established Czechoslovakian state. The numerical strength of the Czechoslovakians forced the remaining ethnic groups, particularly the Germans and Magyars, into a minority role. Despite national differences, a parliamentary and democratic order was rapidly established, which helped to mitigate national antagonisms. From 1926 onwards, minority representatives from German-speaking parts of the population who were cooperative with the Czechoslovakian state authorities were permanently represented as ministers in the government.
The Czechoslovakian Republic, or Czechoslovakia, was thus a successor state to Austria-Hungary, with a diverse ethnic population and a strong economic foundation.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Czechoslovakia was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1918, it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary.
Czechoslovakia became independent from Austria-Hungary in 1918, at the end of World War I.
Before 1918, the Czechs and Slovaks were ruled by the Austrians and Hungarians, respectively. The Kingdom of Bohemia, which was populated by Czechs, was incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and came under the rule of the Habsburg monarchs.
World War I marked the end of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which disintegrated into separate nation-states. The war also led to the creation of Czechoslovakia as one of the successor states of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Tomáš Masaryk, along with Edvard Beneš and other leaders, declared an independent Czechoslovak state on October 28, 1918. Masaryk served as the first president of Czechoslovakia from 1918 to 1935.