Czechoslovakia, officially the Republic of Czechoslovakia (Czech: Československo, Československá republika) was a sovereign state in Central Europe that existed from October 1918 (upon declaring its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire) until March 15, 1939 (when it was annexed by Nazi Germany and the Kingdom of Hungary following the Axis invasion of the country).
The independence of Czechoslovakia was proclaimed on October 28, 1918, by the Czechoslovak National Council in Prague. Several ethnic groups and territories with different historical, political, and economic traditions had to be blended into a new state structure. In the face of such obstacles, the creation of Czechoslovak democracy has been considered by many to be a triumph.
Initial authority within Czechoslovakia was assumed by the newly created National Assembly on November 14, 1918. Because territorial demarcations were uncertain and elections impossible, the provisional National Assembly was constituted on the basis of the 1911 elections to the Austrian parliament with the addition of fifty-four representatives from Slovakia. National minorities were not represented; Sudeten Germans declared themselves part of Austria in the spirit of President Wilson's principle of self determination, and Hungarians remained loyal to Hungary. The National Assembly elected Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk as its first president, chose a provisional government headed by Karel Kramář, and drafted a provisional constitution.
Politics of Czechoslovakia[]
To a large extent, Czechoslovak democracy was held together by the country's first president, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. As the principal founding father of the republic, Masaryk was regarded similar to the way George Washington is regarded in the United States. Such universal respect enabled Masaryk to overcome seemingly irresolvable political problems. Even to this day, Masaryk is regarded as the symbol of Czechoslovak democracy.
Foreign Relations[]
The Russian Empire is the Main Ally of Czechoslovakia.