Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia Former federal state in central Europe. Formed after World War I from parts of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire, Czechoslovakia was formally recognized as a new republic by the Treaty of St Germain (1918). A democratic constitution was established in 1920, and the nation was led first by Tomás Masaryk and then by Eduard Beneš. Nationalist tensions caused unrest: the Slovaks had long wanted autonomy and the large German population in the n wanted to join with Germany. Hitler's rise to power and annexation of Austria led to the Munich Agreement (1938), which ceded Czech land to Germany. Poland and Hungary also acquired territory and Beneš resigned. In 1939 Hitler occupied the country, and Beneš formed a government in exile in London. In 1945, Soviet and US troops liberated the country and restored Beneš as president. The communists gained a majority in the coalition after 1946 elections, and by 1948 they assumed complete control. Beneš resigned, and Czechoslovakia became a Soviet-style state with greatly reduced political and cultural freedom. Unrest during the 1950s led to some liberalization, but it was not until the Prague Spring of 1968, with the reforms of Alexander Dubček, that any major moves towards democratization occurred. Soviet troops crushed the movement. There were mass arrests and all reforms reversed. When Gorbachev introduced democratic reforms in the Soviet Union in the late 1980s, Czechs also demanded reforms. In 1989, anti-government demonstrations and the democratization of Eastern Europe finally led to the resignation of Communist Party leaders. Non-communists came to power, and the ‘Velvet Revolution’ ended with the election of Václav Havel. Free elections were held in 1990, but differences between the Czechs and Slovaks led to the partitioning of the country on January 1, 1993. The break was peaceful and the two new nations, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, retain many ties. See also Bohemia; Moravia