The Czech lands - Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia - became part of the Habsburg
realm in 1526. They were granted some autonomy in 1861.
Although a Czech national movement already emerged in the middle of the 19th
century, it was only during WWI that it really gained in importance and that
it started claiming Czech independence.
Chronology of the Czech National Movement during WWI
1915
jan 04 : A Central Union of Czech Associations was formed in Switzerland.
In the course of the following months similar Unions (or Committees)
were also established in other countries (in the U.S. on jan 11, in
Russia on march 7, etc.)
sep 15 : A Czech External Committee was established in Paris. On nov 14 it
became the Czech National Council. It was afterwards recognized as
supreme Czech authority by all Czech organizations in exile and by
the Allies.
1917
jan 31 : A rival Czech National Council was established in Russia.
It disappeared after the February Revolution.
mar 20 : The Czech Legion in Russia recognized the authority of the National
Council in Paris.
1918
jul 13 : A Czechoslovak National Council was formed in Prague.
sep 26 : As Austrian defeat became evident the Czech National Council in the
French capital was reorganized and renamed Provisional Czechoslovak
Government (in Paris)
oct 28 : The Czechoslovak National Council toke power in Prague, proclaiming
the independence of the Czechoslovak State.
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CZECH LEADERS DURING WWI
Board of the Czech National Council in Paris
1915 - 1918 -Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, Chairman 1850 - 1937
-Josef Dürich, Vice Chairman (until 1917) 1847 - 1927
-Gen. Milan Rastislav Štefánik,
in charge of Military Affairs 1850 - 1919
-Edvard Beneš, Secretary General,
also in charge of Foreign Affairs 1884 - 1948
Chairman of the Czech National Council in Russia
1917 Josef Dürich s.a.
Czech Provisional Government in Exile in ParisChairman and Minister of Finance
1918 Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk s.a.
Minister of Foreign and Home Affairs
1918 Edvard Beneš s.a.
Minister of War
1918 Gen. Milan Rastislav Štefánik s.a.
Chairman of the Czechoslovak National Council in Prague
1918 Karel Kramár 1860 - 1937
CZECHOSLOVAK REPUBLIC
After the end of WWI the Czechoslovak Provisional Government moved to Prague
and united with the National Council in Prague to form the first government
of the new Czechoslovak Republic on nov 14 1918. (1)
In 1938, by the Treaty of München and, the state was forced to cede large parts
of its territory to its neighbours (2). At the same time very large autonomy
was granted to the non-Czech parts of the country (Slovakia and Subcarpathia)
and Czechoslovakia - now unformally styled Czecho-Slovakia - actually became
a federation of three autonomous lands (Bohemia-Moravia as third)
In 1939 both Slovakia and Subcarpathia declared their independence and soon
afterwards what remained of Czechoslovakia became the German protectorate of
Bohemia-Moravia.
A Czechoslovak authority continued however to exist in exile and in 1945 the
Republic was fully restored. (3)(1) At this moment the authority of the new state actually only covered
the Czech parts of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia, where local councils
or committees - subordinated to the one in Prague - had assumed power.
Later were added :
- nov 1918 - jan 1919 : Slovakia
- nov 1918 - dec 1918 : the German territories in Bohemia, Moravia
and Silesia (part of this region going to
Poland)
- jan 1919 - may 1919 : Subcarparthia (also Transcarpathia, Ruthenia
and Carpatho-Ukraine)
The incorporation of the German territories was based of the fact
that they were historical parts of the Czech Lands.
Those of Slovakia and Subcarpathia were based on agreements made
between the Czech leaders in Paris and the leaders of the Slovak
(Pittsburgh 1918) and Subcarpathian diaspora (Homestead 1918)
The new situation was confirmed by the treaties of Saint-Germain-
en-Laye with Austria (1919) and Trianon with Hungary (1920)
(2) By the Treaty of München, Czechoslovakia was forced to cede its
German territories - so-called Sudetenland - to Germany. Soon
afterwards it was also forced to cede part of Silesia to Poland
and parts of Slovakia and Subcarpathia to Hungary.
(3) except for Subcarpathia which was annexed to the Uk.S.S.R. in 1945.
For the internal resistance in this period see Bohemia-Moravia and
Slovakia.
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HEADS OF STATE AND CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
Presidents
1918 - 1935 Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk s.a.
1935 Milan Hodža* 1878 - 1944
1935 - 1938 Edvard Beneš s.a.
1938 Gen. Jan Syrový* 1888 - 1957
1938 - 1939 Emil Hácha 1872 - 1945
Czechoslovak National Liberation Committee (in exile)
1939 - 1940 -Edvard Beneš s.a.
-Ján Šrámek 1870 - 1956
-Gen. Sergej Ján Ingr 1894 - 1956
-Štefan Osuský
-Edvard Utrata
-Hubert Ripka 1895 - 1958
-Juraj Slávik 1890 - 1969
-Gen. Rudolf Viest 1890 - 1945
President of the Czechoslovak Governement in Exile
1940 - 1945 Edvard Beneš s.a.
Head of the Delegation of the Government in Exile for the
Liberated Territories
(Before the return of Beneš and his government to the country
in apr 1945 a provisional administration had already been
established in the eastern regions, occupied by Soviet troops
since 1944)
1944 - 1945 František Nemec, Minister
for special affairs in the
Czechoslovak government in
exile
President
1945 - 1948 Edvard Beneš s.a.
Commanders of the Allied Forces operating in CzechoslovakiaCommander in Chief of the First Ukrainian Army Group
(Operating in Northern Czechoslovakia)
1944 - 1945 Marshall of the Soviet Union
Ivan Stepanovich Konev 1897 - 1973
Commander in Chief of the Second Ukrainian Army Group
(Operating in Southern Czechoslovakia)
1944 - 1945 Marshall of the Soviet Union
Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovskij 1898 - 1967
Political Commissars
1943 - 1945 Gen. Ivan Zakharovich Susyakov
1945 -Gen. Aleksandr Nikolaevich
Tercenko
-Gen. Mikhail Mikhajlovich
Stakhurskij
Commanders in Chief of the Fourth Ukrainian Army Group
(Operating in Eastern Czechoslovakia (Slovakia and Subcarpathia))
1944 - 1945 Gen. Ivan Efimovich Petrov 1896 - 1958
1945 Gen. Andrej Ivanovich Eremenko 1892 - 1970
Political Commissars
1944 - 1945 -Gen. Lev Zakharovich Mekhlis 1889 - 1953
-Gen. Stepan Mitrofenovich
Novikov
Commanders of the Third U.S. Army
(Operating in Western Czechoslovakia)
1945 Gen. George Smith Patton Jr. 1885 - 1945
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