Czechoslovakian Independence

 
     Today is the day that Czechoslovakia became in independent country.  On October 18, 1918; the Czechoslovakian people officially separated themselves from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was on this day that the Czechoslovak Declaration of Independence, or the Washington Declaration, was drafted in Washington D.C. and published Czechoslovakia’s Paris-based Provisional Government. October 28, 1998 was later declared the official birthday of Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia had been a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for over 400 years; but at the end of The Great War, or as we know it, World War I, the Czechoslovakian people felt that it was time to become independent and free from Austro-Hungarian rule.

     The Czech and Slovak people were quite different when they gained their independence in 1918 than they are today. First, the World War that had just concluded strengthens the bond of nationality amongst the people of Czechoslovakia. Second, religion was still a major part of the culture. The Communist regime had not yet quenched their religious beliefs or led them down a path of dishonesty and deception.

     None the less, today is a significant day in Czech history.  Up until 1918, the Czechoslovakian people were without a country to call their own. Their new nation strengthened national pride and individuality; and paved the way for the modern Czechoslovakia, and later the Czech Republic, to emerge after World War II.