Czech Republic - History

Czech parliament voted Ferdinand Habsburský. This process meant beginning of rule of Habsburg dynasty on Czech throne, there staid for 400 years. The next king, Rudolf II liked astrology, alchemy, magic and art. During his rule there were outstanding personalities e.g. E.Kelley, J.Dee, Tycho de Brahe, J.Kepler in Prague. From this time came legend about Golem made by rabbi Löw. Rudolf II had big collections of art and inventions. In 1618 the second Prague’s /defenestration / began the thirty years war. Catholic and non-Catholic fought against themselves at the battle on White Mountain in 1620. Catholic won, so Ferdinand II became king. He announced Catholicism as only one religion and let execute 27 of Czech lords who fought against him in 1620. In 1627 non-Catholic had to leave Czech state or convert to Catholicism. It meant that the most of property in Czech owned foreign nobility. During his reign and after the absolutism triumphed. Charles VI was the last man in Habsburg dynasty so his main problem was his heir. He had a child but it was woman and so he made document which said that if there be no man in Habsburg dynasty, so woman can be ruler.

And it happened. Marie Terezie became empress. She was very good educated. She reformed state administration, judiciary and education. She introduced compulsory school attendance. She ruled together with hes first-born son Josef II. After her death Josef II. became emperor. He liked to travel incognito, under name Falkenstein. He was very popular. The next ruler František was not so liberal like his father or grand father. He had to fight against French emperor Napoleon. František I. defeated him together with Russia. He again introduced absolutism. During revolution in 1848 František Josef I. became emperor. He defeated the revolution. That the World.

War I. started. The war began in 1914 and there fought Germany and Austro-Hungarian federation against France, Great Britain, Russia. During the war Italy converted to France, Great Britain and Russia and the United State of America joined also with these states. HoweverGermany and Austro-Hungarian federation were defeated two years later and it meant the end of the empire. Hungary constituted their own state. Czech constituted state together with Slovaks named Czechoslovakia in autumn 1918. At the birth of Czechoslovakia there was one of outstanding Czech personalities of all times Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. After founding the Czechoslovakia Republic he became the first president. He was president till 1935. Czechoslovakia became full democratic state. After T.G.Masaryk, Edvard Beneš became president. It was difficult time for Czech nation because of Germany. At congress in Munich in 1968 there was made convention that part of Czechoslovakia became German.

After a year the World War II began. Edvard Beneš went to London where he found exile government in 1940. In Czechoslovakia the was president Emil Hácha, he made what Hitler wanted. Early after the end of the war, in 1945, he died. Edvard Beneš became president again. But he resigned because of communists supported by J.V.Stalin in 1948. Klement Gottwald was leader of Czech communistic party, so he became president. It was the beginning of socialistic system in our country. People who wanted democracy were arrested and executed. Next presidents were Antonín Zápotocký, Antonín Novotný, general Ludvík Svoboda and Gustav Husák became president, he was the first Slovak in this function. He resigned in 1989 after revolution in November. This revolution gave back democratic principles to our country. Next president of Czechoslovakia was dramatist and writer Václav Havel. He fought against communism whole life. He was one of authors of document Charta 77 for which he was constrained for several years. On 5th July 1990he became president of Czechoslovak Federative Republic and after break of this republic into Czech and Slovak Republic he became president of Czech Republic on 1st January 1993.