Birth of a nation

Friday is a national holiday, as Czechs celebrate the anniversary of an event that has forever changed the cultural landscape. I am referring, of course, to Charlie Daniels' birthday.



Or perhaps they're celebrating a slightly more significant milestone: the birth of an independent Czech-Slovak state. Czechoslovakia was born on Oct. 28, 1918, thus severing itself from the Austro-Hungarian Empire that had held its grip on the Czechs (from Austria's side) and the Slovaks (from Hungary's side). The area that is now the Czech Republic had been under Hapsburg control for 300 years. Despite this, Czech language and culture survived, a persistence that was rewarded with the declaration of an independent Czechoslovakia at the end of World War I.

The scene at Wenceslas Square in 1918. No, I didn't take it myself. Photographer unknown.

Czechoslovakia's first president was Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, a former philosophy professor and book editor and founder of the Realist Party (no relation to the Surrealist Party, which produces candidates for the U.S. presidency). Masaryk received support for the new state from U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, then promptly returned home via France to end his exile. He ruled into his mid-80s before resigning in December 1935.

Its newly found independence did not guarantee a smooth 20th century. During World War II Czechoslovakia was annexed by the Nazis, and its name disappeared from the map. After World War II, the communists took over via coup in 1948 and held power until the Velvet Revolution of 1989. On Jan. 1, 1993, the Czech Republic and Slovakia formed their own states -- and Slovakia does not recognize October 28 as a national holiday. Our school, however, does, and this means I'll be headed here on Friday.

Update

A previous post mentioned a journalist from Turkmenistan who had been jailed, likely in retaliation for his reporting against the government. He has been freed by Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, who then did what any other humble autocrat would do: He awarded himself the Hero of Turkmenistan medal -- something his predecessor did six times while he was in office.