The Foreigner's Guide to Living in Slovakia

Today is Veterans Day. If you know a bit about the history of Veterans Day, you may know that its purpose is to raise awareness of the past and continuing contributions of those who have served in the Armed Forces. Veterans Day originally came from Armistice Day, which was the signing of the Versailles Treaty by the Central Powers (including Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Ottoman Turkey) and the Entente Powers (including Britain, France, the U.S. and Russia), which took place on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. This Veterans Day marks the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I.

In my quest to find out what the Slovaks’ role was in World War I, I’ve come across some pretty interesting information about the story of the “Czecho-Slovak” army. Though it seems there were no major battles fought on present day Czech and Slovak lands, the contributions of its many soldiers is important, not only in determining the outcome of the war but also in laying the groundwork for the recognition of Czechoslovakia as an independent country at the end of the war in 1918.

I found a fascinating Web page describing the Czecho-Slovak army and their role during the war called, The Odyssey of the Czecho-Slovaks—The Wandering War of the ‘Army Without a Country’. It’s a collection of writings, a few memoirs and a few press releases, from important sources at that time.

After doing some reading I was aware of some facts but learned interesting facts that made me aware of the unique challenges that the Czecho-Slovak army faced.

• In 1914 when the war broke out, Czechs and Slovaks were living under the Dual Monarchy but split between Austria and Hungary. Both the Czechs and Slovaks were interested in greater national autonomy.

• Though local Czechs and Slovaks were drafted into military service for the Austro-Hungarian Empire, groups of Czech and Slovak activists organized themselves outside of the Czech and Slovak lands to oppose the Empire and oppose the Central Powers.

• These groups, located mainly in France, Britain, the U.S., and Russia volunteered to fight for the Allied Powers by joining organizations such as the French Foreign Legion and another group of several thousand Czecho-Slovak settlers in Russia mobilized the Czecho-Slovak legion.

• The Czecho-Slovak legion in Russia grew in large numbers and by the end of the war numbered at approximately 100,000, many who deserted or who were former prisoners of war of the Empire and captured in Russia.

• Amazingly, they were all volunteers organized by the Czecho-Slovak Council, which functioned as an exiled government.

The most important Slovak figure during this time was Milan Rastislav Štefánik. He fought with the French Legion and became a General of the French Army. He was also one of the leaders of the Czechoslovak resistance movement – the Czechoslovak National Council – and the Czechoslovak Minister of War. Sadly Štefánik died in 1919 in tragic and somewhat mysterious circumstances when his plane crashed while he was returning on a visit to Slovakia.

Štefánik’s importance as a Slovak hero has not waned with time. Still, he is one of the many soldiers who contributed their services to the end of the war, and to the birth of Czechoslovakia.

Note: The image is a WWI memorial in the town of Piešťany.

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