Abstract
There were good reasons, both on the Czech and on the Slovak sides, to create a common state. The more advanced Czechs were supposed to help the Slovaks to catch up; they also had to give them support against the attempts of their former Magyar masters to regain lost territory. As a quid pro quo the 2 million Slovaks, endowed with a much higher birthrate than the Czechs, were supposed to strenghten the 7 million Czechs against the million Germans in the Bohemian Lands. The Czechs needed to reduce the proportion of this German minority if they wanted to build the new state as their nation state. The Slovaks, as the next of kin, were to strengthen them in this respect.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Notes
J. W. Bruegel, ‘The Germans in Pre-War Czechoslovakia’, in V. S. Mamatey and R. Luža (eds) (1973) pp. 184–5.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 1996 Jaroslav Krejčí and Pavel Machonin
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Krejčí, J., Machonin, P. (1996). Composite Nation, Multiethnic State and Parliamentary Democracy. In: Czechoslovakia, 1918–92. St Antony’s Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230377219_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230377219_2
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-39183-7
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-37721-9
eBook Packages: Palgrave History CollectionHistory (R0)