Czechoslovak National Council

The Czechoslovak National Council was an organization of Czech and Slovak exiles that campaigned for an independent Czechoslovak state during the First World War.

Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk: A Czech philosopher and politician who led the campaign for Czechoslovak independence during the First World War. He became the council’s principal political representative and first president of Czechoslovakia.
Czech national revival: A cultural and political movement that revived Czech language, literature, and national identity from the late eighteenth century onward. Its growth supplied the national consciousness on which wartime independence arguments relied.
Allied diplomacy: Negotiation and political coordination among the powers allied against the Central Powers during the First World War. Council representatives sought Allied recognition and practical support for independence.
Czechoslovakia: A Central European state formed in 1918 from Czech and Slovak lands and dissolved peacefully in 1993. The council’s independence campaign culminated in the state’s establishment.
Milan Rastislav Štefánik: A Slovak astronomer, French military officer, and diplomat who helped organize Czechoslovak independence efforts abroad. His diplomatic and military work helped secure French support for the council.
Austro-Hungarian Empire: The Central European monarchy that existed from 1867 until its dissolution in 1918. The council sought to separate Czech and Slovak lands from this empire.
Czechoslovak Legion in Russia: Czechoslovak military units in Russia that fought the Central Powers and later became involved in the Russian Civil War. Its combat record and presence in Russia strengthened the council’s case for national recognition.
Czechoslovak provisional government: The wartime government-in-exile that represented the Czechoslovak independence movement before statehood in 1918. The council’s diplomatic recognition enabled its transformation into a provisional government.
Edvard Beneš: A Czech politician and diplomat who helped organize the Czechoslovak independence movement and later became president. He managed much of the council’s diplomacy and administration in Europe.
First World War: A global war fought from 1914 to 1918, principally between the Allied and Central Powers. The war created the diplomatic and military conditions in which the council operated.

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