M.R. ЉTEFANIK AND THE SLOVAK NATIONAL MOVEMENT

Abstract

The article presents a review of Milan Rastislav Štefanik, famous political and public figure, one of the founders of the Czechoslovak state, and his contribution to the development of the Slovak national movement. M.R. Štefanik’s national views were rooted in ethnic tension in Slovakia and previous tradition of struggle for national rights. The author shows that his national convictions was formed in childhood and was influenced by famous fighters for Slovak national rights, who included his relatives. The article proves that when M.R. Štefanik was a student, he recognized, that achievement of Slovak national independence was possible only in alliance with Czech national movement. The article gives an attempt to reveal an essence of M.R. Štefanik’s Czechoslovakist viewpoint and trace a practical realization of this concept in his political activity. It is mentioned about M.R. Štefanik’s active actions before creation of the Czechoslovak National Council. After it he became Slovak representative. It was shown how Milan Rastislav Štefanik assisted to create Czech and Slovak military detachments. According to the article, it greatly contributed to the process of unification of both Czech and Slovak national movements. Milan Rastislav Štefanik believed that only politically and economically allied with Czechs, Slovaks can be free and independent nation. The article proves M.R. Štefanik’s decisive role in the Slovak national movement in the early XX century. It also proves that he was influenced by T.G. Masaryk’s political theory and he assisted to unifications of Slovak and Czechs for the purpose of creation of common state. To achieve the goal M.R. Štefanik tried to unify Slovak and Czech movements, simultaneously he fought for equal rights for Czechs and Slovaks. M.R. Štefanik’s activity was aimed to fully realize Slovak national rights in common Czecho-Slovak state. M.R. Štefanik tried to defend his own view on Slovak future in the common state.