Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk on the old and the new Russia in his work “The World Revolution” (on occasion on his 170th anniversary)

Abstract

The article justifies the answer to the question: which were reasons for events T. G. Masaryk called the world revolution, and in this perspective - what practical steps and further conclusions for the construction of the Czechoslovak statehood he took as the future president of the country - the great ideal and real-politician of the 20th century. It is noted that this statehood was conceived by Masaryk on the basis of the old (until February 1917) Russia, and it was created in the course of complex interactions with the new Russia. An attempt was made to show that it was the flair of real politics that prevented Masaryk from renouncing certain provisions of ideal politics - if one recognizes among them the respect for the free choice of peoples. Masaryk adequately and, it can be said, relevantly describes the key moments of the Russian Revolution - the motor of the world revolution, during which “small” peoples received (or returned) their statehood. Hence the respectful attitude to the very fact of the revolution against the background of ideologically engaged judgements, and to the almost unopposed choice of the Russian people. Reading the work “The World Revolution” from this perspective encourages an adequate assessment of the state wisdom of the thinker and politician, the real president of the new country. The urgency of a new reading of T. G. Masaryk’s work is argued, it is noted that a number of its provisions are significant for modern times, when ideal inducements to political activity are not allocated to second or even third plans. This same reading can help in understanding the reasons not only for the originating of the Czechoslovak state, but for its breaking up as well.