Vlastimil Tusar’s Governments and the German Problem in Czechoslovakia (July, 1919 — September, 1920)

Abstract

The author of this article deals the with problem of the German minority in the Czechoslovak Republic using archival and published documents and investigates the policy of Vlastimil Tusar’s two governments (the first from July 8, 1919 to May 25, 1920, and the second from May 25 till September 15, 1920). The author pays special attention to Tusar’s personal efforts in settling the German Bohemians’ problem, and to his negotiations with the leaders of German political parties, primarily with the German social democratic workers’ party in Czechoslovakia, and his efforts to reach agreements with them. The author shows the foreign and domestic political reasons that blocked the success of these negotiations. The most important of the latter were the disagreements between the Czechoslovak ruling circles and German political leaders (including social democrats) over the questions of the settlement of the Czechoslovak Republic. While the Czech politicians were trying to create “a national state”, the German leaders demanded the formation of “a state of nationalities”. The latter insisted on dividing the state on the basis of national belonging and its formation following the model of the Swiss confederation. In addition, the German-Bohemian parties demanded changes to Czechoslovak foreign policy: they were against a unilateral orientation to France and participation in any coalitions, and they were for the establishment of friendly relations with all states including Germany and Austria. It was difficult to reach a mutual understanding because the Czechoslovak political elite refused to agree that German political parties could participate in the elaboration of the constitution and other basic laws of the Republic. The author of the article considers the 1920 parliamentary elections that took place after the passing of the constitution of Czechoslovak Republic, the activity of the German political clubs in the National Assembly of Czechoslovakia, the foundation of the German parliamentary union, and the attitude of the German-Bohemian political parties to the second Tusar government. The article also deals with the relations between the Czech and German Social Democrats, perspectives on the participation of Germans in the Tusar governments, and the reasons for the resignation of the latter in September 1920. According to the author, “the Red–Green Coalition” headed by Tusar was not able to achieve international reconciliation and corroboration because there were widespread prejudices between Czechs and Germans, which were made full use of by nationalists from both sides in the course of the political fight.