Czechoslovak history

Introduction
The historical regions to 1918
- Origins and early history
  - Bohemia
  - Moravia
  - Slovakia
- The Přemyslid rulers of Bohemia (895–1306)
- The late Middle Ages (1306–1526)
  - The Luxembourg dynasty
  - The Hussite wars
  - The Hussite preponderance
  - The Jagiellonian kings
- Habsburg rule (1526–1918)
  - Religious tensions in Bohemia
  - The Counter-Reformation and Protestant rebellion
  - Re-Catholicization and absolutist rule
  - National awakening and the rise of constitutionalism
  - National turmoil under the dual monarchy
  - Struggle for independence
Czechoslovakia (1918–92)
- Czechoslovakia to 1945
  - The establishment of the republic
  - The crisis of German nationalism
  - The breakup of the republic
  - World War II
- Communist Czechoslovakia
  - The provisional regime
  - Stalinism in Czechoslovakia
  - The growing reform movement
  - The Prague Spring of 1968
  - “Normalization” and political dissidence
  - Velvet Revolution and Velvet Divorce

References & Edit History

Images

Saints Cyril and Methodius

Aerial view of Saint Barbara's Cathedral with its distinctive spires, surrounded by greenery and historic buildings in Kutna Hora, Czech Republic.

John of Luxembourg

Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral illuminated at dusk, with the castle complex rising above surrounding buildings and trees in Prague, Czech Republic.

St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague, Czech Republic, features tall Gothic spires, ornate stonework, and a large central tower, with people gathered in the open square below.

Illustration of the Council of Constance showing the king, queen, Sigismund, and Pope Martin V kneeling in prayer with other clergy, all in ornate medieval robes and headdresses.

Related Questions

Saints Cyril and Methodius — Saints Cyril and Methodius Saints Cyril and Methodius, mural by Zahari Zograf, 1848; in the Troyan Monastery, Bulgaria.

Czechoslovak history

Written by

Z.A.B. ZemanAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Sep. 22, 2026 •History

Czechoslovak history, history of the region comprising the historical lands of Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia from prehistoric times through their federation, under the name Czechoslovakia, during 1918–92. With the dissolution of the Czechoslovak federation, the modern states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia came into being on Jan. 1, 1993. Czechoslovakia itself had been formed at the end of World War I, following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Prior to the war the region...

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