Britannica
Sources used in this answer
- Czech Republic - Ethnic groups
- Czech Republic - Demographic trends
- Czechoslovak history - National turmoil under the dual monarchy
- Czechoslovak history - The crisis of German nationalism
- Czechoslovak history - The establishment of the republic
- 20th-century international relations - The eastern minorities
Which ethnic groups lived in interwar Czechoslovakia besides Czechs and Slovaks?
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Czechoslovak history
Saints Cyril and Methodius, mural by Zahari Zograf, 1848; in the Troyan Monastery, Bulgaria.
During the interwar period (1918–1939), the borders of Czechoslovakia encompassed a diverse population that included several significant ethnic groups in addition to Czechs and Slovaks. These groups were primarily:
- Germans: The largest minority group, residing notably in the Sudetenland regions of Bohemia and Moravia.1
- Hungarians: A substantial minority, particularly concentrated in areas bordering Hungary.1
- Ruthenians: Inhabitants of the eastern province of Subcarpathian Ruthenia.1
- Poles: A minority group, most notably present in the disputed territory of Teschen.1
While the new state was founded on the cooperation of Czechs and Slovaks, the inclusion of these other nationalities presented significant challenges for the government in securing the loyalty of its approximately 15 million citizens. Despite the democratic nature of the 1920 constitution, which defined the rights of citizens irrespective of ethnic origin, these minority groups were initially excluded from the constituent assembly that drafted the document.1