Figure 1.--The Czechs were intensely patriotic and ready to fight when the NAZI menance appeared in Germany. Here a young Czech boy in Czechoslovakia is singing at an event to honor the dead of World War I. The photo was taken in 1928, 10 years after the founding of the Czech Republic after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire as a result of World War I (1918). The monument in the background is dedicated to the fallen soldiers of World War I. The typed words at the bottom of the picture read, "Louèení se stromem republiky v r . 1928/ I v pozadí pùvodní pomník obìtem I . svìtové války." (Something like, 'Louèení tree Republic in the year . 1928 / I behind the original memorial of World War I.') The reference to a "tree" has something to do with Czech national symbolism. The boy seems to be homoring the Czech soldiers who gave up their lives for an independent Czechoslovakia. The boy seems to be about 8 years old. He is dressed in what look like school clothes--a short trousers suit with tan or light brown long stockings and hightop shoes. The scene looks rather autmnal or even wintry since the surrounding trees are bare of leaves--perhaps linden trees. I was probabnly November 11, the date World War I ended.

-The Czechs were intensely patriotic and ready to fight when the NAZI menance appeared in Germany. Here a young Czech boy in Czechoslovakia is singing at an event to honor the dead of World War I. The photo was taken in 1928, 10 years after the founding of the Czech Republic after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire as a result of World War I (1918). The monument in the background is dedicated to the fallen soldiers of World War I. The typed words at the bottom of the picture read, "Louèení se stromem republiky v r . 1928/ I v pozadí pùvodní pomník obìtem I . svìtové války." (Something like, 'Louèení tree Republic in the year . 1928 / I behind the original memorial of World War I.') The reference to a "tree" has something to do with Czech national symbolism. The boy seems to be homoring the Czech soldiers who gave up their lives for an independent Czechoslovakia. The boy seems to be about 8 years old. He is dressed in what look like school clothes--a short trousers suit with tan or light brown long stockings and hightop shoes. The scene looks rather autmnal or even wintry since the surrounding trees are bare of leaves--perhaps linden trees. I was probabnly November 11, the date World War I ended.

Czech Statehood

The Czechs were intensely patriotic and ready to fight when the NAZI menance appeared in Germany. After centuries of foireign rule, the Cechs finlly achieved their independence after World War I. The Versailles Peace Treaty, guarantees from France, abd the mountaneous Sudeten zone seemed to create security for the new nation. As this photograph was taken, the NAZIs were just beginning their meteoric rise that would change everything for the Czechs.

Patriotic Event

Here a young Czech boy in Czechoslovakia is singing at an event to honor the dead of World War I. The photo was taken in 1928, 10 years after the founding of the Czech Republic after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire as a result of the first world war (1918). The monument in the background is dedicated to the fallen soldiers of World War I. The boy seems to be about 8 years old. He is dressed in what look like school clothes--a short trousers suit with tan or light brown long stockings and hightop shoes. The scene looks rather autmnal or even wintry since the surrounding trees are bare of leaves. We are guessing it is November 11 when World War I ended.

Revolution of 1848: First Czech Republic

The French Revolution of 1848 inspoired a succession of liberal and national revolts throughout Europe. Europeans wanted liberal democratic reforms and an end to autocratic moinsrchial government. One of tghe countries racked by demonstrations was the multi-ethnic Austro-Hungariam Empire. The Empire had many restive minorities. Emperor Ferdinand I (1835–1848) promised to reorganize the empire on a constitutional, parliamentary basis. Czechs in the Bohemian Kingdom were ruled by the Hapsburgs as cinstituionally the Emperor becamne the Bohemioan king. Nationalist sentiment had been growing in Bohemia since the French Revolution. It was, however, dufferentthan in Polnbd. The nobels were Germans or Germanized Czechs. Nationlist gthoughtv thus came from the peasahtry and middke class. Liberals formed a National Committe that included Germans and Czechs. Bohemian Germans favored, however, joining a Greater Germany, adding German-speaking territories to a new unified Germany. Bohemian Germans thus withdrew from the Committee, This was the beginning of the Czech-German conflict that would so mar subsequent history. František Palacký (1798-1876) was a Czech historian and politician and the leading voice in the Czech National Revival, sometimes called 'Father of the Nation'. He proposed a constitutional approach for Czech nationalism--Austro-Slavism. He saw the Austrian Empire as a buffer against absorption by either the German and Russian Empires. He wanted to federalize the Empire, dividing it on an ethnographic basis. Thus he would unite the Bohemian Germans with Austria keeping them separte from Bavaria and even future German state. The Czechs and Slovaks coiuld be united in another province. Palacky seeing that the various Slavic peoples although divided into national groups, tajen together were a majority. He wanted to form a political unit so they could promote their common interests. The Czechs convened the first Slavic Congress in Prague to discuss the possibility of political consolidation of Austrian Slavs, including Czechs, Slovaks, Poles, Ruthenians (Ukrainians), Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs (June 1848). Ultimately the liberal efforts in both Praguecand Hungary were supressed by the Russian Army which came to the aid of the Austrian monarchy.

The German Problem

The Czech national revival was launched by for the Czechs, beginning with a small groups of intellectuals. his was a first non-political discussions of language, literature, and culture. This changed with the Revolutions of 1848. The Czechs for tge first time issued bold political demands. The Revolutions also revealed German attitudes toward the Czechs, The Germans were rapidly moving toward unification. The Germans were absolutely opposed to an independent Czech state. This presumably reflected Bohemi's inclusion within the Holy Roman Empire--the First Reich. The fact that Bohemia and Moravia had a largely non-German population does not seem to have affected German thinking. And it was not just conservative German nationalists that thought this way. German liberals who opposed to Habsburg absolutism, seemed eqy=ually opposed to Czech nationalism. It was the birders they focusedon, nit the people within the birders. Thus the Czech national movement had to contend with enormous, seemingly insurmountable obstacles: the Hapsburg imperial state, the Tsarist state commited to mainting the conservative imperial states, and the a virulent German nationalism made even more threatening with Germn unification (1871). Against these obstacles the various ethnic-based nationalities of Eastern and Central Europe had no hope of national independence.

Farewell Republic of the Tree

The typed words at the bottom of the picture read, "Louèení se stromem republiky v r . 1928/ I v pozadí pùvodní pomník obìtem I . svìtové války." (Something like, 'Louèení tree Republic in the year . 1928 / I behind the original memorial of World War I.') The reference to a "tree" has something to do with Czech national symbolism. One source suggets the insiption means 'Farewell Republic of the Tree,' perhpa a poem or singrelated to the 1848 events. One readers believes it reads, 'Farwell the Repulic of the tree,' perhaps a famous Czech poem or song.

Declaration of Stratehood (1918)

It was Word WarI that swept away all the great opstacles to an independent Czech state. As a result of the War. the Hapsburg Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Tsarist Empires which had dominted central and Eastern Europe were destroyed. In addition, the Germany army was defeated by the western Allies and newstates based on ethnic populations were established, one of which was Czechoslovakia. This was promoted by the United States with Presidnt Wilson's Fourteen Points. A major fctor here was the emigration to America of the many ehhnic groups of Wastern and Central Europe which were now pushing for the independnce of their homelands. The Czechs celebrate a significant national holiday (October 28). On this day in 1918 Czechoslovakia was declared free. Statehood is closely connected with national symbols.

Tree Legend

The Linden tree or in Latin 'Tilia Cordata' became the national symbol for Czech and Slav nations after the 1848 Prague Slavic Congress. Linden trees can be seen everywhere in Czech Republic. Linden leaves appear on the State Seal, the President's Standard. There is the Singing Linden in the Highland. It is the biggest and the oldest tree in this region. It's called Singing Linden after a legend. In the 17th century according to the Catholic law Protestant's had to leave this country. But some of them remained and moved to small villages. One group lived by the huge hollow Linden. An old man used to creep into the tree. There he was hiding his religious books. When he was rewriting them for the next generations he was singing in the meanwhile. Since then the locals have been talking about the singing tree. A Czech tells us, "A tree as a national symbol expresses the connection with mother nature and our roots. It can symbolize perseverance, strength, or long life."

Created: 5:21 AM 12/6/2005
Last updated: 4:08 PM 1/22/2016