History of Czechoslovakia: From 1918 Foundation to 1993 Dissolution

The history of Czechoslovakia is marked by several transformative eras, beginning with its formation at the end of World War I. Following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the new democratic state was established with Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk as its first president.

The interwar period was interrupted by the Munich Agreement and the subsequent Nazi occupation during World War II. Although the republic was restored after the war, the 1948 February coup brought a communist regime to power, significantly restricting political freedoms.

A major turning point occurred during the Prague Spring in August 1968, which was ended by an invasion of troops led by the Soviet Union. Democracy eventually returned following the Velvet Revolution in November 1989, led by Václav Havel. The unified state finally ceased to exist at the beginning of 1993, when it peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.