Czechia History: Difference between revisions

}}  

Slavic peoples settled, in several waves of migration, into the region of Bohemia and Moravia in the sixth century. One Slavic chieftain, Mojmír, succeeded in building a consolidated domain in eastern Moravia and along the Slovak Danube in the 830s. He accepted Christianity and his successors expanded the realm to include Bohemia, Moravia, much of Slovakia, and even part of southern Poland. This expanded domain became known as the Great Moravian Empire. After the fall of Great Moravia in the early tenth century, Prague became the center of a new independent state ruled by the Premyslid dynasty. This Czech state succeeded in preserving its sovereignty despite formal vassal ties to the Holy Roman Empire. Officially elevated to the status of kingdom in 1212, the medieval Czech state of Bohemia reached the height of its power and importance in the 1340s during the reign of Charles IV, who later also became Holy Roman Emperor. During his reign, Prague was the capital of the Holy Roman Empire.  

{| style="float:left; margin-left:0px"

After the First World War, in October 1918, the Czech lands of Austria were included in the new sovereign state of Czechoslovakia along with the northern Slovak counties of Hungary. For twenty years democracy flourished in Czechoslovakia and the country became one of the most prosperous and industrialized in Eastern Europe. The Czech half of the country was occupied by the Germans from 1938 to 1945. Following the Second World War, the state of Czechoslovakia was reestablished and from 1948 until 1989 the country was ruled by a Communist government. In November of 1989, the Communist leadership stepped down and in December of the same year a new government was established. Free elections were held in 1990 and 1992, but there was a growing rift between the Czechs and Slovaks. Efforts to find a compromise at the federal level fell apart. In July 1992, the Slovaks voted in favor of total separation and in November the federal parliament voted to dissolve Czechoslovakia as of 31 December 1992. On 1 January 1993 the Slovak and Czech Republics became two separate, independent states. The Czech Republic today is set to join NATO and is striving to become a member of the European Union and other western political and economic structures.<br>

'''623-658''' The first Slavic state was established – “Empire of Samo”<br>'''833''' The beginning of the Great Moravian Empire<br>'''863''' The arrival of Slavic missionaries Constantine (later known as Cyril) and Methodius<br>'''907''' Destruction of the Great Moravian Empire by Magyars<br>'''962''' Holy Roman Empire established<br>'''1085''' Vratislav II was granted the royal crown and become the first Czech king starting the Premyslid dynasty<br>'''1212''' Bohemia proclaimed a permanent kingdom by pope<br>'''1306''' The Premyslid dynasty ends with the death of King Wenceslas III<br>'''1348''' Charles IV founded the Charles University<br>'''1414''' John Huss (Jan Hus) spoke against the corruption of the Catholic Church and conducted his sermons in Czech so it could be understood by ordinary people<br>'''1415''' John Huss (Jan Hus) burnt at the stake<br>'''1420 to 1434''' The Hussite Wars<br>'''1458''' The Hussites elected a Czech Protestant, George of Podebrady as the country's new king<br>'''1563''' The Council of Trent, Roman Catholic parishes required to keep christening and marriage church registers<br>'''1614''' The Ritual Romanorum, Roman Catholic parishes required to keep death church registers<br>'''1608-1618:''' Protestant German State of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_Union Protestant Union]<br>'''1618''' Beginning of the Thirty Years War<br>'''1620''' White Mountain Battle<br>'''1645''' The Treaty of Linz, recognition of four religions: Catholicism, Lutheranism, Calvinism, and Unitarianism<br>'''1730''' Catholic priests ordered to record non-Catholics in their church registers<br>'''1771''' New standardized format for the church records introduced<br>'''1781''' The Toleration Patent, recognition of Protestantism and Judaism, religious toleration within the Empire<br>'''1784''' Church registers declared valid public records and the keeping of birth, marriage and death records standardized (columns with headings). The Catholic parishes made responsible for recording birth, marriage and death records for people of all religions<br>'''1787''' Protestants authorized to keep their own registers independent of Catholic control<br>'''1788''' Jews required to keep their own registers under the Catholic supervision<br>'''1805''' Battle of Slavkov<br>'''1815''' Treaty of Vienna<br>'''1820s''' Industrial revolution begins in Bohemia<br>'''1840''' Jews required by law to keep birth, marriage and death records<br>'''1848''' Feudal system abolished<br>'''1862''' Sokol movement found<br>'''1866''' Cholera epidemic in Bohemia<br>'''1867''' Creation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire<br>'''1918''' Creation of the Republic of Czechoslovakia<br>'''1921''' Civil registration required by law, church registers no longer valid public records<br>'''1945''' Czechoslovakia loses Sub-Carpathian Russia to Soviet Union<br>'''1950''' Consolidation of all records of genealogical value by the government<br>'''1952''' Centralization of all these records into state regional archives<br>'''1989''' Czechoslovakia regains independence from the Soviet Bloc<br>'''1993''' Czechoslovakia dissolved; Czech and Slovak Republics become two separate, independent states<br>