Interwar Czechoslovakia and the Rise of Fascism

Vocabulary flashcards covering education, economy, Slovak autonomy, political parties, the First Czechoslovak Republic, and Italian Fascism based on the lecture notes.

Comenius University

The first university founded in Slovakia, established in Bratislava in 1919.

Matica slovenská

A Slovak cultural and social association that re-opened in 1919 to encourage public cultural and social life.

Czechoslovak Koruna

The official currency of Czechoslovakia, established following the 1919 monetary reform proposed by Finance Minister Alois Rašín.

Pittsburgh Agreement

An agreement that promised Slovaks their own Diet and administration, creating discontent among Slovak political leaders when its conditions were not fulfilled.

Vavro Šrobár

A Slovak politician appointed Minister with Full Power to Administer Slovakia who supported Prague centralism.

Andrej Hlinka

A Catholic priest who re-created the Slovak People's Party in 1918 in Žilina and led the movement for Slovak autonomy.

Slovenská krajina

The official name (The Slovak Land) given to Slovakia as a separate administrative unit within Czechoslovakia in 1927.

Vojtech Tuka

The prominent leader of the radical wing within Hlinka's Slovak People's Party (HSĽS).

Seven Day War

A 1919 conflict between Czechoslovakia and Poland over Cieszyn Silesia (Tešínsko), a historical region rich in industry.

Little Entente

A 1929 defence coalition consisting of Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and Romania created to resist Hungarian attempts to restore the Habsburg empire.

Pětka

The coalition of the five most important political parties in Czechoslovakia that formed the main executive basis of government in the 1920s.

Czechoslovakism

A political concept that underlined the reciprocity of Czechs and Slovaks living in a common state while denying the existence of an independent Slovak nation.

Autonomism

The political movement represented mainly by HSĽS that advocated for self-government and administrative autonomy for Slovakia.

Slovak Republic of Councils

A short-lived communist soviet state declared in Prešov on 19 June 1919 following the advance of the Hungarian Red Army.

1921 Czechoslovak Census

The first official census recording 13,874,364 total citizens, identifying Germans as the largest national minority (3,123,568) and Hungarians as the second largest (745,431).

Modus Vivendi

An agreement between Czechoslovakia and the Vatican that harmonized state borders with church dioceses and regulated rights in appointing bishops.

Fasci di Combattimento

The 'Groups of fighters' movement founded by Benito Mussolini in Italy, whose uniformed 'Black Shirts' aimed to restore order.

March on Rome

An October 1922 mass demonstration organized by the Italian Fascist Party that resulted in King Victor Emmanuel III appointing Benito Mussolini as Prime Minister.

Rome-Berlin Axis

A 1936 alliance formed between Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, later joined by Japan.

Fasces

An ancient Roman symbol of authority consisting of a bundle of rods with an axe, which became the symbol and namesake for Fascism.