Washington Declaration (full name - the interim government of Czechoslovakia Declaration of the Czechoslovak people's independence) ( chesh. Washingtonská deklarace (Prohlášení nezávislosti československého národa Jeho prozatímní vládou československou), Slovak. Washingtonská deklarácia (Prehlásenie nezávislosti československého národa dočasnou vládou československou)) - Declaration of the leaders of the Czechs and Slovaks in exile, written by Tomas Garrig Masaryk on October 13-16, 1918 in Washington [1] [2] and first published on October 18, 1918 in Paris [3] . The declaration proclaimed the independence of the Czech-Slovak state [4] .
| Washington Declaration Czech Washingtonská deklarace Slovak Washingtonská deklarácia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | October 13-16, 1918 |
| Author | Tomas Garrig Masaryk |
| Witnesses | Tomas Garrig Masaryk Milan Rostislav Stefanik Edward Benes |
| Purpose of creation | Declaration of Independence of Czechoslovakia |
The Washington Declaration rejected the possibility of a federal reorganization of Austria-Hungary and proclaimed the independence of the Czech-Slovak state, the basic principles of which were declared the ideals of modern democracy. The declaration announced that the newly created state would be a republic guaranteeing complete freedom of conscience, faith, speech, press and assembly, as well as the right to petition. Religion was separated from the state [5] [6] .
The declaration guaranteed equal suffrage for both sexes, proportional representation of minorities in state governance, determined the principles of parliamentary democracy, the replacement of a standing army by the police, and announced a plan for a broad social and economic reform, including the abolition of noble titles.
The declaration used the term “ Czechoslovak people ”, which distinguished it from previous Cleveland and Pittsburgh agreements, which wrote about two peoples, Czechs and Slovaks.
The declaration was signed by:
- Tomas Garrig Masaryk - as Prime Minister and Minister of Finance;
- Milan Rostislav Stefanik - as Minister of National Defense;
- Edward Benes - as Minister of Foreign and Internal Affairs.
Along with the publication of the Washington Declaration, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria-Hungary, Julius Andrássy , sent a note (note to Andrássy) to the President of the United States, Woodrow Wilson [7] , which declared his country's readiness to accept peace with the United States and agreed with the recognition of the rights of Czechoslovakians and Yugoslavs [8 ] . The Austro-Hungarian Emperor Charles I issued on the same day the manifesto “To My Faithful Austrian Peoples” [9] , which proposed to preserve the integrity of Austria-Hungary and proposed a federal structure for future Austria. At that time, however, the empire was already on the verge of collapse .
Notes
- ↑ Kovtun, GJ The Czechoslovak Declaration of Independence: A History of the Document. - Washington, DC 1985. - P. 46-8.
- ↑ Herbert Francis Sherwood. "A New Declaration of Independence". The Outlook . 120 (September – December 1918). p. 406.
- ↑ F. Čapka: Dějiny zemí Koruny české v datech - 18. října
- ↑ Pamätáte si tieto zlomové udalosti? Od Česko-Slovenska k samostatnosti - Washingtonská deklarácia
- ↑ Slovenský a český zahraničný odboj
- ↑ Declaration of Independence of the Czechslovak Nation By Its Provisional Government . - New York, October Eighteenth MDCCCCXVIII.
- ↑ Nóta ministra zahraničních věcí Rakousko-Uherska Andrássyho
- ↑ Příběh jednoho dne - 28. října
- ↑ Manifest císaře Karla I. ze 16. října 1918 unopened (unavailable link) . Date of treatment December 10, 2013. Archived September 24, 2015.
Literature
- GRONSKÝ, Ján. Komentované dokumenty k ústavním dějinám Československa. I. Díl, 1914-1945 .. Praha: Univerzita Karlova, nakladatelství Karolinum, 2005. ISBN 80-246-1027-2 .
- Jan Blahoslav Kozák: Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk a vznik Washingtonské deklarace v říjnu 1918, 116 str., Melantrich, Praha 1968
- RW Seton-Watson - A History of the Czechs and Slovaks Archon Books, 1965
- CA Watson - Hungary: A Short History Edinburgh University Press, 1966
- Leo Valiani - The End of Austria-Hungary Secker & Warburg, 1973