Slovakia

Slovakia (Slovak: Slovensko) is a landlocked republic in Central Europe. It borders the Czech Republic in the northwest, Poland in the north, Ukraine in the east, Hungary in the south, and Austria in the southwest.

History

Main article: History of Slovakia

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The territory of Slovakia was settled by the Slavic population for at least 2400 years. Slovakia was the centre of Samo's empire in the 7th century. A Slovak state known as the Principality of Nitra arose in the 8th century and became part of the core of the Great Moravian Empire (called Great Slovak Empire by a minority of Slovak authors) in 833. The highest point of this (Proto-)Slovak empire came with the arrival of Cyril and Methodius and the expansion under King Svätopluk.

Related Topics:
Slavic - Samo - Nitra - Great Moravian Empire - Cyril - Methodius - Svätopluk

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Eventually, Slovakia became a part of the Kingdom of Hungary in the 11th-14th centuries. In the 10th century, the ethnic Slovak territory included the northern half of present-day Hungary, and in the 14th century it still extended to present-day northern central and northern eastern Hungary (down to present-day Vác (in Slovak Vacov), Visegrád (Vi?egrad/Vy?ehrad), Miskolc (Mi?kovec)). A major share of the nobility in the kingdom was of Slovak origin.

Related Topics:
Kingdom of Hungary - Vác - Visegrád - Miskolc

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After the Ottoman Empire started its expansion into present-day Hungary in the early 16th century, the center of the Kingdom of Hungary (renamed Royal Hungary now) shifted towards Slovakia, and Bratislava (known as Pressburg/Pressporek/Posonium/Posony at that time) became its capital in 1536. By the end of the 18th century Slovakia's influence decreased.

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In the revolution of 1848-49 the Slovaks joined the Austrians to separate from the Kingdom of Hungary within the Austrian monarchy, but finally they did not achieve this aim.

Related Topics:
Revolution of 1848-49 - Austrian

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During the time of Austria-Hungary, i.e. 1867 - 1918, the Slovaks experienced one of the worst oppressions in their history in the form of Hungarisation (Magyarisation) promoted by the government.

Related Topics:
Austria-Hungary - Hungarisation

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In 1918, Slovakia joined with the regions of Bohemia and neighbouring Moravia to form Czechoslovakia. During the chaos following the breakup of Austria-Hungary, a Slovak Soviet Republic was created for a very short time. Czechoslovakia lasted until it was broken up by the Munich Agreement of 1938. Slovakia became a separate republic that would be tightly controlled by Nazi Germany. After World War II, Czechoslovakia was reassembled and came under the influence of the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact from 1945 onward.

Related Topics:
1918 - Bohemia - Moravia - Czechoslovakia - Austria-Hungary - Slovak Soviet Republic - Munich Agreement - 1938 - Nazi Germany - World War II - Soviet Union - Warsaw Pact - 1945

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The end of communist rule in Czechoslovakia in 1989 during the peaceful Velvet Revolution was followed once again by the country's dissolution, this time into two successor states. Slovakia and the Czech Republic went their separate ways after January 1, 1993. (Velvet Divorce) Slovakia became a member of the European Union in May 2004.

Related Topics:
1989 - Velvet Revolution - Czech Republic - January 1 - 1993 - Velvet Divorce - European Union - May 2004

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See also: Bratislava - History, and History of Bratislava

Related Topics:
Bratislava - History - History of Bratislava

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