Slovakia/Slovaks: Development of a Nation
How Slovakia became Slovakia, and how the Slovaks became Slovak.

How Slovaks as a people, and the country of Slovakia as a nation-state, evolved and materialized into current form, in terms of ancestral bloodlines, the Slovak language, borders, culture, and even how they received their name.

Ancestral Background
Development Language
Formation of Borders
Etymology (How Name Received)
Culture
Slovakia in 2008

Slovak Ancestral Background:
 

1. The Czechs were a Slavic tribe (separated from main body around modern Ukraine) that moved into the area of modern Czech Republic during the 6^th century, filling the void as Germanic peoples were migrated west. Affiliated with the Slovaks, another Slavic tribe who would follow the Czechs, settling just east of them in modern Slovakia.
2. In 833, the Czechs joined with the Slavic Slovak peoples to the east (in modern Slovakia), along with the Moravians (also Slavic) in modern eastern Czech Republic to form the Great Moravia, a medieval Slavic kingdom. Each of the respective constituent tribes maintains their separate and distinct identities.
3. The Great Moravia broken up by Magyar invasions in 907. Czechs form into Bohemia (modern western Czech Republic) and Moravians consolidate into Moravia (modern eastern Czech Rep). The Slovaks were conquered by the Magyars (predecessors to modern Hungarians), becoming part of the Kingdom of Hungary. This would cement the natural division that already existed between the Czechs/Moravians and Slovaks.
4. Bohemia (Czech peoples) would remain largely under Austrian control until Austria’s defeat at the end of WWI, whereby the Czechs, Moravians and Slovaks would form into the single nation of Czechoslovakia. The Czechs (with the Moravians) would peacefully split from the Slovaks in 1992, separating into two nations: Czech Republic and Slovakia, as Slovaks desired greater autonomy from the Czechs, who dominated the Czechoslovakian government. As had been the case since Bohemia and Moravia combined in 1198 under the Holy Roman Empire, the Moravians remain intertwined with the Czechs to this day, with more and more Moravians considering themselves to be Czech as the years pass by.

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Development of Slovak Language:
 

1. 3000 BC – The Proto-Balto-Slavic language (branch of Proto-Indo-European) is spoken by Proto-Balto-Slavic group centered around Lithuania.
2. After a split in the Proto-Balto-Slavic nation around 1000 BC, the language of those that migrate east and south evolves into Slavic (thus the origin of Slavic peoples). The language of those that remain in the Baltic region evolves into Baltic.
3. The West Slavic peoples of Greater Moravia (modern Czech Republic and Slovakia) began to form their own distinct branch of Slavic by the 10^th century.
4. After the Czechs and Slovaks are divided during the 10^th century (Czechs landing in German orbit of influence, Slovaks within the Hungarian sphere), the Czech and Slovak languages begin to diverge, although they remain mutually intelligible to this day. The Moravians, which become consolidated under the Czechs from 1198 forward (as part of Bohemia - which existed under German "Holy Roman Empire" rule) also speak the Czech language, but with their own dialect. Czech would have more German elements embedded into their language than Slovak, as Bohemia was more profoundly influenced by Germans throughout history, being part of the German "Holy Roman Empire" from 1004 until its dissolution in 1807 (and then ruled by German Austria until the end of WWI).

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Formation of Slovakia Borders:
 

1. The Czechs were a Slavic tribe (separated from main body around modern Ukraine)that moved into the area of modern Czech Republic during the 6^th century, filling the void as Germanic peoples were migrated west. Affiliated with the Slovaks, another Slavic tribe who would follow the Czechs, settling just east of them in modern Slovakia.
2. In 833, the Czechs joined with the Slavic Slovak peoples to the east (in modern Slovakia), along with the Moravians (also Slavic) in modern eastern Czech Republic to form the Great Moravia, a medieval Slavic kingdom. Each of the respective constituent tribes maintains their separate and distinct identities.
3. The Great Moravia broken up by Magyar invasions in 907. Czechs form into Bohemia (modern western Czech Republic) and Moravians consolidate into Moravia (modern eastern Czech Rep). The Slovaks were conquered by the Magyars (predecessors to modern Hungarians), becoming part of the Kingdom of Hungary in 1004.
4. In 1699, Austria conquered Hungary from the Muslim Ottoman Empire, adding it to its empire as another constituent state. With this, Bohemia (the Czechs) and the Slovakia (Slovaks) are again brought under the same banner.
5. In 1867, after Austria was defeated by Prussia, the Austrian Empire (including Bohemia) was forced to place Hungary on equal footing within the empire, changing the name to Austria-Hungary. Bohemia is subject to Austrian law, while Slovakia is subject to Hungarian law.
6. Czechoslovakia is liberated from Austria-Hungary after it is defeated in WWI in 1918 at the insistence of the Allies. Czechoslovakia was formed into a sovereign nation, as the Czechs, Moravians and Slovaks all desired independence from Austria-Hungary. Bohemia (Czechs, Moravians) were much more industrialized under Austrian rule, while Slovaks were much more economically backwards under Hungarian rule. The Slovaks agreed to join the Czech-dominated state in order to attain a degree of sovereignty, since they were not capable (in terms of infrastructure or leadership) of attaining independence on their own.
7. In 1939, before the commencement of WWII, Germany invaded Czechoslovakia, annexing the entire nation into Germany. The southern strip of Czechoslovakia was given to Hungary as an enticement to join the Axis Powers.
8. The Nazi army was driven out of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Army in 1944, restoring Czechoslovakian independence in 1945. However, Czechoslovakia remained under Soviet influence until the collapse of the USSR in 1990.
9. Slovaks in Czechoslovakia call for greater autonomy, resulting in a peaceful split of the nation into the Czech Republic (Czechs and Moravians) and the Republic of Slovakia in 1993.

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Etymology (How Name Received):

"Slovak" is derived from the name of the Slavic tribe who settled in modern Slovakia during the 6^th century, filling the void left by the westward-migrating Germanic tribes, and who have remained primary inhabitants ever since. The Slovak name is based on the name of the general branch of European peoples known as the Slavs. Self-appointed name.

Slovak Culture:

Similar to Czech culture in many ways, since they share Western Slavic roots. Bohemia went on to become more of a cultural center, as an industrial center in the Austrian Empire. Slovakia has been more of an outpost of the Kingdom of Hungary.

Slovakia in 2008:

Economy: Since collapse of USSR in 1990, and separating from Czechoslovakia in 1993, Slovakia has nearly made the full transformation from a centrally-planned (communist) economy to a free-market (capitalistic) economy. It has experienced strong growth, especially since 2001, but unemployment remains high, although it has improved from about 18% to 8% since 2004.
Government: Democratic Republic
Religion: Roman Catholic 69%, Protestant 11%, None 13%.
Demographics: Slovaks 84%, Hungarian 11% (long time Hungarian rule during late and post-Middle Ages, fluctuating borders throughout history).
Foreign Policy: Member of NATO, supporting operations in Afghanistan with non-military personnel.
Population: 5,455,407 (2008)

 

Formation of Nations (All European Nations)

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