Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk Papers
Period
1918-1923
Total size
0.03
m.
Consultation
Not restricted
Biography
Tomáš G. Masaryk: born in Moravia, Austria-Hungary; lecturer at the University of Vienna 1878-1882, professor of philosophy in Prague 1882-1914; member of the Austrian Parliament 1891-1893, 1907-1914; chairman of the Czechoslovak National Council in exile 1916-1918; in 1918 Masaryk became the first president of independent Czechoslovakia. Edvard Beneš: born in Bohemia, Austria-Hungary; from 1909 professor of economics and of sociology in Prague; as foreign minister head of the Czechoslovak delegation to the Paris peace conference 1919-1920; succeeded Masaryk as president of Czechoslovakia in 1935, resigned in 1938; leader of the Czechoslovak government-in-exile in London; reelected president, but resigned in 1948.
Content
Photocopies of correspondence between Tomáš Masaryk and Edvard Beneš 1918-1923.
Alternate Form of Material
Partly published in: Šolle, Zdeněk, `Masaryk a Beneš ve svých dopisech z doby pařížských mírových jednáni v roce 1919' 2 Vol. (Praha 1993-1994).
Location of originals
Originals at the Ústav T.G. Masaryka in Prague
I N T R O D U C T I O N
Tomáš G. Masaryk
was born in
Hodonín, Moravia in 1850. From 1878-1882 he was lecturer at the
University of Vienna
. Then he was professor of philosophy
at the
Charles University
in Prague during 1882-1914. He
published both on philosophical, sociological and political subjects, asserting
the concepts of democracy, tolerance and religious sense. He was member of the
Austrian parliament during 1891-1893 and 1907-1914. He advocated a
reorganization of the Austro-Hungarian Empire into a federation in which the
different nations would have equal rights. After the outbreak of the First
World War however he turned to the idea of totally independent nation states.
During his exile from 1916-1918 he was chairman of the
Czechoslovak National Council
.
In 1918 Masaryk
became the first president of independent Czechoslovakia. Together with his
foreign minister
Edvard Beneš
he defended the
League of Nations
as an instrument in maintaining peace
and international justice. He died in Lány, Czechoslovakia in 1937.
Edvard
Beneš was born in Kožlany, Bohemia in 1884. From 1909 he was professor of
economics at the
Prague Academy of Commerce
. In 1912 he
became lecturer and in 1922 professor in sociology at the University of Prague.
From 1915 he lived a few years in Paris. In 1918 he became general secretary of
the Czechoslovak National Council, which was recognized as the Czechoslovak
provisional government. As foreign minister he was head of the Czechoslovak
delegation to the Paris peace conference in 1919-1920. He succeeded Masaryk as
president of Czechoslovakia in 1935. He resisted German claims on the Sudeten
areas in the western parts of Czechoslovakia, but was forced to yield by the
Munich agreement in 1938, after which he resigned. He was then leader of the
Czechoslovak government-in-exile in London. In May 1945 he was warmly welcomed
in Prague and was reelected as president. He resigned in 1948 after having been
forced to install a Communist directed cabinet. He died in 1948 at Sezimovo
Usti, Czechoslovakia.
The papers were received by the IISH in 1990 and
consist of photocopies of correspondence between Tomáš Masaryk and Edvard Beneš
1918-1923. The original letters can be found at the Ústav T.G. Masaryka in
Prague. Correspondence of 1919 has been published in Šolle, Zdenek, 'Masaryk a
Beneš ve svých dopisech z doby parízských mírových jednáni v roce 1919' 2 Vol.
(Praha 1993-1994).
The size of the papers is 0.03 m.