The Czecho-Slovak Struggle for Independence, 1914-1920

by Brent Mueggenberg

Overview

The calamity of World War I spawned dozens of liberation movements among ethnic and religious groups throughout the world. None was more successful in realizing the goal of self-determination than the Czechs and Slovaks.

From its humble beginning the Czecho-Slovak liberation movement grew into an impressive struggle that was waged from the capitals of Western Europe to the frozen steppes of Siberia. Its ranks included exiled propagandists, war prisoners-turned-legionaries and conspirators inside Austria-Hungary. This book shows how these groups overcame their estrangements and coordinated their efforts to win independence for their homeland. It also examines the consequences of the Czecho-Slovaks' achievements, including their entanglement in the Russian Civil War and their impact on the postwar settlements that redrew the political boundaries of Central Europe.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786496259
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	09/17/2014
Pages:	332
Product dimensions:	6.80(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Brent Mueggenberg is a purchasing manager and lives in Lake View, Iowa.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments v

Preface 1

Terms, Abbreviations and Acronyms 5

Introduction: A Brawl at Chelyabinsk 9

1 In the Shadow of White Mountain 17

2 On the Eve of the Storm 32

3 Contriving for a New Europe 45

4 The Slavophile Challenge 63

5 Deliverance at Zborov 82

6 Prague on the Brink 96

7 The Rise of the Czecho-Slovak Legions in the West 109

8 Between Cossacks and Commissars 120

9 The Russian Muddle 134

10 War Across an Iron Ribbon 154

11 A New Eastern Front 179

12 The Men of October 28 199

13 The Siberian Vendée 215

14 White Mountain Redressed 230

15 Exodus from a White Hell 246

16 The Legacy of Independence 268

Chapter Notes 279

Bibliography 313

Index 317

Editorial Reviews

Mueggenberg is a fine writer and researcher and his fluid writing style makes what could be quite complicated in the hands of a lesser writer, easy to understand. The selection of photographs illustrating the book is superb too. Highly recommended”—Destructive Music.

From the Publisher