Illustrated Slovak History: A Struggle for Sovereignty in Central Europe

433 Pages·2004·7.74 MB·English

by  Anton Spiesz

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I L L U S T R A T E D
Slovak
History
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I L L U S T R A T E D
Slovak
History
A STRUGGLE FOR SOVEREIGNTY
IN CENTRAL EUROPE
ANTON SPIESZ and DUSAN CAPLOVIC
First English Edition:
Translated and Enhanced with
Notes,Index,Bibliography,and Updates
Editor:Ladislaus J. Bolchazy
et alii
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
Wauconda,Illinois,USA
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Illustrated Slovak History
A Struggle for Sovereignty in Central Europe
by Anton Spiesz
An Afterword
by Dusan Caplovic
English Edition
Edited by
Ladislaus J. Bolchazy
in collaboration with
Translators
Joseph J. Palus,Jr.
Albert Devine,David Daniel,Michael Kopanic,and Ivan Reguli
Notes by
Michael Kopanic
Academic Consultants
Martin Votruba,Albert Devine,Milan S. Durica,Frantisek Vnuk,
IvanReguli,Charles Sabatos,Patrick Romane,John Karch,Zdenko G. Alexy,et alii
Associate Editors
Joseph J. Palus,Jr.,Albert Devine,Patrick Romane and Richard Wood
This book was made possible by
Slovak-American International Cultural Foundation (SAICF) and
Donna Schmitz,Dave and Autumn Schmitz,Jeff Schmitz,and Mike Schmitz
English Edition ©2006 Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers,Inc.
Slovak Edition ©PERFEKT,Slovakia (2002)
Slovak Text ©Anton Sˇpiesz (1993)
All Rights Reserved
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers,Inc.
1000 Brown Street,Unit 101
Wauconda,Illinois 60084 USA
www.bolchazy.com
ISBN-10 0-86516-500-9,Hardbound ISBN-10 0-86516-426-6,Paperback
ISBN-13 978-0-86516-500-7 ISBN-13 978-0-86516-426-0
Printed in Slovakia,2006
Originally published as Ilustrovane dejiny Slovenska:Na ceste k sebauvedomeniu,
copyright 1992,1999,2002 ©Perfekt,a.s.,Bratislava,Slovakia
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
·piesz,Anton.
[Ilustrované dejiny Slovenska. English]
Illustrated Slovak history :a struggle for sovereignty in Central Europe / Anton ·piesz and Du‰an
Cˇaplovicˇ ; translated and enhanced with notes,index,and bibliography ; editor,Ladislaus J. Bolchazy
et alii.-- 1st English ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-86516-426-6 (pbk.) -- ISBN 0-86516-500-9 (hardbound)
1. Slovakia--History. I. Title:Slovak history. II. Cˇaplovicˇ,Du‰an. III. Bolchazy,Ladislaus J. IV. Title.
DB2763.S6813 2004
943.73--dc22
2004011379
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Table of Contents
Preface to the English Edition by Kopanic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Foreword by Gasparovic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Publisher’s Statement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1/ Beginnings of History in Slovakia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2/ Slavic Arrival:The Founding and Significance of their First State. . . . . . . . . . 16
3/ The Arrival of the Magyars:Building of Hungary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4/ The Late Medieval Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
5/ The First Two Centuries of the Modern Era (1526-1681). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
6/ A Hunderd Years of Re-Catholicization (1681-1781). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
7/ Headed towards Revolution (1781-1848) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
8/ The Revolution of 1848-1849 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
9/ Events Leading to the Austro-Hungarian Compromise (1849-1867) . . . . . . . . 124
10/ The Era of Dual Monarchy (1867-1918). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
11/ Between Two World Wars (1918-1939). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
12/ During the Second World War (1939-1945) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
13/ Between 1945 and 1960. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
14/ Socialism:from Rise to Fall (1960-1989). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
An Afterword by Dusan Caplovic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
A Decade of Sovereignty (1993-2004) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Endnotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Maps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
List of Rulers and Presidents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
℘ ℘ ℘ ℘℘ ℘ ℘ ℘
List of Maps
Slovak Counties ‘zupy’in Hungary* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi*
CentralEurope,9th Century**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Central Europe,1918–1923** . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Slovakia in the Twentieth Century**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Central Europe ca. 1930,with list of districts** . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Central Europe,2000,with list of districts**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
*Copyright ©1995 Stanislav J. Kirschbaum,A Hisotry of Slovakia. Published by the St. Martin’s Griffin,New
York,NY,USA. Courtesy:Stanislav J. Kirschbaum.
**Copyright ©1993,2002 Paul Robert Magocsi,Historical Atlas of Central Europe. Published by the University
of Washington Press,Seattle WA,USA. Reprinted by permission of the University ofWashington Press.
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Copyright ©1995 Stanislav J. Kirschbaum,A Hisotry of Slovakia. Published by the St. Martin’s Griffin,New York,NY,USA. Courtesy:Stanislav J. Kirschbaum.
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Preface to the
English Edition
It is no easy task to catch and hold areader’sattention in aworld so full of
distractions; it is even harder to nudge him into reading the history of asmall
nation in the heart of Europe. Nevertheless,such is Anton Spiesz’endeavor in
his final work,asurvey of Slovak history. Published in the wake of the Velvet
Revolution,it is the first such survey attempted after the fall of Communism.
The integrity of such an outstanding Slovak historian as Anton Spiesz,
Ph.D., guarantees an interesting read. Dr. Spiesz is known for his tireless
search for historical truth,his revisions of older concepts,and his presentation
of new views, even in the face of controversy or derision. The timely publi-
cation of such a high-quality history is all the more welcome,since its author
no longer feels obligated to nod his head to the various ‘powers that be’,
whether smiling thankfully to the left or respectfully to the right.
Spiesz dedicated many years to research at the Historical Institute of the
Slovak Academy of Sciences. As an establishment institution with apredeter-
mined methodology,it posited a‘politically correct’Marxist interpretation of
Slovakia’s past. Eventually dismissed from the Institute over methodological
conflicts, Spiesz could not resume his work there until after the political
upheaval of 1989. He eagerly welcomed the new historical development that
allowed his lungs to once again breathe the bracing air of freedom. Concerns
of censorship no longer dimming his thoughts, he was again able to tackle
‘unclear issues’, no matter their complexity. In that moment of catharsis this
book began to take shape.
The monograph is in many ways a consolidation of several basic studies
Spiesz had previously published both in Slovakia and abroad: Manufakturne
obdobie na Slovensku(The Era of Manufacturing in Slovakia),1961; Poddani
Tekova v 18. storoci (Serfdom in 18th Century Tekov. A joint study with J.
Watzky),1966; Remeslo naSlovensku vobdobi cechov (Slovakian Crafts dur-
ing the Period of Guilds), 1972; Statuty bratislavskych cechov (The By-laws
of Bratislava’s Guilds), 1978; Slobodne kralovske mesta na Slovensku v ro-
koch 1680–1780 (Royally Chartered Towns in Slovakia 1680–1780), 1983;
Remesla,cechy amanufaktury na Slovensku(Crafts,Guilds and Manufactur-
ing Plants in Slovakia), 1983; and Bratislava v 18. storoci (Bratislava in the
18thCentury),1987.
Anton Spiesz also made significant contributions to the following works:
Prehled dejin Ceskoslovenska (A Survey of Czecho-Slovak History), 2 vol.
1981; and Dejiny Slovenska(AHistory of Slovakia),1990. He also cooperat-
ed with other scholars in compiling the following: Historicky atlas CSR (An
Historical Atlas of the Czecho-Slovak Republic); Dejiny ceskoslovenskeho
vojenstvi (An History of the Czecho-Slovak Military); Hospodarske dejiny
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ILLUSTRATED SLOVAK HISTORY
Ceskoslovenska (An Economic History of Czecho-Slovakia); and finally,
EncyklopediaSlovenska(An Encyclopedia of Slovakia).
His book is nevertheless something quite exceptional since its scope is the
whole sweep of our history rather than isolated epochs. Though it may at times
seem so, it is not strictly scholarly, since it lacks the relevant apparatus, such
as references,registers,etc. Nor has it any pretensions to being atextbook in
modern history. Simply put,it is aretrospective by one of the most scholarly
and productive of Slovak historians, the subjective testimony of an erudite,
well-rounded individual. This first English edition attempts to correct the defi-
ciencies with copious notes,extensive bibliography,index,and over 300 color
illustrations and six maps.
* * *
Slovakia is a small, relatively unknown country, lying inconspicuously
among larger neighbors: Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and
Ukraine. It is not a trouble-making state, nor does it grab headlines; indeed,
few people in the West are even aware of its existence. Many Americans con-
fuse it with Slovenia to the south (beyond Austria and Hungary) or relate it to
the former Yugoslavia. It is a very recent addition to the European family of
states,but it has along,eventful history and arich culture. Anton Spiesz’book
helps fill the large gap in works on the subject, while aiming at a reasonably
educated readership,not just scholars.
Though not necessarily major players, the inhabitants of Slovakia have
been deeply involved in European history. Small in size, Slovakia numbers
slightly over 5.3 million inhabitants, predominantly of Slovak ethnicity, but
with a sizeable Hungarian component of about 600,000. Smaller minorities
include Carpatho-Rusyns, Czechs, Romany (Gypsies), and some Poles and
Germans,all of whom reflect the fluidity of migration in past centuries.
Slovakia merits attention as a significant component of the patchwork of
European states and ethnicities. Moreover, some 1.8 million Americans trace
their ancestry to it, many of whom may be presumed to share an interest in
the land of their forebears. In the past,Slovakia has been predominantly rural
and agricultural,though it was an important center of Hungarian mining and,
in the 16th and 17th Centuries, when the rest of Hungary lay under Turkish
occupation, even of industry. Nearly a millennium after the fall of Great
Moravia, the Kingdom of Hungary and then the Austrian Habsburg dynasty
controlled Slovakia’sfortunes. This long period came to aclose in 1918 with
the devastation of World War I,which reshaped the map of Europe. The Ver-
sailles Treaty combined Slovaks with Czechs, Sudeten Germans and
Carpatho-Rusyns to form the new state of Czecho-Slovakia. They remained
there, except for a brief period of independence as a German satellite
(1939–1945), until 1993, when they again achieved independence by demo-
cratic process. Through the long period of its history, Slovakia has endured
many turbulent times, including Tatar (Tartar) and Turkish incursions, the
Reformation,Re-Catholicization,two world wars,and most recently the War-
saw Pact invasion of 1968,subjecting it to the mercy of warring and compet-
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PREFACETO THE ENGLISH EDITION
ing powers. But Slovaks are agood example of asmall Slavic people that has
survived despite whole centuries of foreign domination. Through it all they
have preserved a sense of kinship; but true political self-awareness has been
in the process of formation for only about the past century and a half. The
author,Anton Spiesz, examines this process of nation-building, as he under-
takes the monumental task of surveying Slovak history.
One of the problems this translation faces relates to its intended audience;
Spiesz wrote for ahome audience. Having composed parts of the work while the
Communists still held sway, he rushed to publish it after the Velvet Revolution
of 1989. His book first appeared in 1993,but unfortunately Spiesz died on Jan-
uary 1,1994; had life afforded him time,he might very well have made revisions.
Because Spiesz did not aim his book at an audience unacquainted with Slo-
vak history, he often makes assumptions that can thoroughly confuse a non-
Slovak reader. This edition attempts to provide necessary clarifications. Addi-
tionally, owing to Spiesz’propensity to revel in details, with lists of people,
towns, animals and statistics, the reader may find himself simply over-
whelmed. Spiesz also frequently introduces protagonists without adequately
preparing the reader, leaving elucidation for later. These are all features of
Spiesz’writing style,as well as consequences of his rush to publish.
To make up for these anomalies,explanatory materials in the form of end-
notes, arranged by chapter, have been appended to this translation. Also
appended is an index and select bibliography,listing major studies in English
and some significant Slovak works. Numerous illustrations in color provide
abonus,which will hopefully delight layman and scholar alike.
A consistent problem that hampers understanding of Slovak history and
culture is the lack of good, objective surveys. During the 19th Century, when
nation-building steadily spread across Europe, the writing of Slovak history
became inextricably bound up with the budding national movement, serving
to bolster Slovak consciousness and self-image. It was the stuff of romantic
poetry rather than factual analysis. Needing precedents,Slovak writers harked
back to the early feudal state of Great Moravia, which lasted just over fifty
years in the 9thCentury,but became an object of veneration as the first Slav-
ic state of Central Europe.
Up to the 19th Century no widely accepted history of the Slovaks and Slo-
vakia had been written,inside or outside Slovakia. It was only during the rise of
European nationalisms that Slovaks began seriously exploring their own histo-
ry. And it was no accident that this Slovak awakening coincided with the Mag-
yar (Hungarian) effort to transform multi-national Hungary into awholly Mag-
yar kingdom by forcibly assimilating its other, predominantly Slavic
constituents. Magyar nationalists advanced the claim that Slovaks did not con-
stitute adistinct nationality and had no history to speak of. For Slovaks,Great
Moravia,as an early Slavic state on Slovak territory,provided aforceful rebut-
tal to that claim,agood springboard for writing adistinctive Slovak history.
The first attempt at such a history came during the 18th Century Enlight-
enment, with Juraj Papanek’s Latin treatise on the Slavs. But not until the
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