Differences between Czechs and Slovaks

[Empecinado]

What are the cultural and ethnical differences between both? Are significant enough to make up two different countries?

[Antimage]

would like to hear czech and slovak peoples' opinion on this.

[Neon Knight]

I've read that the splitting of Czecoslovakia was rushed and not supported by most of the people.

[Empecinado]

I've read that the splitting of Czecoslovakia was rushed and not supported by most of the people.

Yes me too, though I have read also that Czechoslovakia was created just to serve as a proxy state against Germany after WWI. So I'd like to hear an opinion about their differences.

[MINARDOWICZ]

I feel like Czechoslovakia was a gradient to begin with and that there isn't some line one can draw. It probably gets more Germanic towards Czech Republic and more Slavic towards Slovakia. But in general, there are not many differences, no?

[Wild North]

Some years ago, I´ve met a Czech. He told me that the Czechs used to joke and say that "east of the Czech-Slovak border the orient begins".

[Permafrost]

I think westerners should stop grouping them all together on the pretext their language sounds similar. Like they are doing with Serbs and Croats.

Of course the differences are significant, Czechs are more western than Slovaks, they were part of the Holy Roman Empire, so significant a member in fact that they almost had a Přemyslid king (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottokar_II_of_Bohemia) on the imperial throne!

They greatly influenced the reformation with John Hus, much like Wycliffe, being a forerunner to protestantism.

Slovaks on the other hand were under decadent Hungarian rule most of the time, they're also big time catholics and generally eastern influence is much more obvious there.