Why did Czechoslovakia broke apart?

**~~TheForeigner~~** · 03-05-2018, 08:16 PM

Why did Czechoslovakia broke apart into two countries? I guess Czechs and Slovaks are separate peoples, but are they really that different culturally? It's great that they split up peacefully, unlike Yugoslavia, but why not stick together?

**~~TheForeigner~~** · 03-06-2018, 05:46 AM

bump

**~~Bobby Martnen~~** · 03-06-2018, 06:07 AM

Slovaks didn't like being dominated by the Czechs.

**~~TheForeigner~~** · 03-06-2018, 06:13 AM

Originally Posted by Bobby Martnen

Slovaks didn't like being dominated by the Czechs.

It's a shame they didn't stick together. It would have been a bigger, stronger and more important European countries. Between the two world wars it was one of the most economically developed countries in Europe.

**~~Bobby Martnen~~** · 03-06-2018, 06:14 AM

Originally Posted by Foreigner

It's a shame they didn't stick together. It would have been a bigger, stronger and more important European countries. Between the two world wars it was one of the most economically developed countries in Europe.

Communism ruins everything it touches, unfortunately.

**~~Bosniensis~~** · 03-06-2018, 06:29 AM

Originally Posted by Bobby Martnen

Communism ruins everything it touches, unfortunately.

You would surprised... but people in Ex-Yugoslavia lived much better under Communism (I am not communist btw).

We had more of everything.

TITO was a cool guy.

**Mikula** · 03-13-2018, 08:58 AM

I am sorry that my detailed description of the subject was lost by collapse of The Apricity, several moths ago.

It is not so easy to find easy answer for easy questions

Nevertheless, it is unsufficient to blame just communism for all the things what happened here.

Perhaps, you can compare the situation to marriage when the husband and wife love each other, but they cannot live together, finally.

There are countries where its societies is divided more than in the former Czechoslovakia but in the moment of crisis, they stay together.
But when appeared some crisis in Czechoslovakia, Czechs and Slovaks tended to go opposite way.

Another important point is a question of identity.

Even for the most pro-Czechoslovak Slovaks was very painfull that for avarage forigner is the term Czechoslovak too long and complicated,
therefore was used the term Czech as an abbreviation, by the foreigners.

**Karol Klačansky** · 03-13-2018, 09:22 AM

Thee were many different reasons. slovaks had been trying for years to get more autonomy in czechoslovakia. When they had freedom to finally decide what happens with their future they chose to go alone. Czechs and Slovaks are a similar people but there are historic differences that affect the mentality of the peoples in each country. Czechs have a bigger history, tend to be more secular, and have their own distinct style of humour. Slovaks were occupied constantly by other nations, are more religious, and sometimes think czech humor is a bit too much. Slovaks were always treated as second rate under czechs so independence was finally a way to be known to the world for who they are. It turned out pretty well so I think it was a good decision.