Czechoslovakia



Czechoslovakia (Československo; from 1990 Slovak: Česko-Slovensko) was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992. From 1939 to 1945 the state did not have a de facto existence, due to its forced division and partial incorporation into Nazi Germany, but the Czech government-in-exile nevertheless continued to exist during this time period while Slovakia was independent from the Czech part. On 1 January 1993 Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

As a self declared socialist state during the cold war, Czechoslovakia was an ally of the USSR and a member of the Warsaw Pact.