„Since the beginning of the war the Czecho-Slovak Nation had resisted the common enemy by every means in its power. The Czecho-Slovaks have constituted a considerable Army fighting on three different battle-fields and attempting in Russia and Siberia, to arrest the Germanic invasion.
„In consideration of its efforts to achieve independence Great Britain regards the Czecho-Slovaks as an Allied nation, and belligerent Army waging regular warfare against Austria Hungary and Germany.
„Great Britain also recognizes the right of the Czecho-Slovak National Council, as the supreme organ of the Czecho-Slovak national interests, and as the present trustee of the future Czecho-Slovak Government, to exercise supreme authority over this Allied and belligerent Army.”
Official British Declaration
of August 9th, 1918
24th April 1919.
Great Britain and the Czecho-Slovaks.
1. The historical ties binding Great Britain with Bohemia are not insignificant. It is especially in the intellectual sphere where the influence of Anglo-Saxon civilisation was particulary felt in Bohemia, both during the reformation period of Bohemian history and in the critical period of the first beginnings of Czecho-Slovak regeneration.
The fact that Shakespeare in one of his plays speaks of the sea-coast of Bohemia is wrongly quoted as an example that even in old times the British people knew little about the Czechs. On the contrary it could be proved that the important historical role which the kingdom of Bohemia played in former times, was by no means overlooked in England. The first Bohemian king was so well known that even to-day a carol is sung about him in England: »The Good King Wenceslas«, an the Czechs are mentioned in old English chronicles even as far back as the ninth century.
The friendship between the two countries was greatly strengthened through the marriage of Anne, daughter of one of the greatest
