The Making of a State

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The Making of a State (1927)
by Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, edited by Henry Wickham Steed

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Translation from the Czech original Světová revoluce za války a ve válce 1914-1918 (1925). Frontispiece photo by J. F. Langhans.

Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk4728473The Making of a State1927Henry Wickham Steed

THE MAKING OF
A STATE

MEMORIES AND OBSERVATIONS
1914–1918

BY

Dr. THOMAS GARRIGUE MASARYK
President of the Czechoslovak Republic

AN ENGLISH VERSION, ARRANGED AND PREPARED
WITH AN INTRODUCTION

BY

HENRY WICKHAM STEED
Author of “The Hapsburg Monarchy” and “Through Thirty Years”

LONDON
GEORGE ALLEN & UNWIN LTD.
MUSEUM STREET

First published in 1927

(Issued in the U.S.A. under the title “Memories and Observations”)

Printed in Great Britain by
Unwin Brothers, Ltd., Woking

CONTENTS

page
PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		7
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		13

Chapter I
THE TESTAMENT OF COMENIUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		23
(August–December 1914)
	The Outbreak of War—A Balance Sheet—The Position in Austria—And in Germany—Russia and the Slavs—How long will the War last?—In the Lion’s Den—Dr. Beneš—The Pan-German Plan—Our Task.

Chapter II
ROMA AETERNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		52
(December 1914–January 1915)
	My Escape to Italy—Work in Rome—In Touch with the Allies—Personal Relationships—Allied Military Plans—The Position of the Vatican.

Chapter III
IN ROUSSEAU’S BIRTHPLACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		62
(Geneva. January–September 1915)
	Slav Differences—The Organization of Czech Colonies—The Treaty of London—Italy joins the Allies—Action against Austria—The Standard of Hus—The Meaning of the Fight—The Question of War Guilt—Intrigues in Switzerland.

Chapter IV
IN THE WEST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		82
(Paris and London. Sept. 1915–May 1917)
	Paris and London—Czech Colonies Abroad—The National Council—The Art of Propaganda—The Work in England—The Military Outlook—The Work in France—Isvolsky and the Slavs—Štefánik—Views on France—Views on England—The Cinema Spirit—The American Declaration of War—The Southern Slavs and Italy—Peace Feelers—A Disavowal.

Chapter V
PAN-SLAVISM AND OUR REVOLUTIONARY ARMY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		132
(May 1917–April 1918)
	The Russian Revolution—The Russian Anarchy—Russia and the Slavs—Supilo—Our Army in Russia—Military Difficulties—Ups and Downs—Russian Anomalies—Organization—My Own Plan—The Bolshevist Revolution—My View of Bolshevism—Communism and Bolshevism—The Ukraine—In Roumania—Why We were Neutral in Russia—Across Siberia—Vladivostok.

Chapter VI
IN THE FAR EAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		192
(Tokio. April 6–20, 1918)
	Memorandum to President Wilson on the Bolshevists—On the Way to Canada.

Chapter VII
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		197
(Finis Austriae. Washington, April 29–Nov. 20, 1918)
	In America—American Democracy—American Literature—The Political Aspect—Cooperation with the Yugoslavs—The Poles—The Mid-European Peoples—The Ruthenes—Mr. Voska—The Breaking up of Austria-Hungary—The Siberian “Anabasis”—A Summary—The Decisive Hour—The Last Days of Austria—My Relations with President Wilson—President Wilson and Professor Herron—Incipit Vita Nova.

Chapter VIII
GERMANY AND THE WORLD REVOLUTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		287
(From Washington to Prague. Nov. 20–Dec. 20, 1918)
	The Errors of Germany—Why the War came—The rival War Aims—Germany and Europe—Goethe or Bismarck?—The Decline of German Thought—German Decadence—Militarism and Suicide—The Psychology of Suicide—War and Religion—A Philosophy of the War—In London Again—Paris, Padua—and Home.

Chapter IX
THE RISE OF THE CZECHOSLOVAK REPUBLIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		333
	The Work at Home—“De Facto” and “de Jure”—The Legal Birth of our State—The Prague Revolution—Republic or Monarchy?—The Policy of Vienna—The Germans of Bohemia—Allied Sincerity—Intentions.

Chapter X
DEMOCRACY AND HUMANITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		368
	The “Balkanization” of Europe—The Grouping of Small Peoples—The Influence of the West—Our Relations with the East—The Slav Question—The Problem of Minorities—Democracy at Home—Economic Democracy—The Thraldom of Habit—Political Education—Democracy and Publicity—Democracy and Theocracy—The Value of Morality—The Good and the Beautiful—Democracy and Anarchy—Democracy and Revolution—Democracy and Dictatorship—The Problems of a President—Ends and Means—The Humane Ideal—Our Relation to Catholicism—Church and State—The Law of Love.

APPENDIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		442

INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		455

This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content.

Original:

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in 1925, before the cutoff of January 1, 1930.

The longest-living author of this work died in 1937, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 87 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse

Translation:

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in 1927, before the cutoff of January 1, 1930.

The longest-living author of this work died in 1956, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 68 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse