1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,640 Speaker 1: Hey, y'all, Eve's here. Today's episode contains not just one, 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: but two nuggets of history. These are coming from the 3 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: T D I h C Vault, so you'll also here 4 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:12,479 Speaker 1: to hosts. Consider it a double feature. Enjoy the show. 5 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to This Day in History Class from how Stuff 6 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 1: Works dot com and from the desk of Stuff you 7 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: Missed in History Class. It's the show where we explore 8 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:23,239 Speaker 1: the past one day at a time with a quick 9 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: look at what happened today in history. Hello and welcome 10 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 1: to the podcast. I'm Tracy V. Wilson and it's October. 11 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,919 Speaker 1: The Czechoslovakia Republic or Czechoslovakia, was proclaimed on this day 12 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighteen. This part of the world combined Bohemia, Moravia, 13 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 1: and Slovakia, and before all of that had been part 14 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:49,879 Speaker 1: of the Austro Hungarian Empire. Now, the Austro Hungarian Empire 15 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: had been formed in eighteen sixty seven, and it was 16 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 1: an oddly fractured state. Hungary at that time had its 17 00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: own monarch and its own national history, but the rest 18 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: of the empire was a hodgepodge. It was formally known 19 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: as the kingdoms and lands represented in the Reich's rot 20 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:12,039 Speaker 1: or the other imperial half, so you had Hungary and 21 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 1: the other imperial half. Most people came to call it Austria, 22 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: and Austria was finally adopted as its actual name in 23 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 1: nineteen fifteen. By the late nineteenth century, the people in 24 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 1: what would become Czechoslovakia had been trying to get a 25 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 1: bigger voice within the government of the Austro Hungarian Empire 26 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:31,680 Speaker 1: for quite some time. So, for example, on the Check 27 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 1: side of the region in the west, which was mainly 28 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 1: in Austria, people were trying to get more representation in parliament, 29 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: even though a lot of the Czech people didn't consider 30 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: themselves to be particularly at home within the Empire. Then 31 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 1: on the Slovak side of the region that was in 32 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: the east, mainly within Hungary, people were facing ongoing persecution 33 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: and marginalization, with many Slovaks moving to other parts of 34 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 1: the Empire or out of Europe entirely. At the start 35 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 1: of World War One, most Checks were not in favor 36 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: of the war, and they feared that a German victory 37 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: would put an end to all of their efforts for 38 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: better political representation or even total national autonomy. Then in 39 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: nineteen sixteen, the Czech National Council was established in Paris 40 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 1: and in nineteen eighteen, in response to all of these 41 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:17,959 Speaker 1: things that were going on, Point ten of Woodrow Wilson's 42 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: fourteen point plan was quote, the peoples of Austria Hungary, 43 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 1: whose placed among the nations we wish to see safeguarded 44 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 1: and assured, should be accorded the freest opportunity to autonomous development. 45 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: So these people that were living in Austria Hungary, including 46 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: the Checks and the Slovaks, should have the opportunity for 47 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 1: autonomous development, not being part of some unrelated nation or empire. 48 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,799 Speaker 1: At about the same time, the Czechoslovakian region was gaining 49 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: international recognition for their distinguished service in the war. Then 50 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 1: on May thirty one of nineteen eighteen, there was a 51 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: declaration of support for the idea of one nation that 52 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 1: would unite the Czech and Slovak people that was issued 53 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 1: from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It's known as the Pittsburgh Agreement, sometimes 54 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: called the Pittsburgh Packed. It was issued on the United 55 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 1: States Memorial Day and written by Tomash G. Massarik, who 56 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: had come to the United States seeking President wood Wilson's support. 57 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:15,080 Speaker 1: He was one of many expatriate leaders who were doing 58 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 1: extensive advocacy for autonomy while in exile. On October eighteenth, 59 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 1: the Declaration of Independence for this new nation was issued 60 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 1: and it was proclaimed a republic on the October. On 61 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: November thirte the provisional constitution was issued, and on the 62 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: fourteenth Tamash Massark was elected president. The first parliamentary elections 63 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: were held on Jean fifteenth of nineteen. At the same time, 64 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 1: the rest of the Austro Hungarian Empire was also collapsing, 65 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 1: and Emperor Charles the First issued a manifesto on October sixteenth, 66 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 1: which shifted Austria into a union of German, Czech, South 67 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: slav and Ukrainian components. But this union very quickly fell apart, 68 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 1: and even before World War One ended, the former Austro 69 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: Hungarian Empire was no more. The actual borders of Czechoslovakia 70 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 1: were negotiated during the Paris Peace Conference at the end 71 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 1: of World War One, along with redrawing a number of 72 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: other political borders in the wake of the war. Within Czechoslovakia, though, 73 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,800 Speaker 1: political disputes continued for decades. Although the Czechs and the 74 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:22,599 Speaker 1: Slovaks were linguistically similar, they had connections to help them 75 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 1: unite into a single country. They each had their own 76 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 1: histories and their own cultural elements, and then there were 77 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 1: also numerous other ethnic groups in the region as well, 78 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: including ethnic Hungarians. Earlier on in this whole story, the 79 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 1: ethnic Hungarians had been in the position of power, and 80 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: now they weren't, and we're feeling a lot less included 81 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: in their own government. On January one, after a whole 82 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:52,040 Speaker 1: series of other events, the former Czechoslovakia split into the 83 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:55,839 Speaker 1: Czech Republic and Slovakia. Thanks to Christopher Hasciotis for his 84 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: research work on today's podcast, Antaitari Harrison for all of 85 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 1: her audio work on this You can subscribe to the 86 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 1: Stay in History Class on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, and 87 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: wherever else you get your podcast. You can tune in 88 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 1: tomorrow for yet another execution this month. Hey, I'm Eves, 89 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,279 Speaker 1: and you're listening to This Day in History Class, a 90 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:32,359 Speaker 1: podcast that proves history is always happening. The day was 91 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 1: October nineteen forty. Just after three am, MM Will Grazi, 92 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:41,920 Speaker 1: the Italian ambassador to Grease, presented an ultimatum issued by 93 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: Mussolini to Greek Prime Minister Ioannis May Toxus. The ultimatum 94 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:50,799 Speaker 1: demanded that may Taxes allow access forces to enter Greece 95 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: and occupy strategic sites or face war. Matxus rejected the 96 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: demand with the response that led to the day being 97 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 1: commemorated at Oky Day. The totalitarian regime led by Iohannas 98 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 1: my Texas was known as the Fourth of August regime. 99 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: The government was anti Communists and drew inspiration from the 100 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:15,920 Speaker 1: fascist regime in Italy. My Taxes had also fostered friendly 101 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:20,040 Speaker 1: trade relations with Nazi Germany, but King George the Second, 102 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 1: the King of Greece, was an Anglophoul, and the regime 103 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: remained aligned with the British. Greece remained influenced by Britain 104 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 1: despite its fascist ideology. Italy and Greece had tense relations 105 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:36,720 Speaker 1: for years over territory. Italy invaded Albania and made it 106 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:41,160 Speaker 1: an Italian protectorate in nineteen nine, and Albania entered war 107 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:45,599 Speaker 1: against Britain and France. The Britain and France guaranteed Greece 108 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 1: territorial integrity. The Italians proceeded to provoke Greece. Bombers attacked 109 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 1: Greek ships and coast guard stations, and the Italian press 110 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: worked to encourage anti Greece sentiment. Italy Greece relations contain 111 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:05,360 Speaker 1: you to deteriorate, and May Taxes began mobilizing troops. Mussolini 112 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 1: decided to invade Greece. On October. He issued the ultimatum 113 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 1: to Greece that they seed strategic points in Greek territory 114 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 1: or be invaded. The ultimatum also accused Greece of allowing 115 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: the British Royal Navy to use its waters and ports 116 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 1: to attack Italy. It said that the Greeks should not 117 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: resist the occupation. May Taxes responded to the ultimatum by 118 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 1: saying a lore slager in French, which means so this 119 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: is war. There is no evidence that he said alhi, 120 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: which means no in Greek, but the word no, which 121 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 1: is shorter and simpler, came to represent May Taxis response. 122 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:48,240 Speaker 1: He called on Greeks to fight for their independence. A 123 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:52,000 Speaker 1: couple of hours later, before the ultimatum expired, Italian troops 124 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 1: in Albania crossed the border in the Pendous region of 125 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: northern Greece. This marked the beginning of the Greco Italian 126 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 1: War and Greece his entrance into World War Two. Mussolini's 127 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 1: advisers and many others expected that an Italian victory over 128 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:10,160 Speaker 1: Greece would take little effort, but the Greeks put up 129 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 1: a strong resistance. The mountainous terrain was rough and the 130 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 1: winter was harsh. People in surrounding villages supplied Greek forces 131 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 1: with food and ammunition. By the end of nineteen forty, 132 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 1: the Greeks had pushed the Italians back into Albania. In 133 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:31,680 Speaker 1: January of nineteen forty one, Metaxes died suddenly from inflammation 134 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 1: of the pharynx that led to an infection. Italy attempted 135 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:38,359 Speaker 1: a counter attack to drive the Greeks out of southern Albania, 136 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 1: but they failed. Mussolini was humiliated and Hitler was upset 137 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 1: at the failure. But Bulgaria had joined the Axis powers 138 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 1: and Greece soon faced a threat from Germany as the 139 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 1: German army advanced over Greece's Bulgarian and Yugoslavian borders. The 140 00:08:56,960 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: Greeks had put up a fight, but the Battle of 141 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: Greece as its own ended with the Axis occupation of Greece. 142 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 1: Hitler claimed that the Germans detour into Greece delayed their 143 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:10,079 Speaker 1: invasion of the Soviet Union and led to their failure 144 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:14,800 Speaker 1: in the operation, which extended into the harsh winter. Critics 145 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 1: have said that the Axis failure in the Soviet Union 146 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 1: cannot be blamed on the delay due to the Battle 147 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: of Greece. Either way, Greeks commemorate a Hi Day annually 148 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: as a celebration of Greek resistance and contribution to Allied 149 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: victory in the Second World War. I'm Eves Jeff Coote 150 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: and hopefully you know a little more about history today 151 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:39,080 Speaker 1: than you did yesterday. I want to impress your Internet crush, 152 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 1: show them your history smarts by sharing something you learned 153 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 1: on the show. Don't forget to tag us at t 154 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: D I h C podcast or if you are so inclined, 155 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:53,840 Speaker 1: you can send us a message at this Day at 156 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:58,200 Speaker 1: i heart media dot com. Thanks for tuning in and 157 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 1: we'll catch you tomorrow same play as. For more podcasts 158 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:15,559 Speaker 1: from I Heeart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 159 00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:17,280 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.