1918- 1938 “So, we have democracy, now we could really use some democrats.” Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk Masaryk’s Czechoslovakia and Moravia Advertising leaflet for the commemorative book of the Exhibition of Contemporary Culture from 1928 A ceramic statuette promoting the 10th all-Sokol festival in 1938 Barvič Bookshop in Brno on Česká ulice, established in 1883 Bicycle by the Zbrojovka Brno Company, 1930s, loaned by the Technical Museum in Brno Bicycle by the Zbrojovka Brno Company, 1930s, loaned by the Technical Museum in Brno Bust of the first Czechoslovak President Tomáš G. Masaryk Bust of the second Czechoslovak President Edvard Beneš Commemorative book of the Exhibition of Contemporary Culture in Czechoslovakia from 1928 First Republic election poster for National Democracy First Republic election poster for the Czechoslovak National Socialist Party Flag of Sports club Sokol Brno I President T. G. Masaryk on his visit to Znojmo in 1920 Statue of T. G. Masaryk by Stanislav Rolínek in Rudec u Kunštátu in 1928 TGM at the Exhibition of Contemporary Culture in Brno at the Exhibition Grounds in July 1928 Talíř s vyobrazením německého císaře Viléma II The metal symbol of the Sports club Sokol Brno I The uniform of a member of the Sokol regional organization Jan Máchal from Omice Moravia’s place in Czechoslovakia in the years 1918-38 was securely anchored and was not lost alongside other countries in any way. At the same time, it had its certain and unmistakable specifics that always distinguished it. One of the main specifics was the ethnic composition not so much of Moravia, but especially of Silesia. While in Bohemia, Germans accounted for 32% of the population, it was 21% in Moravia and 42% in Silesia. Therefore, in 1927, the historical breakdown into Moravia and Silesia was not taken into account in the formation of the provincial arrangement, but one Moravian-Silesian land was formed, in which the proportion of Germans dropped to acceptable 36%. Of the former statutory cities, only Brno and Olomouc remained in Moravia (both connected with their suburbs in Greater Brno and Greater Olomouc with a greater predominance of Czech residents), and Opava in Silesia. This means that Jihlava, Znojmo, Kroměříž, Uherské Hradiště and Frýdek lost their titles of statutory cities. Next to Bohemia, Moravia did not fall behind in the industrial area in any way. The mining industry was of considerable importance for industrial development. In the Czech lands, black coal was mined from five basins, two of which were in Moravia and Silesia: Ostrava-Karviná and Rosice-Oslavany basins. One brown coal basin was also located in south Moravia, where mainly lignite was mined in the Kyjov area. Crude oil production was insignificant in extent; a small oil area was located in Hodonín. The industrial area in Ostrava was of much more importance in the iron industry (especially Třinec Ironworks, Bohumín Wire Works and Vítkovice Ironworks). About 100,000 people worked in the engineering industry across the country, the First Brno Machinery and the Královo Pole Machinery were among the most important ones in Moravia. The Brno-based Zbrojovka with 10,000 employees took on extraordinary importance. Major engineering plants were also located in the Blansko area (machineries in Blansko, Adamov, Prostějov and Přerov). In terms of production of vehicles, the production of train cars in Studénka and Kopřivnice should be noted. Car production was gradually concentrating in Tatra in Kopřivnice (even aircraft was produced there), passenger cars and trucks were also manufactured by the Wichterle and Kovařík Plants in Prostějov. An aircraft factory Avia in Kunovice near Uherské Hradiště was gradually being built. Ammunition works also emerged in Moravia in Vsetín, Uherský Brod, Bojkovice and Slavičín. In the textile (traditional) industry, about 14,000 people worked in 7,900 enterprises in Moravia and Silesia; numerous textile plants manufactured in Brno and the surrounding areas and in the North Moravian districts. The clothing industry became the domain of Prostějov and Boskovice. The largest enterprises in the leather and shoe industries were in Brno, Třebíč and, of course, mainly in Zlín, where Baťa’s company had the absolute primacy and employed 38% of all employees in the shoe industry throughout the country in the second half of the 1930s. The efforts to establish a second Czech university were successful when Masaryk University was founded in January 1919. The University of Veterinary Medicine in Brno became the first university in Moravia after the establishment of the Republic (December 1918). An act of 24 July 1919 also established the University of Agriculture, resulting in five universities operating in the Moravian metropolis. Only the Theological Faculty remained in Olomouc. In addition to industry, agriculture was still of considerable importance in Moravia, virtually in the entire central and south Moravia, although the Agrarian Party did not reach the same position as elsewhere. In the Moravian countryside, it had a successful competitor in the Czechoslovak People’s Party. National Socialists had a strong position in medium-sized and large cities, while the Social Democrats and, after 1921, the Communists gained considerable influence in the industrial centres. Definitely in Ostrava, in the Brno region, but without Brno itself and, surprisingly, also in the Vysočina Highlands, where Třebíč and Třešť were the centre. Especially South Moravia showed tendencies towards an extreme solution to the problem not only due to its inclination to the Communists, but from 1926 due to the positive relationship to Gajda’s National Fascist Community. It is not a coincidence that the only attempt of Czech fascists to seize power in January 1933 is tied to Brno. The First Republic is called Masarykian. It is rightfully a reason for pride mainly in Moravia. Leaving aside the communist Klement Gottwald born in Dědice near Vyškov, Tomáš G. Masaryk was the only president in the history of the Czech lands with a particularly warm relationship to Brno and South Moravia. It is not surprising; he was born in Hodonín, studied to be a blacksmith in Čejč, then studied in Brno, used to go the Klobouky u Brna on holidays, and he was familiar with Mutěnice and other Moravian towns. Bronze Sokol plaque Dedicated to Sylvestr Voda and Božena Vodová Commemorative scarve from the 10th all-Sokol festival from 1938 Sokol belt