Czech and Slovak organizations in the United States during the World War II

The activities of national communities of immigrants from the states occupied by Germany and its allies during the World War in the United States have been relatively poorly studied, although addressing this topic allows us to reveal important facets of wartime diplomacy. After the partial occupation and dismemberment of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1938-1939, disparate organizations of the Czech and Slovak diasporas maintained ties with various political forces at home and in exile. This interaction continued throughout the war and affected the strength of the political positions of President Edward Benes, who headed the CSR government in 1940. The platforms of Czech and Slovak associations in the United States were studied by intelligence and political analysts and taken into account by the state Department. The purpose of the article is to identify the dominant groups among organizations of CSR origin, to determine the nature of their differences and the nature of their relationship with official Washington, on the one hand, and with the CSR government in exile, on the other. The article is based on previously unknown documents of the US State Department, the Office of strategic services, and the FBI and provides an insight into the nature of discussions among key CSR politicians and leaders of Czech and Slovak organizations in the United States and on the post-war future of the country. The authors came to the following conclusions: 1) during the war, the Czechs and Slovaks in the United States failed to create a unified organization to support the liberation movement due to national, religious and political contradictions; 2) the main point of disagreement between supporters and opponents of the revival of the United CSR was the question of the post-war situation of Slovakia and the rights of its population. Many Slovaks (mostly Catholics) supported the independence of their historical homeland; 3) the rivalry between polar platforms developed with the participation of Czechoslovak emigrant politicians; 4) organizations supporting Benes in the United States closely interacted with Czechoslovak diplomatic and propaganda structures; 5) the US government opposed the direct involvement of its citizens in international disputes. Washington supported the Benes government from 1941 until the end of the war and condemned the Slovak puppet regime. Most US citizens of Czech and Slovak origin were not included in the political struggle. Study of archival documents on history of relations between the Czech and Slovak communities in the United States during the Second World War indicates that the debate on the state structure of Czechoslovakia was included in the agenda of the country's social and political life in the post-war decades and was clearly manifested in the late 1980s and early 1990s during the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia into independent Czech Republic and Slovakia. Contribution of the authors: the authors contributed equally to this article. The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

Keywords

Authors

References