Sergius Cyon

“ In the struggle which followed the Bohemian people rallied as one man round their leaders, and the military exploits of Zizka, Prokop the Great, and Prokop the Little were handed down in the history of Bohemia as the most brilliant testimony to the invincibility of a nation fighting for its ideals. ”

“ It is inhabited by the Czech branch of the great Slavonic race, and for fifteen hundred years has contributed largely to European culture. The fact that the Bohemians have not succumbed to strenuous efforts on the part of the Austrians to Germanise them speaks well for their individuality. That they have preserved their nationality and evolved their own civilisation augurs well for the brilliant future which lies before them.
Bohemia is situated in the centre of the continent of Europe, and is divided by chains of mountains from the German countries—Prussia, Saxony, Bavaria, and Austria. ”

“ There is no doubt that Czech art suffered a good deal from the Germanisation of the country. In the centuries following the battle of the White Mountain, Czech national art only survived in its architecture, and even this was looked upon with contempt by the Austrian rulers.
In the beginning of the eighteenth century and up to the time of the Seven Years' War their architecture received splendid impetus, and the most beautiful buildings of Prague date from that period. ”

“ In a word the upper class was alive to the fact that in order to win for their country freedom from the foreign yoke, they must foster the love of freedom and try to develop it in individuals. Naturally, this meant the abolition of the serfdom introduced by Germany and never experienced in Bohemia before the influence of Germany became too strong. It also meant a rapprochement between the educated class and the masses, the real source of national aspirations and national strength.
After three centuries of German oppression the Czech language has remained as it was in the seventeenth century. ”

“ Some were executed, many thrown into lifelong imprisonment, and, according to Slavata, thirty thousand Czech women wandered into exile. "The lands of the executed and exiled Protestants were confiscated and given to foreigners. The schools were closed, the national language suppressed, and the once famous University degenerated into a Jesuit college."
"Almost all the literature of Bohemia subsequent to Hus," remarks Count Lützoff, "was imbued with the spirit of that great reformer and patriot. ”

“ But since that time science, art, literature, have developed, new ideas have sprung up, new terminology come into existence, and it has become impossible to clothe the new ideas and discoveries in the old language, which is lacking in the right expressions. ”

“ She even went so far as to aid by force of arms in the struggles between rival princes or between a prince and his nobles, thus laying the foundation of that policy "divide et impera," which has ever since been so faithfully followed by the Austrian monarchs.
Beside this the Germans endeavoured to strengthen their influence by marrying their princesses to Bohemian princes, a rôle which has been played by them in Slavonic countries right down to the present day, and has caused no little internal dissension, and partly accounts for the collision which was the forerunner of the present war. ”

“ During the latter part of this struggle for independence the Austrian police were given power to expel from any town those who were not resident there or were unable to prove that they had sufficient means of livelihood; thus the poorest of the patriots who came to Prague from other parts of the Empire were exposed to constant persecution. ”