Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk

“ Bohemia is a part of Austria-Hungary, but, nevertheless, the Czecho-Slovaks are working and even fighting for and with the Allies. The peculiar passive revolution of Bohemia is now known to the whole world, though the Austro-Hungarian and German censors for a long time succeeded in suppressing the facts and in spreading false news about the unity and loyalty of all the Austro-Hungarian nations. Europe now knows what it means when all the leading politicians and writers of Bohemia, and thousands of men and women of all classes, are imprisoned, and many even sentenced to death ”

“ Marx and his followers have correctly analyzed the anarchy of modern production: without knowledge of all economic forces, without knowledge of total production and supplies it is impossible to introduce successful socialization.
Furthermore socialization is impracticable, unless the masses of the workers learn to understand the entire process of production and distribution. It will not do to compel the so-called bourgeoisie by a dictatorship to accept socialization; no violence is beneficial, and that applies not merely in giving the workers participation in management. ”

“ Do not expect from me a detailed program of socialization. That is the duty not only of the government, but also of the parliament and of the representatives of workers and bourgeoisie. But it is important that we should realize the tendency of the time and spirit from which social reforms must be born. Deputy Němec recently emphasized that during the brief term of our republic many valuable social reforms have been achieved bloodlessly. I believe that all parties will, with all sincerity, approve the platform of thorough social reforms without bloodshed. ”

“ The Prussian Germans, the Turks and Austria’s royal agent in Bulgaria accept the Habsburgs, because they pursue the same antiquated dynastic aims; but if Europe is to be regenerated this immoral and obsolete tradition must be finaly overcome. The Allies, if we may judge from their answer to President Wilson, understand this. The great question is how their aims can be realized. There is only one way: victory on the battlefield can alone secure the victory of truth and humanity. Truth and humanity in the abstract are not victorious, if men and nations do not defend and protect them. ”

“ We have got an independent republic, because we were firmly devoted to our national ideals, because there were tilings which we recognized as holy, because we believed in men and in the people. We shall maintain republic and democracy, if we will continue to be devoted to ideals, if we will bow to what is holy, if we shall trust to each other. ”

“ While I would not be satisfied merely with the thought that we are better off than some of our neighbors, I must admit that conditions are growing better. But in any case it will not do to look for moral help and salvation only from the state, and that means concretely from the bureaucracy. On the one hand there are constant complaints against the bureaucracy, on the other hand we turn over to it our fields and meadows, our shops and factories and in the end we would turn over to it our very souls, the training of our character. ”

“ I often think that modern bourgeoisie, the so-called big capital, follows in the footsteps of the old aristocracy. “Fate leads the willing and drags the unwilling.”
The problem of socialization requires very earnest and sincere thinking and good intelligence on the part of both wrorkingmen and capitalists. But I look on the task of socialization as being not merely an economic, but also a moral demand. ”

“ The Bohemians have always claimed equal, not superior, rights. Owing to her central position it will be to Bohemia’s interest to grant full rights to the Germans and the two smaller minorities. Common sense will demand it. Nor would it be contrary to the spirit of the proposal that the rights of national minorities should be granted and secured by an International Court.
So far as the German minority is concerned, I should not be opposed to a rectification of the political frontier; parts of Bohemia and Moravia, where there are only a few Czechs might be ceded to German Austria. ”

“ For a brief moment in 1848 the Parliament of Kremsier laid down the fundamental law, “All power proceeds from the people,” and the Czech leader Dr. Rieger expounded this theme in one of his best speeches. But ever since this short-lived child of the revolution was dismissed and its home occupied by Austrian soldiers, each successive constitution in Austria has been not a democratic achievement, but the personal gift of Francis Joseph, designed as a cloak for theocratic monarchism, which claims to possess superhuman and divine rights. ”

“ Fortunately the leading statesmen of Britain and her Allies grasped the true situation, as has been clearly shown by their programme proclaiming the liberation of the non-German and non-Magyar nations of Austria-Hungary—in other words, the dismemberment of the Dual Monarchy. One of the nations to be liberated is the Czecho-Slovak, which, as I have tried to show, has the full right to independence. Bohemia is, indeed, in point of law, an independent state whose ancient rights are disputed and violated by the Germans and Magyars. ”

“ Social reforms, such as are demanded by a well-thought out and scientifically sound program of socialization, presuppose industry of all, everywhere, in everything. Industry means a feeling of duty we owe to the regular daily work; war and its romanticism, as well as the revolutionary romanticism, stand in the way of the return to normal life; let us hope that we shall soon overcome this nervousness.
I am of the opinion that bolshevism will not maintain itself long. But its fall should not be an argument for reactionary policies. I know that politics has hitherto vacillated between extremes ”

“ Italy, Serbia, Roumania are fighting as parts of the great alliance against the Central Powers. Can the Czechs and Slovaks, as parts of Austria-Hungary, be treated on the same terms? It is just the inclusion of this point in their political programme which proves that the Allies have grasped the European situation; that they perfectly understand the part which Pangermanism plays in the war, and that they are aware of the significance of Austria-Hungary for Germany, and, therefore, for Bohemia and Slovakia. ”

“ But Bohemia does not stand alone in that respect; she is no worse off than Serbia, Hungary, Switzerland. The example of Switzerland shows that not only political independence can be preserved, but also that modern means of communication enable even a landlocked country to maintain a flourishing industry. Switzerland has not even any coal, and yet she has succeeded in becoming an industrial country. Bohemia, on the other hand, is very rich in coal, and will therefore be able to run the necessary railways. ”

“ Our republic does not merely require of us all this general state consciousness, but we need a new set of officials, a new bureaucracy, if you like. New in the sense of industrious, conscientious, honorable and honest, and at the same time thinking and thoughtful. New conditions, the formation of a new state demand not merely from the highest authorities of the state and the parliament, but from every official new procedure. Laws and regulations do not suffice, every official must to some extent apply laws. ”

“ There were many heretics before Hus: but Hus involved the whole Bohemian nation in his heresy, and as Rome, making use of Germany, tried to crush Bohemia by means of crusades, the Hussite war is a landmark in European thought. Bohemia held not only Germany but the whole of Europe at bay, and Žižka, the leader of the victorious Hussites, became the inventor of modern strategy.
The Hussite Reformation was essentially one of life and of morals. The Hussites became anti-clerical; and even to-day clericalism in Bohemia is considered the enemy of true religion. ”

“ If we are to build up our state successfully, we must all fight hard against the demoralization, caused by war and the disruption of Austria-Hungary. In all the states we hear complaints about this demoralization. But it seems to me that with us the complaints are one-sided, in that they refer to big transgressions and overlook small transgressions. I notice that often men who charge others with big crimes have themselves no regard for order and right in smaller matters. ”

“ Promises have ever been cheap with Francis Joseph. The Czechs formulated their wishes in a draft constitution—the Fundamental Articles of 10 October, 1871—but in less than a month the influence of Berlin and Budapest succeded in getting rid of Count Hohenwart and his ministry, and in replacing it by one selected for the special purpose of breaking Bohemian opposition. Never in the nineteenth century, in any civilised and constitutional country save Hungary, has a government, acting for the sovereign himself, behaved so shamelessly. ”

“ The fight for Right has been waged by the Czechs ever since they settled in Central Europe. For centuries they had to hold their own against Germany, Habsburg Austria and the Magyars; and, since Dualism was established, they have had to face Austria and Hungary united with Prussia-Germany. Bohemia has not been conquered by Austria—she joined Austria and Hungary as par inter pares; she is legally just as independent a State as Hungary, and by the same right. ”

“ Production requires an enterprising spirit, the more so that all Europe has been beggared by the war. If I speak of enterprise, I do not mean speculation and hyper-speculation which always appears in abnormal times, but creative enterprise, inventiveness, wise application of given conditions, creation of new values. The question is, so to speak, not of the socialism of distribution, but of production. ”

“ The Austro-Hungarian imperialistic regime did not grant to us Czechs and Slovaks any decisive part in government and in foreign politics; hence comes the fact that there is seen among us a certain fear of responsibility and that we are inclined to forget, what impression our acts make beyond our frontiers. Vienna did not teach our people to take decisive action and to keep an eye on the world outside. But now we have our own state and that postulates a sense of responsibility and a world view; we need state consciousness. ”

“ Austria and Hungary will be reduced; Roumania, Serbia, Italy will be enlarged. Nations will be liberated; the oppressive dynasty—the Habsburgs—and the oppressive nations—the Germans and Magyars—will be forced to rely on their own forces.
Mr. Balfour is right when he emphasises the facts that the programme of the Allies will weaken the German lust of domination, and secure freedom and independence for the oppressed races; for Austria in its present form is not less German than Prussia. ”

“ But law and justice cannot be affected by material force or so-called historical necessities. Bohemia has been struggling against Austria-Hungary since 1867, and with the same right she continues her fight in this war. The Habsburgs have forfeited their rights in regard to Bohemia by their repeated and almost continuous treachery. Not the Czechs alone, but no nation can trust or accept Austro-Hungarian policy, for it is the policy of a single family, and only the advocates of mediaeval theocracy and absolutism can prefer the rights of one family to the rights of ten royal nations. ”

“ Any observer can see, how for instance our commerce is dependent on foreign politics. That applies to our finances and our entire industry, to our agriculture and our social reforms; in short all our political work is closely connected with foreign politics. That really is self-evident, but the world is such that we must emphasize even things that are self-evident. ”

“ Bohemian politicians, though alive to the difficulties of reconstituting Bohemia, do not shrink from the responsibility of the work to be done. If they wish for complete independence, it is because they desire to use all the political forces of the nation to build a strong State. Russia and all the Allies will be best served by strong Slav States and nations, and this aim can be best attained if these nations themselves bear the full responsibility for their policy. ”

“ Bohemia will of course be constitutional and demcoratic. The regeneration of Europe will be achieved, not only by the reform of foreign policy, but, above all, by the active furtherance of liberty and progress in the inner life of the European nation; for this task the Allies and Europe can fully rely on the Bohemian nation. ”

“ This revolution secured to us a victory, a great victory. It has been often said that states maintain themselves by the same means by which they came into being. Our republic arose out of battle and work, and by work it will maintain itself; the battle, let us hope, will not be necessary. We have got over this first year peacefully on the whole; physiologists say that the first year of humam life is decisive for the life of the individual. Perhaps we may employ this analogy for our state. ”

“ The authors of the instructions did not know that Austria-Hungary during the war has executed from thirty to sixty thousand people; they do not know that all the politicians and deputies from the Czecho-Slovak, Italian, and other peoples were imprisoned and condemned to death; they do not know that the Germans and the Magyars maintain their supremacy by open violence both at the elections and in the administration; they do not know that the peoples of Austria and Hungary have for centuries fought for freedom and independence. ”