\ THE FOREIGN POLICY OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA 1918-1935 llY FELIX JOHN VONDRACEK, A. :M. A11sooiate Pt·ofUMW" of History Uni~ty of North Dakota SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILME~'T OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCl'OR OF PHILOSOPHY IN THE FACULTY OF POUTICAL SciENCE CoLUMBIA UNIVERsnv NEW VORK 1937 THE FOREIGN POLICY OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA 1918-1935 BY FELIX JOHN VONDRACEK, A. M• .A880t:i.ate ProfuBOr of History Unit.oemty of Nortl Dakota SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILME!I.'T OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILf?SOPHY IN THE FACULTY OF POUTICAL SCIENCE CoLUMBIA UNIVERSITY NEW \'ORK 1937 CoPYRIGHT, 1937 BY COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY Puss l'lliNTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA lto MY WIFE OLGA MARIE VONDRACEK. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ALTHOUGH it is not possible to mention individually all who have assisted in the preparation of this work, the writer wishes to express his gratitude particularly to certain members of the Faculty of Political Science of Columbia University, to Professor Carlton J. H. Hayes, to the late Professor Parker Thomas Moon, under whose direction the work was begun, and to Professor Walter Consuelo Langsam, under whom the work was completed. In addi­ tion, the writer desires to thank also the various members of the Czechoslovak Consulates-General at New York and Chicago~ and of the Legation at Washington, D. C., who, periodically for over a decade, have generously placed at his disposal materials not readily accessible to the general reader. Similar appreciation is felt for many favors received from the Svornost (Chicago) and from the Congressional Library, the library of Columbia University, and those of the Uni­ versities of Chicago, Iowa, and North Dakota. TABLE OF CONTENTS PACK ACKNOWLEDGMENTS •• 7 CHAPTER I THE PROBLEMS OF INDEPENDENCE General Considerations • • • • • 13 The New Government ••.••••• 14 Peace Conference Preliminaries . 24 The Territorial Settlement . 27 Other Peace Conference Problems • • • 43 CHAPTER II DOMESTIC STABILIZATION Interdependence of Foreign and Domestic Policies • • • 6o Financial Policy • • • 6o Economic Policy • • 76 Social Reform • 8g Religious Policy • 9I CHAPrER III THE GREAT PowERS, 1918-1923 Objectives of Foreign Policy !)8 Germany. • . ••• 98 The Western Powers . • 100 The League of Nations . 105 rhe Russian Problem . • 113 The Sib~rian Campaign •. 114 Intra-Slav Cooperation 'liS. a" Western Orientation" 129 The Genoa Conference 139 The Rapprochement with Russia • • . • • . 144 CHAPTER IV THE RECONSTRUCTION OF CENTRAL EUROPE, 1918-1923 Benes' Central European Objectives . 147 Boundary Disputes with Poland • . 148 The Formation of the Little Entente 162 9 10 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE The Problem of Austria • . • • 173 The Attempted Rapprochement with Poland • • • 178 Friction with Hungary • • • • • . • . • • 181 Central European Economic Cooperation ISQ The Reconstruction of Austria • • • 192 Early Little Entente Conferences . • . • 197 The Reconstruction of Hungary • . 205 CHAPTER V THE SEARCH FOR SECURITY, 1924-1926 " The Treaty of Mutual Assistance " • 209 The French Alliance . · 2II France, Italy and the Little Entente •. ·. 220 The ltalo-Czechoslovak Treaty . • 224 The Praha and Ljubljana Conferences . 226 The Geneva Protocol 227 Locarno . 229 Security to the East •. 241 CHAPTER VI EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN THE NEW STATUS Quo Commercial Treaties . • . 247 The Debt Settlement with the United States •. 248 The Catholic Question • 249 Fascism ......••...•••. 257 Minority Reconciliations • • • 258 Better Relations with the Soviet Union 259 Friendship with Poland • • . 263 Franco-Italian Rivalry ••.. 265 "Irreconcilable Hungary" . • 271 The Austrian Problem Again . + 2]8 Little Entente Conferences, 1925-1929 •• 288 Germany and the League of Nations • • . 297 Peace, Security and Disarmament • • . 299 CHAPTER VII THE DEPRESSION Economic Conferences • • • • • · • • • • • • 305 The Proposed Austro-German Customs Union ••• 312 Politics vs. Economics within the Little Entente .• 318 Hungarian Revisionism •.•• 326 Italo-C1:echoslovak Friction . 330 TABLE OF_ CONTENTS II PAGE The Ur S. S. R. and Poland 334 Revisionism 11s. the Status Quo . 336 Reparations and Debts • 341 CHAPTER VIII THE NAZI CRISIS The Causes and Importance of Hitlerism. ;_ •• ..... 351 Strengtbenhig the Little Entente • 356 Italy and Poland , • • • • • • • • • • • • 300 1933 Little Entente Conferences • • • • • • 364 The Franco-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact • 368 Disarmament Negotiations •••••• 369 The Germano-Polish Rapprochement • 373 Debt Default ••••••..••• 376 The Revival of Hungarian Revisionism 377 Austria • • • . • •••• 38o Friction with Germany . 383 Attempts to Isolate Germany . • J86 The Henlein Movement • . • • • 407 GOring's Balkan Tour~ .•••• 4Il Amplification of the Modus Vivendi •• 412 Solidarity of the Status Quo Bloc • • 413 Renewed Friction with Poland 418 Italy vs. Ethiopia •.•. 420 Masaryk's Resignation • 423 BIBLTOGRAPBY 426 INDEX •••• 445 BIBLIOGRAPHY DOCUMENTS CZECHOSLOVAKIA Documents diplomatiques relatives au.r cowventitmS d'allimsce conclsu tar la Repuhlique Tchlcoslovaque avec le Royaume des Serbes, Croat~s et Slovenes ef le Royaume de Roumanie, Prague, Republique Tcheco­ slovaque, Minisb~re des Affaires :ti:trangeres, Recueil des Documents Diplomatiques no. 2, 1923, 198 p. Documents diplomaliques concenKJtl.t les tentatives de restauration des Hapsbourg sur le trone de Hongrie, Prague, Republique Tcheco­ slovaque, Ministere des Affaires Etrangeres, 1922, 169 p. MesieiN piehled aahranicniho obchodu (Monthly survey of foreign trade) Praha, The Czechoslovak Government Statistical Office, Monthly. Narodnl Shromtiidinl Ceskoslovenske v Prv~a.im roce Repuhlik;y (The Czechoslovak National Assembly during the first year of the Re­ public), Praha, Pfedsednictvo Narodni Shromazderu, 1919. 377 p. Obchodn$ smlouvy me.ristatm (International Commercial Treaties), Praha, Orbis Pub. Co., 1923-1925, 19~ (J. Dvoracek and Z. Konecny, eds.), 3 vols. Peace Conference Delegation, I9I9, Memoirs (Official claims of the Czechoslovak Delegation), Paris, 1919. No. I, Les Tchecoslovaques, leur histoire et civilisation, leur lutte et leur travail, leur role dans le monde. No. 2, Les revindications territoriales de la R.epublique Tcheco­ slovaque. ·No. 3, Le probleme des Allemands de Boheme. No.4. Le probleme de la Silesie de Teschen. No. 5, La Slovaquie -le territorie- revendique en Slovaquie. No. 7, Les Serbes de Lusace. No.9. Le probleme de Ia region de Glatz. No. III, La R.epublique Tchecoslovaque et son droit ala repara­ tion des dommages de guerre. Republika Ceskoslovenski. Narodni Shromazderu, Poslaneck& Snemovna, Tisnopisecki apravy o schrlsich Poslanecke Snlmovny Narodniho Shronu1idenl Republiky Ceskoslovenske (Stenographic Reports of the Meetings of the Chamber of Deputies of the National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic). 426 BIBUOGRAPHY 427 Republika Ceskoslovenski, Narodni ShromaZdeni, Poslanecka Snemovna, T£sky k tesnopiseck;Vm :zpr6:uam o schu:zkh Poslanecke SnimD'llny Narodmho Shromazdem Republiky Ceskoslovenske (Documents on the Stenographic Reports of the Meetings of the Chamber of Deputies of the National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic). Republika Ceskoslovenski, Narodni Shromazdeni, Poslanecloi Snemovna, Z6pisy o schu:zich Poslanecke Snimovny Narodniho Shromaidim Republiky Ceskoslovenskl (Minutes of the Meetings of the Chamber of Deputies of the National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic). Republika Ceskoslovenska, Narodni Shromaide¢, Sen!t, Tesnopisecke :zpr4f131 o schusfch Senatu Narodniho Shromaidem Republiky Cesko­ slovenski (Stenographic Reports of the Meetings of the Senate of the National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic). Republika Ceskoslovenski, Narodni Shromazdeni, Senat, T£sky k tesno­ piseck;Vm sprtklam o schu:zkh Senatu Narodniho Shromaiden$ Republiky Ceskoslovenske (Documents on the Stenographic Reports of the Meetings of the Senate of the National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic). Republika Ceskoslovenski, Ministerstvo Narodni Obrany, Osobm 'Distmk (Personnel Journal), annual. Resultats preliminaries du recensement de Ia population du ts fhlrier, I92:t, Prague, L'Office de Statistique, 1921, 63 p. Rocenka N6rodniho · Shromliidim Republiky Ceskoslovenske (Yearbook of the National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic), Praha, "Politika" Pub. Co., annual. Sbirka :z6konu a nafi:zem statu leskoslovenskeho (Compilation of Laws and Proclamations of the Czechoslovak State), Praha, Statni Tiskarna, annual. Slovenski Poslanci a re'Dizia miero'V;Vch .smlu'D (Slovak Deputies and the Revision of the Peace Treaties), Slovenska odboCka Ceskoslovenskej narodnej rady v ·Bratislave, 1934. 8 p. St6tni zavereln;V ulet republiky leskoslMJmSke m rok :1924- (The State Debt Account of the Czechoslovak Republic for the Year 1924-), Praha, Statni Tiskarna, Nejvyssi ucetni kontrolni urad, 1926-, annual. U mluva a po:Sto"Dnich stycich tnezi Rakouskem, llfad'arskem, I talii, Rumun­ skem, Kralovsh!fm Srbu, Charvatfl'l! tJ Slovincu a Ceskoslovenskem, sjednan6 v Porlorose 23 Listopadu, I921: (Treaty concerning Postal Service between Austria, Hungary, Italy, Rumania, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and Czechoslovakia, negotiated at Portorose on November 23, 1921), Praha, Statni Tiskarna, 1923, 24 p. Zahranicn4 Politika (Foreign Policy) (Sbornik pro studium mezinarod­ nich otazek politickYch, pravnich, hospodarstcych a socialnich), Ufedni Vestnik Ministerstva Zahranicnich Veci, Praha, Orbis Pub. Co., monthly. 428 BIBLIOGRAPHY FRANCE Annale..r de Ia Chambre des Dejmte..r. Conference