THE CZECHOSLOVAK CRISIS ISSUE OF 1938 (BASED ON THE PERIODICALS OF SUBCARPATHIAN RUS’)

Abstract

The purpose of the reseach is to analyze the materials of the periodicals of Subcarpathian Rus’, which contain some information and interpretations of the essence of the Czechoslovak crisis of 1938, with regard to the peculiarities of interstate and international relations, and the formation of new political realities in Eastern Europe. The research methodology is based on a combination of principles (historicism and objectivity) and methods (general scientific and special-historical) of scientific work. The scientific novelty of the article consists in an attempt to interpret the factors influencing the deployment of the Czechoslovak crisis and the position of the public and informal policies of European states in action and their contribution to the formation of Carpathian Ukraine as an autonomous part of Czechoslovakia. The Conclusions. The public assessment of the political events of the autumn of 1938 is best demonstrated by the press, which is the subject of this article research. Based on some periodicals of Subcarpathian Rus’ (Ruthenia), the development of international relations is shown for key world powers, which played a diplomatic game with each other, seeking to turn a political vector in a direction that would be safe for them. During August-November 1938 in the newspapers “Slovo” (Word), “Ukrainske Slovo” (Ukrainian Word), “Svoboda” (Freedom), “Nova Svoboda” (New Freedom), “Vpered” (Forward), “Karpato-Russkoye Slovo” (Carpathian-Russian Word), “Nash Put’” (Our Way), “Karpatorusskiy Holos” (Carpathian-Russian Voice) and “Rusyn” (Ruthenian) reported about different aspects of international relations. In early September 1938, the newspapers noted that Germany was suggesting that the support of Czechoslovakia by the United Kingdom and France could lead to a military conflict. The public concern of Subcarpathian Rus’ regarding Germany’s aggressive plans was revealed by the press as was the appeasement of the world powers. The crisis raised the visor of Great Britain and France, which virtually agreed with every next aggressive step of Hitler. Public despair is demonstrated by the title of one article of the newspaper “Vpered” – “New borders or national death”. The headline about the second Czechoslovak crisis carried the slogan “The great Success of World Politics” and led to a conference in Munich on September 29–30, 1938. The research of the Munich conference revealed the true aspirations and demands of Europe economic opponents. Following the Munich conference, the Czechoslovak crisis faced internal political conflicts and complex international claims. Territorial claims of Poland and Hungary allowed Hitler to justify a subsequent annexation of the Sudetenland by an international nature of the demands advanced on the Czechoslovak Republic.Analyzing materials of the press of Subcarpathian Rus’, covering international relations in the autumn of 1938, we found out that the publications under review had a wide access to information regarding diplomatic negotiations, a political game of world powers, gave an estimation of the events and analyzed their cause-and-effect relations.