October 28, marks the establishment of Czechoslovakia. It arose from the ruins of Austro-Hungarian monarchy back in 1918. Its establishment was agreed by the so called Pittsburgh Agreement that was initiated by Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. The Czech is closely linked to the beginnings of the common state of Czechs and Slovaks along with Czech lawyer Edvard Beneš and Slovak general and scientist Milan Rastislav Štefánik. American and French principles of democracy were included into the Czechoslovak constitution that was approved in 1920. Slovaks took economic and cultural advantages from the first common state. Czechoslovakia managed to unite the two nations in one state for almost 75 years. The act on its split was adopted by the Federal assembly November 25, 1992. Two independent countries came into being as of January 1, 1993.
"Thanks to Czechoslovakia, Slovakia was able to cross a part of the path to statehood that took several centuries for some other states." Slovak president Andrej Kiska said that in front of the Slovak National Museum building while laying wreaths at the Czechoslovak Statehood Monument. Commemorating the establishment of the first common state of Czechs and Slovaks back in 1918, Andrej Kiska stressed,
"I'm a proud citizen and president of Slovakia, but I know that this all started in 1918."
