i have recently been e-mailing my great aunt who is Czech, and escaped Czechoslovakia during the war, whenever she talks to me about the old country she calls it Czechoslovakia, instead of Czech Republic, or Slovakia, do alot of old Czechs do that? or is it just her?
Well, the country she escaped was Czechoslovakia. The split took place just a few years ago, 1.1.1993. And now, after both nations tasted some sovereignity, we are both in European union, together again. Quite funny From what I know, many older people who left speak about Czechoslovakia. It is very understandable, when you talk about your memories, which all come from Czechoslovakia, why should you use different name. Also, the fact that many people did not agree with the split may play its role - kind of protest. Some boring historical facts: Czechoslovakia as a country existed in the years 1918 - 1938 (between fall of Austrian - Hungarian empire and the Munich Accord), in those years in included current Czech rep., Slovakia and part of Ukraine. During the war, the border areas called Sudetes belonged to Germany, rest of Bohemia and Moravia was a so called "protektorate", under reign of Germans as well, and Slovakia separated, collaborating with Germans. After the war, the Ukrainian part was "given" to Soviet Union and the rest was joined again, creating Czechoslovakia once more. This lasted until 1993, four years after the Velvet revolution, when the country split to two. Only a few politicians agreed this, there was no public poll. There is more historical info in the history section of this site.
