Czech nationalism is a form of

nationalism Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Theory, I ...

which asserts that

Czechs The Czechs (, ; singular Czech, masculine: ''Čech'' , singular feminine: ''Češka'' ), or the Czech people (), are a West Slavs, West Slavic ethnic group and a nation native to the Czech Republic in Central Europe, who share a common Bohemia ...

are a

nation A nation is a type of social organization where a collective Identity (social science), identity, a national identity, has emerged from a combination of shared features across a given population, such as language, history, ethnicity, culture, t ...

and promotes the cultural unity of Czechs. Modern Czech nationalism arose in the 19th century in the form of the

Czech National Revival The Czech National Revival was a cultural movement which took place in the Czech lands during the 18th and 19th centuries. The purpose of this movement was to revive the Czech Czech language, language, culture and national identity. The most pro ...

. In 1848, Czech nationalism became an important political factor in the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

due to the activities of the

Old Czech Party The Old Czech Party (, officially National Party, ''Národní strana'') was formed in the Kingdom of Bohemia and Bohemian Crown Lands of Austrian Empire in Revolution Year of 1848. They initiated Czech national program, forming of modern natio ...

, led by

František Palacký František Palacký (; 14 June 1798 – 26 May 1876) was a Czech historian and politician. He was the most influential person of the Czech National Revival, called "Father of the Nation". Life František Palacký was born on 14 June 1798, at ...

. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Czech nationalist politicians, such as

Karel Kramář Karel Kramář (27 December 1860 – 26 May 1937) was a Czech politician. He was a representative of the major Czech political party, the Young Czechs, in the Austrian Imperial Council from 1891 to 1915 (where he was also known as Karl Kramar ...

in the

Czech lands The Czech lands or the Bohemian lands (, ) is a historical-geographical term which denotes the three historical regions of Bohemia, Moravia, and Czech Silesia out of which Czechoslovakia, and later the Czech Republic and Slovakia, were formed. ...

and

Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk Tomáš () is a Czech name, Czech and Slovak name, Slovak given name, equivalent to the name Thomas (name), Thomas. Tomáš is also a surname (feminine: Tomášová). Notable people with the name include: Given name Sport *Tomáš Berdych (born 198 ...

abroad, endorsed the idea of independence from

Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

rule. After 1918 and the creation of

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

, the absolute majority of Czech politicians and society adopted

Czechoslovakism Czechoslovakism (, ) is a concept which underlines reciprocity of the Czech people, Czechs and the Slovak people, Slovaks. It is best known as an ideology which holds that there is one Czechoslovak nation, though it might also appear as a politi ...

, that is, the notion of a unified state including

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

. The transformation of Czechoslovakia into a liberal

market economy A market economy is an economic system in which the decisions regarding investment, production, and distribution to the consumers are guided by the price signals created by the forces of supply and demand. The major characteristic of a mark ...

during the years 1990-1992 saw disputes between Czechs and Slovaks about the character of the Czechoslovak federation. Separatist forces were strengthened by Slovak nationalist aspirations as well as by Czech

economic nationalism Economic nationalism or nationalist economics is an ideology that prioritizes state intervention in the economy, including policies like domestic control and the use of tariffs and restrictions on labor, goods, and capital movement. The core bel ...

, the latter based on the perception that the

were subsidizing less-developed Slovakia. Czechoslovakia was divided into the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

and Slovakia, with the Czech Republic becoming independent on 1 January 1993.

List of Czech nationalist political parties

Current nationalist parties or parties with nationalist factions (2024)

Right-wing

ANO 2011 ANO (), registered as ANO 2011, is a right-wing populist political party in the Czech Republic, led by businessman Andrej Babiš, who served as Prime Minister of the Czech Republic from 2017 to 2021. Formed in 2011, the party finished second i ...

Freedom and Direct Democracy Freedom and Direct Democracy (, SPD) is a political party in the Czech Republic. It is led by Tomio Okamura and it holds 20 seats in the Chamber of Deputies. The party has been described as right-wing or far-right on the political spectrum. It ...

Přísaha Přísaha () is a right-wing populist political party in the Czech Republic, founded in 2021 by Robert Šlachta. History Foundation Šlachta became known to the public as the investigator in a political corruption scandal in 2013. Following m ...

* Tricolour Citizens' Movement * Civic Democratic Party *

Svobodní Svobodní, formerly known as Party of Free Citizens or the Free Citizens' Party () until 2019, is a Classical liberalism, classic liberal and Right-libertarianism, right-libertarian, Euroscepticism, Eurosceptic political party in the Czech Republ ...

Law, Respect, Expertise Law, Respect, Expertise (, PRO) is a right-wing populist political party in the Czech Republic. History The party was founded in June 2022 by figures linked to Charter 2022, an initiative opposing COVID-19 restrictions and vaccinations. Lawyer Ji ...

* Motorists for Themselves *

National Democracy National Democracy may refer to: * National democratic state, a state formation conceived by the Soviet concept of national democracy * National Democracy (Czech Republic) * National Democracy (Italy) * National Democracy (Philippines) * National De ...

Left-wing

* Stačilo! *

Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (, KSČM) is a communist party in the Czech Republic. As of 2022, KSČM has a membership of 20,450. Sources variously describe the party as either left-wing or Far-left politics, far-left on the polit ...

* Czech Sovereignty of Social Democracy *

Czech National Social Party The Czech National Social Party (Czech language, Czech: ''Česká strana národně sociální'', ČSNS) is a political party in the Czech Republic, that played an important role in Czechoslovakia during the interwar period and then between 1945 an ...

Notes

{{Ethnic nationalism Society of the Czech Republic

List of Czech nationalist political parties

Current nationalist parties or parties with nationalist factions (2024)

Right-wing

Left-wing

See also

Notes