Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city in Czechia.
History
Prague Castle began as a fortified church. It came to serve as the capital of the duchy of Bohemia.
There are two castle hills that were used as capitals; Vysehrad was used in the 10th and 11th centuries, while Prague Castle (Pražský hrad) was in use by 1140. The latter is still in use by the presidency, for which Hrad is now a metonym.
Prague was additionally the capital of the Holy Roman Empire under Charles IV.
In 1618, the Defenestration of Prague instigated the Thirty Years War.
An independent Czechoslovakia was declared on October 28, 1918 in Prague. The Slovak Republic would be split out in 1939.
The Soviet Army captured Bratislava on April 4, 1945, then Prague on May 9. A Czechoslovak Republic was re-created under the Eastern Bloc, with the capital again in Prague.
The Prague Spring of 1968 began an occupation of the city by the Soviet Army; it would continue until 1991.
The Velvet Revolution of November 1989 led to the appointment of a non-communist government in December and free elections in the following June.