Tomáš Masaryk
Tomáš Masaryk was a politician in the late Austro-Hungarian Empire, a founding figure in the First Czechoslovak Republic, and the first president of Czechoslovakia.
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History
Masaryk was born in Moravia.
He received a Ph.D. from the University of Vienna in 1876. Between political offices, he became a professor at Charles University in Prague and lectured at the University of Chicago intermittently.
He entered politics as a deputy in the reichsrat. Originally a Young Czech, he broke with the party during the Hilsner Trial. He founded the Realists on more progressive ideals.
After World War 1 began, Masaryk fled Austria-Hungary. He was a founding staff member of the School of Slavonic and East European Studies and became a professor at King's College London.
Policies
Masaryk was involved in the organization of a Czechoslovak Legion within the Russian Army. This stalled until the February Revolution. When the Bolsheviks entered peace negotiations with the Central Powers, Masaryk worked to transfer the legion to France.
He also coordinated an intelligence network of Czech revolutionaries.
Masaryk was treated as an acting head of state by the Allied Powers, and did win the first elections in November 1918 to become the first president.
He centralized political power informally; the presidency held few real powers but the parliament was too disorganized to effectively govern.
Legacy
Masaryk retired from politics in 1935. Beneš succeeded him as president.
He died two years later.