The Velvet Divorce refers to the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. After years of negotiations, the two countries agreed to dissolve Czechoslovakia out of 31 in December 1992. The separation was dubbed the Velvet Divorce because it had been achieved peacefully.
At the end of the First World War, the Austria-Hungary empire collapsed and allowed the emergence of new countries, including Czechoslovakia. The Czechs represented 50% of the population while 15% were Slovaks, the rest being made up of Germans, Austrians and Poles. They had a similar language, culture and history, and they shared a similar history; characteristics that have helped the country to unite. . In the 1930s Hitler annexed soon after the part of Czechoslovakia inhabited by Germans and the whole country. After the Second World War, the Soviet Union annexed the country.
The revolution
At the end of the 1980s, the then Soviet president, Gorbachev, encountered protests in Eastern Europe. At the time, the Soviet Union was undergoing an economic depression and could not cope with military spending from the West. Gorbachev officially ended the Cold War, thereby ending the threat of military intervention against the revolutionaries. Without the intervention of the Russian army, the government in Eastern Europe fell. Unlike other Soviet states that have experienced civil wars, Czechoslovakia has experienced peaceful protests. The communist government opted for negotiations rather than staying in power.
The Velvet Divorce
The Czechs and Slovaks of Czechoslovakia separated socially and politically over time. When Russia withdrew its army from the country, the two states began a process of formulating a constitution and policies to administer the country. However, the leaders understood that there were several key issues that decided both sides. Economies were developing at different rates and the Czechs felt that the Slovaks did not need the power they held because of their small population. A power-sharing agreement could therefore not be agreed. The prime ministers of the two countries had different opinions on the implementation of policies. While the Slovaks were looking for some autonomy, the Czechs were looking for complete integration or dissolution of the country. Citizens opposed the plan to dissolve the country, but politicians from both divisions viewed the process as a permanent solution. On the 31st of December 1992 Czechoslovakia was dissolved and replaced by the Czech Republic and Slovakia a day later.