2. CONTENTS
• Introduction
• Aim
• Background
• Benes as Politician
• Benes as a Leader
• Critique
• Conclusion
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3. INTRODUCTION
• Dr. Eduard Benes the founder of modern Czechoslovakia.
• Born to a Czech famer in 1884.
• Well educated.
• Skilled diplomat.
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4. …Contd
INTRODUCTION
• One of the leaders of Czechoslovak independence movement.
• First and the longest serving Foreign Minister (1918–1935).
• Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia (1921 – 1922).
• President of Czechoslovakia twice (1935 – 1938 and 1940 – 1948).
• Passed away in 1948.
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5. AIM
To impart knowledge and discuss the
leadership qualities of Great diplomat
Eduard Benes.
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6. BACKGROUND
• Borne as tenth of farmer family in Kozlany, Bohemia (1884).
• Spent much of his youth life in Vinohrady district of Prague.
• Grammar school education (1896 – 1904).
• Secondary education at Faculty of Philosophy
Charles University in Prague.
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7. …Contd
BACKGROUND
• Higher studies at the Sorbonne and at the Independent
School of Political and Social Studies.
• “Doctorate of Law” - University of Dijon (1908).
• Lecturer in Commercial Academy of Prague and at the Czech
University of Prague.
• 1921 he became a professor.
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8. BENES AS POLITICIAN
• Influenced by Tomas Masaryk and his nationalist ideas to
liberate the Czechs and Slovaks from Austrian rule.
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9. …Contd
BENES AS POLITICIAN
• First exile during World War I - Paris.
• Benes formed a Czechoslovak independence movement
With Tomas Masaryk and Milan Stefanik.
Tomas Masaryk Milan Stefanik
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10. …Contd
BENES AS POLITICIAN
• Became the secretary of Czechoslovak National Council in
Paris.
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11. …Contd
BENES AS POLITICIAN
• Foreign Minister of Czechoslovakia (1918 – 1935).
• Famous in diplomacy.
• Influential figure at international conferences.
• Prime Minister (1921 – 1922).
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12. …Contd
BENES AS POLITICIAN
• First presidency (1935 – 1938).
• Sudetenland crisis.
• Hit by Nazi ideology – Emil Hacha.
• Second exile.
Emil Hacha
• Second presidency (1940 – 1948).
• Czechoslovak provisional government in 1940.
• In 1946, formally elected as the President.
• Hit by Communism – Klement Gottwald.
• Resigned in June 1948. Klement Gottwald
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13. BENES AS A LEADER
• Vision.
• Knowledge.
• Diplomacy.
• Inspiration and coordinating ability.
• Courage.
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14. VISION
• Unite Czech and Slovak as one nation .
• Liberation of Czech and Slovak from Austrian empire.
• Two exiles.
• Rejection of German the proposal to give up the
Sudetenland.
• Forming the “Little Entente”.
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15. KNOWLEDGE
• Faculty of Philosophy - Charles University in Prague.
• Sorbonne and at the Independent School of Political and
Social Studies.
• Doctorate of Laws in 1908.
• Lecturer in sociology at Charles University.
• 1921 he became a professor.
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16. DIPLOMACY
• Longest serving Foreign Minister (1918 – 1935).
• Gave recognition to the Czechoslovak National Council as the
representative of the new Czechoslovak State by France, England and
Italy.
• Leader of the Czechoslovak delegation in international conferences.
• League of Nations - Council chairman six times.
• Pioneer in forming “Little Entente”.
• Restored Czech-Soviet diplomatic relations.
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17. INSPIRATION AND
COORDINATING ABILITY
• Excellent speaker.
• During World War I he was one of the leading organizers of
an independent Czechoslovakia abroad.
• Secret resistance movement called “Maffia”.
• Courier service - covert links between him and “Maffia” in
Czech lands.
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18. COURAGE
• Coordinate the struggle from abroad.
• Two exiles.
• In Sudeten crisis.
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19. CRITIQUE
• Great diplomat and statesmen.
• Good leader.
Where did Benes go wrong?
• Too much trust on allies;
• Deserted by little Entente – 1938
• Soviet support – 1948
• Benes decrees ?
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