ABSTRACT
Slovakia’s history is rooted in the Middle Ages: It once formed part of the Moravian Empire and – following the Ottoman Turkish victory – fell under Habsburg rule. Heavily inuenced by Hungarian power, nationalism was a recurring theme: rst the Germanization under Maria Theresia and Joseph II, who brought about social reform and some religious tolerance, and later the Magyarization following the Ausgleich, which established the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1867 and was part of a general nationalist wave in Europe. Catholic clergy, the pillar of Slovak intelligentsia, has always been a major nationalistic force. Deeply imbedded seems the resentment towards Czechs, which was invigorated during the rise (1948) and to some degree during the fall (1989) of the Communist regime. Despite rigorous persecution under the Communists, the Catholic Church is still a decisive inuence; in recent years a concordat between the Slovak Republic and the Holy See has been a hot political issue.
