Czechoslovakia splits in two 1945

After the German surrender in 194&, the Czechoslovakian leadership recognize that in their nation there is a divide between the Czech and Slovak population. Deciding it would be easier for the nation to heal from the trauma of the last 6 years, the nation splits into Czechia and Slovakia. All debts and assets are split on a 2:1 basis between Czechia: Slovakia.
 
I surely like all AH ideas related to Czechoslovakia, but in this case I can't see it as plausible with a POD after the German surrender.

First of all, there was no Czech and Slovak population in official terms, they were part of single Czechoslovak nation until 1960's. There are mentions of Slovak independent movement after war, but I don't think it was very strong (the idea was discredited by the fascist state after all). The split would deepen the trauma, not heal it!

Furthemore I don't believe it would have been possible for the Czechoslovakian leadership to accomplish the split even if they wanted to. Why would the Soviets allow such a think? What would this mean for all the former independent nations that became parts of USSR in past years?

Even if this somehow happen, the split wouldn't last long. In the 1946 elections OTL the communist party won in both parts of Czechia, but was beaten hard in Slovakia. I guess the Gottwald's government would quickly reevaluate the split as an illegal action and take measures to help their Slovak comrades to seize power and reunite Czechoslovakia, maybe forming a federation few decades earlier than OTL.
 
I guess something similar to korean split:One caused by ideological differences within Czechoslovakia.

This would mean Capitalist Czech and Communist Slovakia.
 
Possibly a Soviet Union wanting to increase the number of voting satellites it had at the UN and other international organisations?
 
I guess something similar to korean split:One caused by ideological differences within Czechoslovakia.

This would mean Capitalist Czech and Communist Slovakia.

The trouble is that the ideological differences were opposite at that time, see the map of communist party voters in 1946 elections:
Volby_1946_komunisté.png


But still the split between Capitalist Czech and Communist Slovakia is the most plausible I could imagine. It would have been caused by the US Army advancing further to the east though, not by the will of Czechoslovak people.
 
Yes I know, but Stalin was ..optimistic.. that he would gain greater influence and hegemony in Eastern Europe post 1945. Possibly slightly different set of purges and different Czech and Slovak Communist leadership in 1945? Or Gottwald captured by Nazis during or before war and agrees to collaborate/ tell all? (Not hard to achieve, the man was an amoral degenerate). Different CP leadership on the ground with different assumptions and different set of factors for Moscow to consider. Possibly a less trusted Czech CP leadership that Moscow would prefer to weaken? Not that Gottwald was "trusted" exactly but the NKVD had so much on him that they owned him. Now if the surviving leadership was the people they purged in 1951 OTL?
 
I surely like all AH ideas related to Czechoslovakia, but in this case I can't see it as plausible with a POD after the German surrender.

First of all, there was no Czech and Slovak population in official terms, they were part of single Czechoslovak nation until 1960's. There are mentions of Slovak independent movement after war, but I don't think it was very strong (the idea was discredited by the fascist state after all). The split would deepen the trauma, not heal it!

Furthemore I don't believe it would have been possible for the Czechoslovakian leadership to accomplish the split even if they wanted to. Why would the Soviets allow such a think? What would this mean for all the former independent nations that became parts of USSR in past years?

Even if this somehow happen, the split wouldn't last long. In the 1946 elections OTL the communist party won in both parts of Czechia, but was beaten hard in Slovakia. I guess the Gottwald's government would quickly reevaluate the split as an illegal action and take measures to help their Slovak comrades to seize power and reunite Czechoslovakia, maybe forming a federation few decades earlier than OTL.
It is hard to say how big support Slovak independence had directly after end of WWII.
However elections of 1946 could indicate not small. Democratic party gained over 60% at Slovakia and was basically purely Slovak party. What was discredited was regime not really idea. However support for Slovak independence was criminalized so of course was not mentioned.

Maybe I would go to far but I would say support for independence was much bigger then OTL in 1990. Meciar's HZDS won elections but basically till last days before he was saying he will lick Czechs to keep Czechoslovakia together (but the way he wanted it).

There is one more option. Slovak Minister of Defense plan for Uprising and switching the sides. But for this you need something to change in Benes- Stalin relations for Soviets to support independent Slovakia.
This however could indeed lead to bigger presense of Americans in Czech lands and Slovakia firmly in Soviets hands while Czech lands would go through process maybe similar to Italy. Huge Communist party but Americans not allowing it to slide towards communism and to Soviet sphere.

I would say that while Slovak populations realized Slovak independence was possible and Slovakia could economically survive, after frontlines passed Slovakia they just wanted to go on with their lives.
 
The trouble is that the ideological differences were opposite at that time, see the map of communist party voters in 1946 elections:View attachment 327709

But still the split between Capitalist Czech and Communist Slovakia is the most plausible I could imagine. It would have been caused by the US Army advancing further to the east though, not by the will of Czechoslovak people.

That was also reminiscent of korea as well. back in 1930s, Pyongyang was known as "Jerusalem of the east" due to its conservative christian population, and South korean city of Daegu was known as "Moscow of the east" for large number of communist voters.
 
BTW Idea of Czechoslovakism was officially abandoned in 1945 in Government Program signed in Kosice.
 
Top