Dissolution of Czechoslovakia
The dissolution of Czechoslovakia, which took effect on January 1, 1993 when Czechoslovakia split into two separate countries: The Czech Republic and Slovakia. It is sometimes known as the Velvet Divorce of 1989 that led to the end of the rule of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and the formation of a democratic government.
There are many different reasons for the split of Czechoslovakia, but they are center around inevitability versus events that occurred between the Velvet Revolution of 1989 and the end of the joined state in 1992.The stereotypes between the two nations, problems with the shared state during communism, the failure of the communist state in Czech lands and its success in the Slovak lands, and the 1968 constitution played the biggest role.
The other people point to international factors such as the situation the breakaway of the Soviet satellite nations, the lack of unified media between the Czech and Slovak republic, and most importantly the actions of the political leaders of the two nations and their nationalism.
In 1992, the Czech Republic elected Václav Klaus who demanded tighter federation or two independent states. Vladimír Mečiar and other leading Slovak politicians wanted a kind of confederation. On 17 July, the Slovak parliament adopted the Declaration of independence of the Slovak nation.
Six days later, Klaus and Meciar agreed to dissolve Czechoslovakia at a meeting in Bratislava. Czechoslovak president Václav Havel resigned rather than oversee the dissolution which he had opposed. In a September 1992 poll, only 37% of Slovaks and 36% of Czechs favored dissolution.
The goal of negotiations switched to achieving a peaceful division. On 13 November, the Federal Assembly passed Constitution Act 541 which settled the division of property between the Czech lands and Slovakia. With Constitution Act 542, passed on 25 November, they agreed to the dissolution of Czechoslovakia as of 31 December 1992.
The separation occurred without violence which was accomplished through massive peaceful demonstrations and actions. In contrast, other post-communist break-ups (such as the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia) involved violent conflict.