In 1918 Czechoslovakia gains independence for the first time in 300 years
With the First World War coming to an end the Austro-Hungarian Empire also began to collapse. On the 28th of October Czechoslovakia was granted freedom from the former empire and its people experienced independence for the first time in 300 years.
Czechoslovakia’s independence didn’t last for long. On the 15th of March 1939 Hitler invaded the country and during World War II the countries government was in exile in England. Czechoslovakia returned to independence after the war until it was dissolved on the 1st of January 1993 when it became the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
In 1492 on Christopher Columbus’ first voyage to the New World he landed in Cuba.
Although the North American continent had been discovered previously by Icelandic Leif Erikson in the 11th century (and possibly other Norse explorers) Christopher Columbus’s accidental discovery came at a time that European powers were looking to colonise and expand their territory. This led to the first European settlements in America which have developed into some of the most powerful nations in the world.
Trade routes to Asia had been very important to the countries of Europe and all the great powers had relied on this trade in order to grow and become the great world powers. Through this trade a huge network across the land had developed and became known as the “Silk Road” due mainly to the huge silk trade from China to Europe. However this trade network became increasing dangerous particularly with the fall of the Mongol Empire and the growth of the Turkish or Ottoman Empire. For over a hundred years the European powers had looked for a new sea route to the far East which had been accomplished through travelling around Africa.
Christopher Columbus was born in Italian republic of Genoa between August and October 1451. He first began travelling in his teens and settled for some time (between 1477 – 1485) in Portugal where he had a wife and son. Columbus was well read and had convinced himself that the Japanese shore lay some 2,500 miles away from Italy if travelling west. His assumption was based on the Earth being much smaller than it is and that Asia is much larger (despite popular misconceptions it had been known since the time of the ancient Greeks that the earth was round). When Columbus put forward a proposal to King John II of Portugal, on two occasions, that he could reach India in a short voyage travelling west and requested finance, the Kings scholars rejected Columbus’s estimation and plan. Unperturbed Columbus eventually managed to get backing from the King of Spain and set sail on the 3rd of August 1492.
On the 12th of October Christopher Columbus and his crew landed in the Bahamas and claimed the land for Spain. Shortly after on the 28th of October he landed on what he assumed was China but was actually Cuba.
