Czechast: Edvard Beneš in London

We're diving into the enduring relationship between Czechs and this vibrant city, exploring moments that have left an indelible mark on our nation's story.

Today, we're focusing on a truly remarkable chapter from World War II – the story of how the exiled Czechoslovak president, Edvard Beneš, managed to de facto recreate a country that was torn apart by the Nazi occupation. It's a tale of resilience, but also the beginnings of diplomacy that in effect brought Czechoslovakia into the Soviet sphere of influence and led to the installment of a totalitarian regime for over 4 decades.

Czechoslovak government-in-exile led by Edvard Beneš|Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

London became the base of Edvard Beneš in 1938. Bruised and hurt by the refusal of the British and the French to stand up for Czechoslovkia in its quarrel about Sudetenland with Nazi Germany, Edvard Beneš decided to set up his operation here in London and start the painful process of recreating the independent state of Czechs and Slovaks on the British isles.

Why did this crucial chapter of Czechoslovak history take place here and not France, or the United States? I asked Vít Smetana, historian at the Institute of Contemporary History of the Czech Academy of Sciences.