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History
Slovakia existed as part of Hungary from the beginning of the 10th
century until 1918, when it united with the Czech lands of Bohemia
and Moravia, in addition to a small part of Silesia, to form Czechoslovakia.
In 1939, shortly before the start of World War II, Slovakia declared
its independence under pressure from German dictator Adolf Hitler,
but in 1945 it was reunited with the rest of Czechoslovakia. From
1948 until 1989 Czechoslovakia was ruled by a Soviet-style Communist
regime. During the yaer 1993 the country broke apart, and Slovakia
became independent.
Culture
The development of Slovak culture reflects the country's rich folk
tradition, in addition to the influence of broader European trends.
The impact of centuries of cultural repression and control by foreign
governments is also evident in much of Slovakia's art, literature,
and music.
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