The Slovaks and Czechs, two close Slavic nations, had developed as parts of different nations from the end of the 10th century; however, they still had a cultural influence on each other throughout the whole period. From 1526, the territories inhabited by these two nationalities were part of the Habsburg Monarchy, yet with different constitutional positions. Slovakia was part of the Kingdom of Hungary (from 1000), and the Czech lands were part of the Holy Roman Empire inherited by the Habsburgs. From the late 18th century, the oppression of non-German and non-Hungarian nationalities in the Habsburg Empire gradually increased, peaking after...