Carpatho-Ukraine

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Carpatho-Ukraine (Template:Lang-ua) was a short-lived Ukrainian state that formally existed for several days only in March, 1939 in the easternmost part of Czechoslovakia (Subcarpathian Ruthenia, or Transcarpathia), and had been an autonomous region within Czechoslovakia for several months before that. The state was crushed by Hungary which annexed the area between March 15 and March 18, 1939.

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History

For early history see Carpathian Ruthenia.

Soon after implementation of the Munich Agreement of 29 September 1938 (by which Czechoslovakia lost much of its border region to Germany) Carpathian Ruthenia and Slovakia declared their autonomy within Czechoslovakia, which Prague accepted. The autonomous Carpathian Ruthenia (officially known as Subcarpathian Ruthenia until then) changed its name to "Carpatho-Ukraine" soon afterwards, in November 1938.

In November 1938, under the First Vienna Award, which resulted from the Munich agreement, Nazi Germany and Italy prevailed on Czechoslovakia to cede the southern third of Slovakia and southern Carpatho-Ukraine to Hungary.

Following Slovakia's (formal) declaration of independence and Adolf Hitler's occupation of Bohemia and Moravia on 14-15 March 1939, on March 15 Carpatho-Ukraine declared its independence as the "Republic of Carpatho-Ukraine", with the Reverend Avhustyn Voloshyn as head of state. Hungary immediately invaded and annexed the new republic. On March 23, Hungary annexed some further parts of eastern Slovakia, starting from the Carpatho-Ukraine.

After World War II, in June 1945, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union signed a treaty ceding Carpatho-Ruthenia to the Soviets. In 1946 the area became part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, as the Zakarpattia Oblast ('Transcarpathian Oblast').

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