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"Prohlášení Ceskoslovenské Samostatnosti", "Declaration of Czechoslovak Independence" signed the 18th of October 1918 by T.G. Masaryk, Dr. Milan Štefánik, and Dr. Eduard Beneš. The first line of the Declaration boldly declares:
In this important time, when the Hohenzollerns have offered peace with the goal of stopping the victorious entrance of the Allied powers and with the goal of preventing the division of Austria-Hungary and Turkey, and when the Habsburgs promise federalization of the kingdom and autonomy for unsatisfied nations, under their reign, we, the Czechoslovak National Council, recognized by the Allied powers and by America as the provisionary government of the Czechoslovak nation and state, in complete agreement with the declaration of the Czech delegates, convened in Prague on the 6th of January 1918, understand, that federalization and this greater autonomy has no meaning under the Habsburg dynasty, and thus we solemnly vow our independence.
