Milan Rastislav Stefanik Slovak astronomer, politician, French army general Country: Slovakia

1. Biography of Milan Rastislav Štefánik
2. Work at the Paris Observatory
3. Role in the Creation of Czechoslovakia

Biography of Milan Rastislav Štefánik

Milan Rastislav Štefánik was a Slovak astronomer, politician, and general in the French army. He was born in the village of Košariská u Brezovej pod Bradlom as the sixth of twelve children in the family of Lutheran pastor Pavel Štefánik. He excelled as a student in the Košariská school and later continued his education at the Lutheran grammar school in Bratislava.

After completing secondary school, Štefánik enrolled at the Charles University in Prague. During his studies, he was the chairman of a circle of Slovak students called "Detvan" and wrote articles for the magazine "Čas." In 1904, he defended his doctoral dissertation.

Work at the Paris Observatory

In November 1904, Štefánik moved to Paris and began working at Pierre Janssen's observatory from 1905. The year 1906 was particularly productive for the young scientist, as he published seven scientific papers in the field of astronomy. After Janssen's departure as director, Štefánik also left the observatory and joined a French expedition to Turkestan, which was supposed to observe a solar eclipse on January 13, 1907. On his way, he stopped at the Pulkovo Observatory and visited Leo Tolstoy. Upon his return, Štefánik received the prestigious Janssen Prize. From 1908, he participated in scientific expeditions to Algeria and Tunisia. In 1908, he traveled to Tahiti to observe Halley's Comet. In 1912, the Academy of Sciences sent him to Brazil to observe a solar eclipse. In 1913, Štefánik was sent on a diplomatic mission to Ecuador, where the French government planned to build a network of telegraph and meteorological stations. His mission was to obtain the permission of the Ecuadorian government. For the success of his mission, Štefánik was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor in 1914.

Role in the Creation of Czechoslovakia

With the outbreak of World War I, Štefánik joined the flight school in Chartres and, as a second lieutenant, went to the front in April 1915, where he fought in Serbia. He attempted to obtain permission to organize a Czechoslovak squadron. During the evacuation of the aerodrome in Niš, he suffered an aviation accident and was sent to a hospital in Rome. On December 13, 1915, he met with Edvard Beneš and agreed on joint steps to create a common Czechoslovak state - Czechoslovakia. As a result, the Czechoslovak National Council was established in February 1916, with Tomáš Masaryk as its chairman and Štefánik as one of its deputies. Afterward, Štefánik began recruiting volunteers for the Czechoslovak Corps. Seeking support from Russia, he traveled there and met with Nicholas II and the Chief of Staff, Alexeyev, at the headquarters in Mogilev. In June 1917, Štefánik traveled to the United States, where he recruited further volunteers. On October 16, 1917, the French government issued a decree for the establishment of a Czechoslovak army in France. In February 1918, Štefánik went to Italy, where he reached an agreement with the Italian authorities on their assistance in creating the Czechoslovak army. By that time, Štefánik had already become a general in the French army. On October 14, 1918, the Czechoslovak National Council was proclaimed as the government of Czechoslovakia, and Štefánik became the Minister of Defense. On November 13, 1918, he traveled to Vladivostok to negotiate the withdrawal of the Czechoslovak Corps from Russia, and on January 25, 1919, he returned to France. On May 4, 1919, he flew to Bratislava, but during the approach, his plane was "accidentally" shot down. It is believed that Edward Beneš, with whom Štefánik had significant disagreements regarding the future of Czechoslovakia, was behind this incident.