References: Wikipedia.
Milan Rastislav Štefánik (1880-1919) was born the son of a Slovak pastor in Kosaras, in the Kingdom of Hungary, when it was still part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Kosaras is now in the Slovak Republic. Though a strong Slovak patriot, Slovak schools were not allowed at that time, and he was forced to study in Hungarian schools. In 1898 he began studying construction engineering in Prague. In 1900 he moved to the Charles University where he attended lectures in astronomy, physics, optics, mathematics and philosophy. Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (the future first president of Czechoslovakia) was professor of philosophy there, and he inspired Štefánik with the idea of political cooperation between Czechs and Slovaks. Štefánik graduated in 1904 with a doctor’s degree in philosophy and a thorough knowledge of astronomy and moved to Paris to work at an observatory.
His work in astronomy took him around the world, travelling to Tahiti to watch a total solar eclipse and Halley’s comet, and on one occasion he climbed Mont Blanc in order to observe Venus. He became well connected, performing various diplomatic tasks (and, some say, acts of espionage) for the French government, and in 1912 he became a French citizen.
With the outbreak of World War I, Štefánik believed that the defeat of Austria-Hungary and Imperial Germany would offer the opportunity for the Slovaks and Czechs to gain their independence. Therefore he enlisted in the French army and trained to become an air pilot. He flew planes for the 10th Army on the Artois and was later transferred to MFS 99 Squadron on the Serbian Front in May, 1915, where he flew a total of 30 missions over enemy territory, though ultimately the Serbian campaign was unsuccessful.
He returned to Paris at the end of 1915, where he met Edvard Beneš and renewed his association with Tomáš Masaryk. In 1916, these three men founded the Czechoslovak National Council, the supreme body of Czecho-Slovak resistance abroad. After 1917, he became the vice-president of the council, helping Masaryk and Beneš to obtain the support of important personalities of the Triple Entente, including the French prime minister, Aristide Briand.
In 1916 Štefánik and the Czecho-Slovak resistance set up the Czechoslovak Legions that would fight against Austria-Hungary and Germany. He also organized legions in France and Italy. It was largely due to his diplomatic skills and contacts that the Allies (Entente) recognized the Czechoslovak National Council as a de facto government and the Czechoslovak troops as allied forces in the summer and autumn of 1918. After the war, Czechoslovakia became a recognized independent state, with Masaryk as its president, while Štefánik travelled Europe, representing the Czechoslovak military and engaging in international diplomacy. On May 4, 1919, he flew from Italy in an Italian military plane, which crashed while trying to land near Bratislava. Štefánik died, along with two Italian officers. The reason for the plane crash is disputed but it is believed to have been an accident.
