In his welcoming remarks, the Czech Ambassador David Král briefly commented on the current state of Czech-Estonian relations, underlining both countries’ common interests within the European Union and NATO. He then introduced Dr. Švec, whom he was particularly pleased to receive in Tallinn as his former colleague at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Prague’s Charles University.

 

Dr. Švec began his lecture, held in the conference hall of the Vabamu museum, by recalling the Estonians (and Latvians) who collaborated with the Czechoslovak Legion during its “anabasis” through Siberia in 1918-1920. He then discussed the context of Czechoslovakia’s initial hesitation to recognize the Baltic states, which was influenced by President Masaryk’s political strategy to support Russia’s development towards democracy. According to Dr. Švec, Czechoslovakia’s eventual de jure recognition of Estonia in December in 1921 can be attributed, among other things, to both sides’ economic interests, which also resulted in the conclusion of a trade treaty in 1927. In the interwar period, the two small states strengthened their diplomatic relations. During the 1930s, they shared a common fate – their efforts to build security arrangements in the face of nearby rising powers ultimately proved unsuccessful.

 

The latter part of the lecture focused on the second half of the 20th century. Dr. Švec mentioned protest actions by Tartu University students in response to the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. Examples of Czechoslovak support for Estonia include the “Baltic Union,” founded in secret by the Czech writer Vladimír Macura, and the open letter from the Charter 77 initiative members to the chancellor of Germany, urging him to advocate for the Baltic nations’ right to self-determination. The "happy ending" of the lecture was Dr. Švec’s account of the Tallinn meeting of the foreign ministers of Czechoslovakia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania on 8 September 1991, at which diplomatic relations between democratic Czechoslovakia and each of the newly independent Baltic countries were restored.

 

In response to the title of the lecture, the audience, composed of representatives of the diplomatic community and the public, discussed the self-image of states that call themselves "small." Finally, the visitors moved to the atmospheric entrance area of the museum, where they enjoyed light refreshments and Czech beer.