Unique exploration of the key moments and themes in Slovakia's history, from its ninth-century origins to its rebirth in 1993.

1. Slovakia, the Slovaks and their history Dušan Ková¿; 2. The Duchy of Nitra Ján Steinhübel; 3. The beginnings of the nobility in Slovakia Ján Lukäka; 4. Medieval towns Vladimír Segeš; 5. Renaissance and humanist tendencies in Slovakia Eva Frimmová; 6. The period of religious disturbances in Slovakia Viliam ¿i¿aj; 7. The Enlightenment and the beginnings of the modern Slovak nation Eva Kowalská; 8. Slovak Slavism and Pan-Slavism ¿udovít Haraksim; 9. The Slovak political programme: from Hungarian patriotism to the Czecho-Slovak state Dušan Ková¿; 10. Slovakia in Czechoslovakia (1918-38) Natália Kraj¿ovi¿ová; 11. Slovakia from the Munich conference to the declaration of independence Valerián Bystrický; 12. The Slovak state, 1939-45 Ivan Kamenec; 13. The Slovak question and the resistance movement during the Second World War Jan Rychlík; 14. The Slovak National Uprising: the most dramatic moment in the nation's history Vilém Pre¿an; 15. The Slovak question, 1945-8 Michal Barnovský; 16. Czechoslovakism in Slovak history Elisabeth Bakke; 17. The Magyar minority in Slovakia before and after the Second World War Štefan Šutaj; 18. The establishment of totalitarianism in Slovakia after the February coup of 1948 and the culmination of mass persecution, 1948-53 Jan Pešek; 19. Slovakia and the attempt to reform socialism in Czechoslovakia, 1963-9 Stanislav Sikora; 20. Slovakia's position within the Czecho-Slovak federation, 1968-70 Jozef Žatkuliak; 21. Slovakia under communism, 1948-89: controversial developments in the economy, society and culture Miroslav Londák and Elena Londáková; 22. The fall of communism and the establishment of an independent Slovakia Michal Štefanský; 23. Afterword: Slovakia in history Mikuláš Teich.