The turn of the 19th and 20th centuries was characterised by growing economic and political freedom for the Czechs and by outstanding achievements on the part of Czechs in culture, medicine, and science. The majority of the Czech political parties supported a program calling for the restoration of the Czech State within its historical borders - but within the framework of the Austrian Empire. The constitutional status of the Czech lands within the framework of the Monarchy remained an open and in Prague at least, much debated question.

Members of other nations within the Empire were also pressing for reforms and for independence. It was these pressures that led Serbian nationalist Gavrillo Princip to assassinate the Archduke Francis Ferdinand (the heir to the Austrian throne) on June 28, 1914, precipitating World War I. Princip was locked up for this deed, and spent the rest of his days at the prison in Terezin Fortress in the Czech lands. During the course of World War One, the Czechs became unified in their opposition to Austrian rule. Above all, Austria-Hungary's alignment with Germany and the restriction of democratic rights in the Czech lands led to growing opposition to the monarchy. By 1917, when things were quite apparently not in Austria-Hungary's favour, Czech opposition to the war became much more active. In May 1918, the representatives of the resistance movement abroad had signed the Pittsburgh Convention, which approved the formation of a joint state composed of Slovakia and the Czech lands.

In October 1918, the national Committee proclaimed Czechoslovakia an independent Republic and began to assume the transfer of power from Austrian officials. On November 14, 1918, the interim Parliament declared that the new Czechoslovak state would be a Republic, and named Tomas Garrigue Masaryk as the first President. The Czechoslovak Republic (CSR) was comprised of the historical Czech lands of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia as well as Slovakia and Ruthenia (Sub-Carpathian Russia).