TGM the Liberator

T. G. Masaryk talks about his parents. He came from a poor family. His father was a coachman; he was a serf and remained a serf. His mother, who was a strong personality, made sure that her son could study. She was was religious. He was an latar boy during his childhood. He attended elementary school in Hodonín, then went to a secondary school. At the age of fourteen, his father sent him for studies to Vienna, where he stayed for a short time. Then he learned to be a smith. He worked as an apprentice at a local school. Then he studied at the German gymnasium in Brno. Because of his first love, he was expelled and moved to Vienna, where he graduated in philology and philosophy from the local university. He had to support himself with odd jobs. At that time, he was already intensively involved in religious, political, and national affairs. – In Leipzig, he experienced the fateful event of his life: he met Charlotte Garrigue, whom he married. After his graduation, he joined the newly established Czech university in Prague. He had trouble adapting to the humble surroundings. He founded the "Atheneum" review and published several documents. – Masaryk recalls his struggles in the Manuscripts Affair and later in the Hilsner Case. He used to go with his family to Bystřička in Slovakia for the summer to get to know the Slovaks better. He also dealt with foreign policy. At the beginning of World War I, he decided to oppose Austria-Hungary. He had to go abroad. He returned only after four years, so he never met his son Herbert (1880-1915), who died during that time, again. With Štefánik and Beneš, he founded the Czech National Council in Paris. He wanted to build on the history of the Czech state. Meanwhile, in Austria-Hungary, they imprisoned his daughter Alice and Hana Benešová as well as some politicians. – In exile, he devoted himself to the founding of Czech military units. He feared the Bolshevik revolution. The Czech legions had to undergo a long journey across Siberia after the revolution in Russia. – In America, Masaryk negotiated the post-war situation. – When the Czechoslovak Republic was founded, he became its first president. He had to attend many celebrations. In the Vladislav Hall, he took the presidential oath. According to him, the small Czech state could survive only as as democracy and only when it was open to the world. He contemplated what the president of such a state should be like and stated that he could be satisfied with his life. – He confides that he never wanted to be in the first row and always had to overcome the fear of being on a stage when speaking in public. – As president, he fulfilled his duties. He participated in various celebrations, demonstrations, military parades, and Sokol gatherings. In private, he used to go to Lány. He often appeared in public riding a horse. – Masaryk's granddaughters Herberta and Anna reminisce about their grandfather, and his great-grandson Tomáš Kotík speaks about the great-grandfather's legacy. – His radio Christmas message concludes with TGM's words: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will."