Ministry of Defence civilian and military staff mark 100th anniversary of establishment of Czechoslovakia, adoption of Martin Declaration and end of WW1

Ministry of Defence civilian and military staff marked today (26 Oct) the centenary of the establishment of Czechoslovakia, the adoption of the Martin Declaration and the end of the First World War.
 
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Defence Peter Gajdoš said: “Personally speaking, I regard this round-number jubilee as a magnificent occasion to remind ourselves that what we have and the world and community we live in today cannot be taken for granted. Our statesmen Milan Rastislav Štefánik, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, Edvard Beneš, and Milan Hodža struggled to keep our two nations from being absorbed into big States and to have a chance to develop our future as a democratic, developed and proud State.”
 
He also reminded soldiers of their mission in ensuring the peace and security of Slovak citizens. “Please, always bear in mind that you are here for our citizens and that you are the ones they can rely on, just as we could rely on our grandparents they would fight for their nation until their very last breath, because they were convinced it was their honour and duty,” said Head of the MOD, whilst reaffirming that the democracy and peace we live in today can never be taken for granted.
 
Nation-wide centenary celebrations of the establishment of Czechoslovakia and the adoption of the Martin Declaration will be held on 30 October in Martin. The end of WW1 will be commemorated by the MOD during a remembrance ceremony on 11 November at the Petržalka – Kopčany War Cemetery in Bratislava.