Czechoslovakia was a nation that was conceived in the 20th century in the rubble of WWI. It came to a peaceful end at the end of the 20th century when contending national parties needed political leg room. It is a lesson for our times. In fact here, Texas was once an independent nation and West Virginia was part of Virginia. Our entire nation was once British. Thus, there is precedent both nationally and internationally for a separation.
Czechoslovakia was born at the Versailles Peace Conference of 1919. Less than 20 years later the British and French sold it out to the Nazis. Then they were a Soviet satellite for over 40 years. They emerged from the Cold War a nation of Czechs and Slovaks with competing interests and values. While the ethnic aspect does not correspond to our situation in America, other facets do.
In 1989, the Czechoslovakian Velvet Revolution restored democracy to the Soviet puppet state. In 1992, because of growing tensions in the government and country, Czechoslovakia was peacefully dissolved by its parliament. On 1 January 1993 it separated into two independent countries, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. Notice peaceably. It was a civil divorce, not a civil war. There were glitches but they were overcome. And this was less than 30 years ago in a civilized free market democracy. So, when some say it can’t happen in a nation like ours, tell them, but it already has. It was known as the Velvet Divorce, that’s how relatively easy it was. Why did it happen?
By 1991, the Czech GDP per capita was some 20% higher than Slovakia’s. Transfer payments from the Czech budget to Slovakia, which had been the rule in the past because of Slovakian issues, came to a head as an issue. They were stopped. How much money does the American taxpayer spend on upkeep of leftist Democrat cities?
For a few years after the Cold War, regional political parties re-emerged. However, Czech parties had little or no presence in Slovakia and vice versa. Same here. Major urban centers have few Republican office holders. There are areas in the Heartland with very few Democrats in office. Thus in 1993, recognizing political reality and the need for the two sides to have a government they desired, the two sides split into separate nations.
Per Wiki: “The new countries were able to solve the difficulties via mutual negotiations, financial compensation and then an international treaty covering the border modifications. Most federal assets were divided in a ratio of two to one, the approximate ratio between the Czech and Slovak population in Czechoslovakia, including army equipment, rail and airliner infrastructure. Some minor disputes, such as gold reserves stored in Prague and federal know-how valuation, lasted for a few years after the dissolution.” It can be done peaceably. It has been done peaceably. It is an option that this nation should seriously consider.