United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic
Encyclopedia
Following the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian empire
in 1918 at the end of The Great War
, the Bohemians, Moravia
ns, and Slovaks
united to form the new nation of Czechoslovakia
. The United States recognized
Czechoslovakia and commissioned its first ambassador on April 23, 1919.
invaded Czechoslovakia in March 1939, establishing a German “protectorate
.” By this time, Slovakia had already declared independence and had become a puppet state of Germany. German forces occupied Prague
on March 15, 1939. The U.S. embassy was closed on March 21, 1939 and the ambassador left his post on April 6, 1939.
During World War II
the U.S. maintained diplomatic relations with the government-in-exile of Czechoslovakia in London
. Ambassador Anthony J. Biddle, Jr.
established an embassy in London on September 17, 1941 and the embassy was maintained until the end of the war. Following the war the embassy in Prague was reopened on May 29, 1945.
In June 1992, the Slovak parliament voted to declare sovereignty and the Czech-Slovak federation dissolved peacefully
on January 1, 1993. The United States recognized the Czech Republic
and Slovakia
as independent nations and moved to establish diplomatic relations. The previous ambassador to Czechoslovakia, Adrian A. Basora
, continued as the ambassador to the Czech Republic and Theodore Russell, who served as deputy chief of mission under Ambassador Shirley Temple Black, became the first U.S. ambassador to Slovakia later that year.
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
in 1918 at the end of The Great War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the Bohemians, Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
ns, and Slovaks
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
united to form the new nation of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. The United States recognized
Diplomatic recognition
Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral political act with domestic and international legal consequences, whereby a state acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state...
Czechoslovakia and commissioned its first ambassador on April 23, 1919.
Invasion
GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
invaded Czechoslovakia in March 1939, establishing a German “protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
.” By this time, Slovakia had already declared independence and had become a puppet state of Germany. German forces occupied Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
on March 15, 1939. The U.S. embassy was closed on March 21, 1939 and the ambassador left his post on April 6, 1939.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the U.S. maintained diplomatic relations with the government-in-exile of Czechoslovakia in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Ambassador Anthony J. Biddle, Jr.
Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle, Jr.
Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle, Jr. , also known as A. J. Drexel Biddle, Jr. or Tony Biddle, was a wealthy socialite who became a diplomat of the United States, and served in the United States Army during World War I and after World War II, reaching the rank of major general.-Biography:Biddle was the...
established an embassy in London on September 17, 1941 and the embassy was maintained until the end of the war. Following the war the embassy in Prague was reopened on May 29, 1945.
In June 1992, the Slovak parliament voted to declare sovereignty and the Czech-Slovak federation dissolved peacefully
Dissolution of Czechoslovakia
The dissolution of Czechoslovakia, which took effect on 1 January 1993, was an event that saw the self-determined separation of the federal state of Czechoslovakia. The Czech Republic and Slovakia, entities which had arisen in 1969 within the framework of Czechoslovak federalisation, became...
on January 1, 1993. The United States recognized the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
as independent nations and moved to establish diplomatic relations. The previous ambassador to Czechoslovakia, Adrian A. Basora
Adrian A. Basora
Adrian Anthony Basora is an American diplomat, and former United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic. He is currently a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute researching democratization in the post-Communist states of Europe and Central Asia, and a member of the Council on...
, continued as the ambassador to the Czech Republic and Theodore Russell, who served as deputy chief of mission under Ambassador Shirley Temple Black, became the first U.S. ambassador to Slovakia later that year.
Ambassadors
- Adrian A. BasoraAdrian A. BasoraAdrian Anthony Basora is an American diplomat, and former United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic. He is currently a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute researching democratization in the post-Communist states of Europe and Central Asia, and a member of the Council on...
– Career FSO- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: June 15, 1992
- Presented credentialsLetter of CredenceA letter of credence is a formal letter usually sent by one head of state to another that formally grants diplomatic accreditation to a named individual to be their ambassador in the country of the head of state receiving the letter...
: July 20, 1992 - Terminated mission: Left post, July 15, 1995
- Jenonne R. Walker – Political appointee
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: June 27, 1995
- Presented credentials: August 31, 1995
- Terminated mission: Left post August 31, 1998
- John ShattuckJohn ShattuckJohn Shattuck is an international legal scholar and human rights leader, became the fourth President and Rector of Central European University in August 2009. CEU is a global institution of graduate education in the social sciences, the humanities, law, business, environmental studies, government...
– Political appointee- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: October 22, 1998
- Presented credentials: December 10, 1998
- Terminated mission: Left post December 16, 2000
- Craig Roberts StapletonCraig Roberts StapletonCraig Roberts Stapleton is a former United States ambassador to France and the Czech Republic.-Biography:Stapleton was born in Kansas City, Missouri. His grandfather, Benjamin F. Stapleton, was a politician who served five terms as mayor of Denver. He received his secondary school education at...
– Political appointee- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: August 7, 2001
- Presented credentials: August 28, 2001
- Terminated mission: Left post December 16, 2003
- William J. CabanissWilliam J. CabanissWilliam J. "Bill" Cabaniss, Jr. was United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic from 2004 to 2006. He is a businessman from Birmingham, Alabama....
– Political appointee- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: October 6, 2003
- Presented credentials: January 13, 2004
- Terminated mission: 2006
- Richard W. GraberRichard W. GraberRichard W. Graber is an American lawyer from Wisconsin and Republican politician, who served as United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic from 2006-2009. He was appointed by George W. Bush on September 14, 2006. His office ended as Barack Obama became the new President of the United States on...
– Political appointee- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: September 14, 2006
- Presented credentials: October 12, 2006
- Terminated mission: January 20, 2009
- Mary Thompson-JonesMary Thompson-JonesMary Thompson-Jones is a senior Foreign Service Officer in the United States' Department of State. Since August, 2007, she has served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of the United States in Prague, Czech Republic. She was the Chargé d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Prague...
- Title: Chargés d’affaires ad interim
- Appointed: January 20, 2009
- Presented credentials: Unknown
- Terminated mission: May 2010
- John Ordway (ambassador)John Ordway (ambassador)John Malcom Ordway is a retired foreign service officer who is currently the Chargé d'Affaires of the United States Embassy in Astana, Kazakhstan since January 13, 2011....
- Title: Chargés d’affaires ad interim
- Appointed: May 2010
- Presented credentials: Unknown
- Terminated mission: August 2010
- Joseph Pennington
- Title: Chargés d’affaires ad interim
- Appointed: August 2010
- Presented credentials: Unknown
- Terminated mission: December 30, 2010
- Norman L. EisenNorman L. EisenNorman L. Eisen is the current United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic, the position which he assumed on January 28, 2011. However, his appointment is temporary and shall not last more than one year .Eisen received his B.A. from Brown University in 1985 and his J.D...
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: December 30, 2010
- Presented credentials: January 28, 2011
- Terminated mission: Incumbent
See also
- Czech Republic – United States relations
- Foreign relations of Czech Republic
- Ambassadors of the United States