Cesty T. G. Masaryka do zahraničia po roku 1918, medzi reprezentáciou a oddychom
T. G. Masaryk’s travels abroad after 1918, between representation and leisure

Summary/Abstract: The article is dealing with the foreign travels of the first Czechoslovakpresident T. G. Masaryk. It analyses their sources of inspiration in the settingof American and French presidents as well as Masaryk’s own experiencesin the period of foreign exile during the First World War. It traces thetransformations that this kind of state representation brought during theinterwar period, from the limits of transport to the media coverage andpresentation of the various visits. The second part focuses on the foreigntrips made during Masaryk’s presidency. It discusses the official visits in1923, the objectives of the journey, and its actual course. It also examinesthe role of T. G. Masaryk’s personal trips abroad, which were intendedto contribute to his recovery, rest or explore new regions. Moreover,during all his travels Masaryk intentionally built and maintained his ownnetwork of contacts abroad, which included many politicians, artists andjournalists. The article shows that in addition to building a positive imageof Czechoslovakia, presidential visits were also used to address sensitiveissues and explain Czechoslovak positions in international politics. Inthe last part, the study opens up a new field of research questions in theform of unrealized presidential trips. It uses the example of plans to visitVienna, Yugoslavia, and Romania or a possible meeting with the Popeto show the negotiations and the context of the changing internationalrelations of a Central European republic. In the case of the meeting withthe Pope, it also addresses the delicate relationship with the Holy See andMasaryk’s personal reservations about the Catholic Church hierarchy. Theentire study places the phenomenon of presidential trips within the broadercontexts of national representation, international relations and internalpolitical decisions.

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