Nazi Germany invaded Czechoslovakia in March 1939, establishing a German "protectorate", theProtectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. By this time, Slovakia had already declared independence and had become a puppet state of Germany, theSlovak Republic. German forces occupiedPrague on March 15, 1939. The U.S. embassy was closed on March 21, 1939 and the ambassador left his post on April 6, 1939.
In June 1992, the Slovak parliament voted to declare sovereignty and the Czech-Slovak federationdissolved peacefully on January 1, 1993. The United States recognized theCzech Republic andSlovakia 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.Paul Hacker, the incumbent U.S. consul general, served as the firstchargé d'affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Slovakia (January 1 to July 7, 1993), followed by Eleanor Sutter. In November 1993,Theodore E. Russell, former deputy chief of mission inPrague, became the first U.S. ambassador toSlovakia.
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointed: July 13, 1937
Presented credentials: September 16, 1937
Terminated mission: April 6, 1939
Note: The embassy in Prague was closed on March 21, 1939, following the occupation of Prague by German forces on March 15. The U.S. opened an embassy in London and maintained diplomatic relations with thegovernment-in-exile of Czechoslovakia during the war.
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointed: September 17, 1941
Presented credentials: October 28, 1941
Terminated mission: June 4, 1943
Note: The title of the commission was changed toAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in 1943. This required a new commission for the ambassador.
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: June 4, 1943
Presented credentials: July 12, 1943
Terminated mission: Left London on December 1, 1943
Note: After Germany’s surrender at the close of WWII in Europe, the mission of the embassy in London was terminated. Rudolph E. Schoenfeld was serving as chargé d'affairesad interim when the embassy was closed.
Note: The embassy in Prague was re-established on May 29, 1945, with Alfred W. Klieforth as chargé d'affairesad interim.
^Crane was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on June 26, 1919.
^Holthusen was not commissioned; his nomination was not confirmed by theUnited States Senate.
^German forces occupied Prague on March 15, 1939. Ambassador Carr closed the legation in Prague on March 21, 1939, and left post on April 6, 1939.
^abThe title of the commission was changed toAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in 1943 and Biddle was commissioned to the new position while remaining in the office of ambassador.
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromU.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets.United States Department of State.
