Czechoslovakian Ice HockeyToday the Czech Republic and Slovakia are known as two separate nations. Both nations have been quite successful over the years, politically and economically. Another aspect of success that emerged from these two nations was athletics, as they are known to have participated in numerous international competitions over the years. At the beginning of the 20th century, however, these two nations were united into one nation. This country was known as Czechoslovakia, and like its predecessors, this country endured years of success when it came to athletics. Czechoslovakia was a multi-ethnic nation born after the conclusion of the First World War. This nation was considered part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire during this time period. As this nation developed, they continued to cultivate other aspects of life outside of politics, such as athletics. Over the years, Czechoslovakia wasn't really known for its athletic dominance over some countries, but it was certainly a great opponent. At some point the Czechs decided to dedicate themselves to the game of ice hockey. The Czechs eventually became a world power when it came to the game of ice hockey, particularly around the 1940s. However, it took some time, as they had to fix the problems in their game and expand the sport across the nation. As the Czechs began to develop as ice hockey players, it was evident that their game differed greatly from that of the Canadians, who considered ice hockey their national game. In Czechoslovakia ice hockey was known as “Bandyhokej”. According to Wikipedia, “Bandyhokej” was considered the essential game in the development of the game of ice hockey. Countries around the world, including Czechoslovakia, Russia,... middle of paper... In the 1950s, Czechoslovakia was considered a world power. If they had remained as a nation, it could be argued that they could have been the best nation in the world when it comes to ice hockey. Many incredible stories have come out of Czechoslovakian ice hockey, along with several incredible players and teams along the way. Czech hockey players have definitely had some bumps in the road, like tragedies and legal issues, but they've also had a lot of positives. At one point they expanded the game across their nation to become a world power, and that legacy has carried over into the future. The Czech Republic and Slovakia took inspiration from hockey in Czechoslovakia and extended it to their respective nations. Overall it's pretty incredible what Czechoslovakia has gone through in the process of developing into a very strong hockey nation.