Popular Violence from the War to Postwar Era. Czechoslovakia and Austria in 1918-1922

The article deals with popular violence in immediate postwar periode in Bohemian Lands and in Austria. Whereas the ethnic motivated violence didn´t play almost any importance in the popular demonstrations during the war – the main requests was made for better supply of food or for fairness in generall – it became important immediately after the war. On the basis of archival documents, the article will investigate this change of language of popular violence between the war and postwar period. Bohemian Lands, which became part of new founded Czechoslovakia, and Austria were developed in different ways after 1918. Czechoslovakia became part of coalition of victory states. Although in reality an multinational state, it was perceived as a national state of the „Czechoslovaks“, which crowns an old historical way toward Czech national independence. On the other hand, Austria was seen as a defeated state and it had to come to terms with lack of state and national identity. Which role played the national narrative in popular demonstrations after 1918 in the establishment of new political order in both countries? How was translated originally spontaneous, violent demonstrations in actions, which endorsed the state and new post war order? Was there any difference between Czechoslovakia and Austria?  These questions should turn our attention to mentalities and attitudes of „everday“ people in the time of transformation of political order, investigated on the cases of violent actions as the most represantive kind of people´s collective behavior in an extreme situations like the immediately postwar era was.