United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic

Following the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian empire in 1918 at the end of The Great War, the Czechs, Moravians, and Slovaks united to form the new nation of Czechoslovakia. The United States recognized Czechoslovakia and commissioned its first ambassador on April 23, 1919.

Invasion

Germany 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.

Ambassadors

*Adrian A. Basora – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: June 15, 1992
**Presented credentials: 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 Shattuck – 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 Stapleton – 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. Cabaniss – Political appointee
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: October 6, 2003
**Presented credentials: January 13, 2004
**Terminated mission: 2006
*Richard W. Graber – Political appointee
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: September 14, 2006
**Presented credentials: "Unknown"
**Terminated mission: "Incumbent"

See also

* Ambassadors from the United States
* United States Ambassador to Czechoslovakia

Sources

* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/po/com/10465.htm United States Department of State: Ambassadors to Czechoslovakia]
* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/po/com/10464.htm United States Department of State: Ambassadors to the Czech Republic]
* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3430.htm United States Department of State: Background notes on Slovakia]
* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3237.htm United States Department of State: Background notes on the Czech Republic]

External links

* [http://prague.usembassy.gov/ United States Embassy in Prague]