Here is one quote of the critique on the Höfler book mentioned by Michael O'Hearn in re: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07382a.htm "In politics he was one of the leaders of the German-Bohemian party, a branch of the constitutional party of that period, and was one of the chief opponents of the Czechs." ...and while I am myself a victim of the quite unjust expellation of Germans from their native homeland in Bohemia, I am not sure that a person judged so a critique could be above ethnic influence. I will have to get the book and read it in its entirety. But judging from the above sentence, I think I would rather read a thesis that views the situation from "outside" based on facts of historical bibliographies. The other books Höfler has written are highly promotional to the Catholic church. This must also considered to eliminate the shading into one viewpoint or another. The naked fact is that the Slavic influx did not happen before the 7th century and that the land was shared by various German tribes. The leadership, therefore, was by headmen of these tribes among whom Herman (representing the land that is now Germany) and Marcoman (representing the land that is now Austria) both trained militarily in Rome, but became revolutionists against the infiltration of Rome into their lands. They both learned military tactics in Rome and also observed their weaknesses caused by a high culture and easy living. Back with their tribes they armed themselves against Rome. While they fought on the same side against the Romans, in the end Hermann wiped out Marcoman. Even then there were "different Germans".... With Herman and Marcoman holding the borders Romans were not able to penetrate to the East across the Rhine - and also not very far across the Danube to the North. But something else happened......with the climatic aberrations in Asia, what they call a small ice age, Asian herdsmen, nomads and hunters were displaced and wandered to the West in 375 AD. They got to see a new land and the word spread. Slavic people followed them into the still lightly populated area of middle Europe of which the very heart is Bohemia. Therefore, empty land was settled equally by Germanic tribes and Slavic tribes there. It was not until the idea of Panslavism under the Austrian-German leadership of the Habsburgs that they actively pursued the demise of the Empire to get recognition for their own territories. In the meantime, there was a very conflicting ideology circulating among the people of middle Europe which was created by the Church and Religion. Jan Hus was burned at the stake in Constance for his Protestant beliefs by the Catholic church because he supported a thesis of Wycliffe from England in the 14th century (which eventually made Hussites of the Slavs). After Jan Hus was "removed," the Czech people were forced back into the fold of the Catholic church. Not quite 100 years later a similar movement started among the Germans. Martin Luther was instrumental for the Protestant movement among the Germans. But by then the Czechs were back in the Catholic fold and the two ethnic groups were again on opposite sides during the 30 years war. Having read various books about these times, I cannot help but be convinced that the interests of the Church were above the need of the people... it was a political move. It seems we have evolved very little since then, because s! imilar conditions are still brewing in the Mideast now.... So, the way I see it is that both ethnic groups have equal rights to their settled areas but they have missed one another by following the interests of their churches..... there are not quite hundred years between the Jan Hus and Martin Luther movements in the 14th and 15th century. That difference has never had a chance to heal because of political manipulation. Perhaps, our expellation from our German Bohemian homeland and the graceful acceptance of our people in signing a non-retaliatory promise will now bring peace among them. This was a heart-wrenching process, because our people gave up the rights to their ancestral possessions and the right to their homeland. But although it is hard for us, who have seen the horror during and after World War 2, we understood that common sense must prevail. So I am proud that I belong to a group of people who have overcome their gripes and yammers. But we still cry a tear or two. Just think of it, had our people not been expelled, we would have lived under the Communist fist for 50 years because during these years Germany blossomed, and those expellees blossomed with her in a free economic society. While during these years Czechoslovakia withered they began looking yearningly across the borders to the West, to their old brothers whom they had expelled but needed now for support against their Communist existence ..... and this brought both ethnic groups into a better understanding of one another and the realization that they are children of a common homeland and actually BELONG together. Going back to very ancient times it was the iron plow made by the Germans that tilled the fields of the Czechs who provided the food for the craftsmen. It is still so now. Aida