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Carpatho-Ukraine, also known as Carpathian Ruthenia, was a small region located in the northeastern part of present-day Ukraine. In 1939, it was briefly an independent state before being annexed by Hungary.
Prior to 1939, Carpatho-Ukraine had a complex history. The region had been part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the end of World War I, when it became part of Czechoslovakia. However, the local population was largely made up of Ukrainians, and they faced discrimination and oppression under Czechoslovakian rule.
In October 1938, as part of the Munich Agreement, Czechoslovakia was forced to cede a portion of its territory to Hungary, including parts of Carpatho-Ukraine. In response, Carpatho-Ukraine declared its independence on March 15, 1939, with Avhustyn Voloshyn as its first and only president.
However, the newly formed state was short-lived. Just one day after its declaration of independence, Carpatho-Ukraine was invaded by Hungarian forces, and within days, it was annexed by Hungary. The annexation was recognized by Nazi Germany and fascist Italy, but was condemned by the international community.
Carpatho-Ukraine remained under Hungarian rule until the end of World War II, when it was occupied by the Soviet Union and became part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Today, the region is part of western Ukraine, and its complicated history is a reminder of the complex political and ethnic tensions that have shaped the region for centuries.