About Rastislav Stefanik Milan Rastislav Štefánik (Sk-Milan Rastislav Stefanik.ogg pronunciation (help·info); July 21, 1880 in Košariská (Kosaras), Kingdom of Hungary – May 4, 1919 in Ivanka pri Dunaji, Czechoslovakia) was a Slovak politician, diplomat, and astronomer. During World War I, he was General of the French army, at the same time the Czechoslovak Minister of War, one of the leading members of the Czechoslovak National Council (i.e. resistance government), and he contributed decisively to the cause of Czechoslovak sovereignty. (The status of Czech- and Slovak-populated territories, among others, was in question until shortly before the disintegration of Austria-Hungary in 1918.) Štefánik's personal motto was: To Believe, To Love and To Work (Veriť, milovať, pracovať).