Czech translation. Introductory article by O. Malevich. Translation and notes by P. Bogatyrev. Illustrations by Josef Lada The outstanding work of national Czech literature is the satirical novel by Jaroslav Hasek (1883-1923) "The Adventures of the Brave Soldier Schweik during the World War" - a brilliant anti-imperialist epic covering the events in Austria-Hungary on the eve of the First World War and in its early years. Hasek exposes the dullness, senselessness, soullessness of the military and state machine, which ultimately led the patchwork Austro-Hungarian empire to complete collapse.