Tomas Garrigue Masaryk was the first President of Czechoslovakia. A popular man, he was a politician, sociologist and philosopher. Born to a poor working-class family in the predominantly Catholic city of Hodonín, Moravia he entered politics in the Austro-Hungarian parliament speaking for the young Czech party. During World War 1 he left the war torn region and travelled to the UK and then to the USA to rally support for a separate Czechoslovak nation when the war ended.
With the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, the Allies recognized Masaryk as head of the Provisional Czechoslovak government, and on November 14, 1918, he was elected President of the Czechoslovak Federation by the National Assembly in Prague.
Masaryk was re-elected as president three times: in 1920, 1927, and 1934. After the rise of Hitler, he was one of the first political figures in Europe to voice concern. He resigned from office on December 14, 1935 on the grounds of old age and poor health, and Edvard Beneš succeeded him. Masaryk enjoyed almost legendary authority among the Czechoslovak people
The badge is made from a gold coloured metal and features the profile of Masaryk and his initials TGM, the badge face is 1.7cm high and has a long stick pin style fastener to the rear.