Skoda houfnice vz 14 Skoda houfnice vz 14 Skoda houfnice vz 14 ("Howitzer model 1914") and Skoda houfnice vz 14/19 ("Howitzer model 1914/1919") were 100 mm (3.93-inch) field howitzers made in Czechoslovakia by the Skoda works. The "Skoda houfnice vz 14" was created in 1914. It was used by the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I. Large numbers of the howitzers were acquired by Italy after the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. An improved version of the howitzer was created in 1919. The main improvement was a longer barrel offering greater range that which could be mounted in the old howitzer beds.
Name of the Czech Republic associated with the area, which ultimately comes from the Czech word "Čech". The words "Czechian", "Czechish", "Czechic" and later "Czech" (using antiquated Czech spelling) have appeared in English-language texts since the 17th century. During the 19th-century national revival, the word "Czech" was also used to distinguish between the Czech- and German-speaking peoples living in the country. The term "Czechia" is attested as early as 1569 in Latin and 1841 in English ("Poselkynie starych Przjbiehuw Czeskych – Messenger of the old Fates of Czechia"). There were other early mentions in 1856 and in an 1866 report on the Austro-Prussian War. In