Masaryk's attitude toward Austria-Hungary, the empire of which Bohemia and Moravia formed a part, was a changing one and reflected mixed feelings. From the beginning of his political career he never ceased demanding political independence (samostatnost or nezávislost) for the Czech nation. This meant, in his mind, cultural, economic and social independence, or territorial autonomy within the framework of the Monarchy. In fact in the early years, and even later, he repeatedly asserted that complete political independence, i.e. separation from the Monarchy, was excluded by the smallness of the nation and its geographic location.