Milan Rastislav Štefánik (; July 21, 1880 in Košariská, Austria-Hungary  – May 4, 1919 in Ivánka pri Dunaji, Czechoslovakia) was a Slovak politician, diplomat, and astronomer. During World War I, he served as a General in the French Army and, at the same time, as the Minister of War for Czechoslovakia. As one of the leading members of the Czechoslovak National Council (i.e. resistance government), he contributed decisively to the cause of Czechoslovak sovereignty, since the status of Czech- and Slovak-populated territories, among others, was in question until shortly before the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918.