USESEC008 History of Czechoslovakia

Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Winter 2017
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. PhDr. Zdeněk Jirásek, CSc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Zdeněk Jirásek, CSc.
Institute of Central European Studies – Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to give wide introduction of circumstances of origin and important events and processes of political, economic and social development in Czechoslovakia to students. The students will learn the key events of Czechoslovak political history (government changes, development of political system, foreign political links and relations, constitutions and important legal documents) and socio-economic development. The attention will be paid to relation between changes of Czechoslovak state and society, and important events and processes of European or world course of events, and development of central Europe in particular as a specific geopolitical but also cultural region. The tutorial will include wider analysis of important events or documents from Czechoslovak history of given period in which the students will participate by seminar papers. The graduates should be able to use gained knowledge when evaluating events and processes of development of current Czech society and interpret their meaning and consequences in whole central European or European territory.
Syllabus
  • 1. An outline of recourses and literature to history of Czech lands, Slovakia and Czechoslovakia. The summary of medieval development in Czech lands and Slovakia till The Thirty Years´ War.
    2. Czech lands and Slovakia under the rule of Hapsburgs. The decline of corporative state and inclusion of Czech lands into Hapsburg monarchy. Political, economic and social development of Czech and Slovak society in the 18th and the 19th century. Multinational relations within Hapsburg central Europe.
    3. World War I and decline of monarchy, the foundation of Czechoslovak republic. Political system, economic, social, national relations in new country. Relations with other newly created central European countries.
    4. The first Czechoslovak republic. Political and administrative development, social and economic changes. Ethnical problems, relations with neighbours. The impacts of economic crisis, political, economic, nationalistic and social conflicts. The rise of Nazism and decline of Czechoslovak republic.
    5. The second republic and Protectorate. The decline of democratic system and state. Political, economic and social development in Czech lands. The ethnic question and antifascist resistance. Slovak state.
    6. Liberation and development of renewed Czechoslovak republic in the first peace years. The impact of war and post-war world events on development in Czechoslovakia. Constitution of new political and economic system of Czechoslovak republic. Withdrawal of Germans and relations with neighbouring countries in conditions of originating cold war.
    7. Political coup in February 1948, its preparations, course and immediate consequences.
    8. Czechoslovakia in the first period of existence of totalitarian state (1948-1953). The final formation of political, economic and repressive system, incorporation to Soviet block and relations with its other central European members.
    9. Melting period and Prague spring 1968, The impacts of world and European development on political, economic and social development in Czechoslovakia in the second half of the 50´s and the 60´s. The reform efforts in 1967-1968 and their failure.
    10. Czechoslovakia in the 70´s and the 80´s. Normalisation and its political, economic, social and cultural connections. Development of relations with Soviet Union and other central European socialist countries. Political and cultural opposition against communist regime, the rise of non-formal activities in the 80´s.
    11. The decline of communist regime and Czechoslovakia in 1989. International, political, economic and social relations of crisis and decline of communist government in Czechoslovakia. The renewal of democratic civil society and market economy after 1989. Political, economic and social connections of decline of Czechoslovakia.
    12. Final summary, evaluation of current position of Czech and Slovak republic in Europe, their relations with neighbours and other countries of European Union.
Literature
    required literature
  • GEBHART, J. - KUKLÍK, J. Velké dějiny zemí koruny české. Svazek 15.a (1938 - 1945). Praha: Paseka, 2007. info
  • Kárník, Z. České země v éře První republiky. Díl I. II. III. Praha, 2000. info
  • KAPLAN, K. Nekrvavá revoluce. Praha: MF, 1993. info
    recommended literature
  • RYCHLÍK, J. Češi a Slováci ve 20. století. Česko-slovenské vztahy 1945-1992. Praha - Bratislava 1998. info
  • Křen, J. Dvě století Evropy. Praha, 2005. info
  • KAPLAN, K. Největší politický proces M. Horáková a spol. Brno: Doplněk, 1996. info
  • KAMENEC, I. Slovenský štát (1939 - 1945). Praha: Anomal, 1992. info
  • URBAN,O. Česká společnost 1948 - 1918. Praha: Svoboda, 1982. info
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
Teacher's information
Seminar paper (min. 10 pages) on chosen topic and its presentation in tutorial.
The course is also listed under the following terms Winter 2016, Winter 2018, Winter 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Winter 2017, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.slu.cz/course/fvp/winter2017/USESEC008