HIAb09zc Czech History in the 20th Century

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2026
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Tomáš Dvořák, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Ondřej Haváč, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Václav Kaška, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Jiří Němec, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Tomáš Dvořák, Ph.D.
Department of History – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of History – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites (in Czech)
HIAb08u Introduction to Modern Hist.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/30, only registered: 0/30
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
  • History (programme FF, B-HI_) (2)
Course objectives
The main objective of the course is to provide students with a clear overview of the main stages of political, social, economic, and cultural development in Czechoslovakia from its establishment in 1918 to its dissolution in 1992. The focus of the course will be on constitutional, political, and national issues and international contexts that shaped the Czechoslovak Republic during its 74-year history.
Learning outcomes
After completing this course, students will be able to navigate the issues of political, social, and cultural life in Czechoslovakia. At the same time, they will gain a basic overview of historiographical works that dealt with various phenomena in Czechoslovak history. Specifically, they will be able to describe the constitutional and political order of the period and its transformations. They will also be able to identify the problems that society in Czechoslovakia had to deal with.
Syllabus
The establishment of Czechoslovakia in 1918. The main problems of interwar Czechoslovakia (political, national, economic). The place of interwar Czechoslovakia in international politics. The crisis of 1938 and its culmination in the demise of the First Republic. The period of the Second Republic, occupation, and the Protectorate. Liberation in 1945, the Third Republic 1945-48. The building of state socialism after the February coup 1948. The Prague Spring of 1968 and the attempt to restore civil society. The occupation by Warsaw Pact troops, normalization, the dissident movement. Stagnation of state socialism in Czechoslovakia and its fall in 1989. Restoration of pluralistic democracy in Czechoslovakia in 1989-1992. Crisis of Czech-Slovak coexistence and the dissolution of Czechoslovakia.
Literature
  • KŘEN, Jan. Dvě století střední Evropy. Vyd. 1. Praha: Argo, 2005, 1109 s. ISBN 8072036122. info
  • DEJMEK, Jindřich. Československo : dějiny státu. První vydání. Praha: Libri, 2018, 951 stran. ISBN 9788072775729. info
  • RÁKOSNÍK, Jakub; Matěj SPURNÝ and Jiří ŠTAIF. Milníky moderních českých dějin : krize konsenzu a legitimity v letech 1848-1989. Vydání první. Praha: Argo, 2018, 395 stran. ISBN 9788025725184. info
  • RYCHLÍK, Jan; Milan POKORNÝ; Anna ZELENKOVÁ and Ján GBÚR. Dějiny Slovenska. Vydání první. V Praze: Vyšehrad, 2024, 647 stran. ISBN 9788076019157. info
  • Od bouře k bouři : Československo, Evropa a svět mezi dvěma světovými válkami (1918-1939). Edited by Jakub Drábik - Jakub Rákosník. Vydání první. Praha: Academia, 2022, 810 stran. ISBN 9788020029232. info
Teaching methods
lecture, working with sources and literature, presentation of results in a joint discussion
Assessment methods
Exam (oral or written test)
Náhradní absolvování
In the case of a study abroad, it is necessary to agree with the teacher on the form of work with the provided sources and literature. The teacher may suggest additional sources and literature and tasks for self-study and require them to be completed in writing. After returning from studying abroad, the student will take an exam.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught each semester.
The course is taught every week.
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