5. Social and political background of Czech society – years of the communist regime


                                                                                          Lecturer:
Pavel Pšeja


Objective: to inform students about the changes in the character of Czech society in the years of
the communist regime.



Lecture:  Detailed information about the processes and developments that influenced the behaviour
of the Czech society under communist rule will be given in this lecture. A brief analysis will also
be made with regard to the damages the communist regime inflicted upon Czech society and in what
way it affected not only its internal nature, but its position in the international community as
well. As a final point, changes after the fall of the communist regime will also be discussed.

First position paper is due in this session (for details please see information as given in the
first session).


Assigned reading:

·        Fawn, Rick: The Czech Republic: A Nation of Velvet, Amsterdam: Harwood Publishers, 2000.
pp. 14-26.

·        Innes, Abby: Czechoslovakia: The Short Goodbye, New Haveh: Yale University Press, 2001.
pp. 19-38.


Additional reading:

·        Skilling, H. G. “The Czechoslovak Constitutional System: The Soviet Impact.” Political
Science Quarterly, Vol. 67, No. 2. (Jun., 1952), pp. 198-224.

·        Hájek, Jan; Kolář, František; Matoušek, Václav; Vágner, Petr. The Heart of Europe.
Pardubice: Theo Publishing, 2000.



Issues for discussion:

The conditions under which the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia seized power in 1948.

The whole notion of “normalization”.