Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
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Czechoslovak Republic (1948–1960) Československá republika Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (1960–1990) Československá socialistická republika Czechoslovak Federative Republic (1990) Československá federativní republika (Czech) Česko-slovenská federatívna republika (Slovak) | |||||||||
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1948–1990 | |||||||||
Motto: Pravda vítězí / Pravda víťazí "Truth prevails" | |||||||||
Anthem: ’Kde domov můj’ (Czech) ’Where my home is’ ’Nad Tatrou sa blýska’ (Slovak) ’Lightning Over the Tatras’ | |||||||||
Status | Warsaw Pact and Comecon member | ||||||||
Capital and largest city | Prague 50°05′N 14°25′E / 50.083°N 14.417°E | ||||||||
Official languages | |||||||||
Religion |
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Government |
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General Secretary | |||||||||
• 1948–1953 | Klement Gottwald | ||||||||
• 1953–1968 | Antonín Novotný | ||||||||
• 1968–1969 | Alexander Dubček | ||||||||
• 1969–1987 | Gustáv Husák | ||||||||
• 1987–1989 | Miloš Jakeš | ||||||||
• 1989 | Karel Urbánek | ||||||||
• 1989–1990 | Ladislav Adamec | ||||||||
President | |||||||||
• 1948–1953 (first) | Klement Gottwald | ||||||||
• 1989–1990 (last) | Václav Havel | ||||||||
Prime Minister | |||||||||
• 1948–1953 (first) | Antonín Zápotocký | ||||||||
• 1989–1990 (last) | Marián Čalfa | ||||||||
Historical era | Cold War | ||||||||
25 February 1948 | |||||||||
9 May 1948 | |||||||||
11 July 1960 | |||||||||
21 August 1968 | |||||||||
1 January 1969 | |||||||||
24 November 1989 | |||||||||
23 April 1990 | |||||||||
• End of the Government of National Understanding | 27 June 1990 | ||||||||
Area | |||||||||
• Total | 127,900 km2 (49,400 sq mi) | ||||||||
Population | |||||||||
• Estimate | 15,600,000 | ||||||||
HDI (1990) | 0.931[1] very high | ||||||||
Currency | Czechoslovak koruna | ||||||||
Calling code | 42 | ||||||||
Internet TLD | .cs | ||||||||
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Today part of | |||||||||
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History of Czechoslovakia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Part of a series on the |
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic |
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Economy Industry Agriculture Foreign trade Transport Education Demographics Government structure Health and social welfare Mass media Resource base Religion Society |
The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic,
Following the
In April 1990, shortly after the Velvet Revolution of November 1989, the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was renamed to the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic. On 27 June 1990, the National Government of Understanding established by Ladislav Adamec which replaced his own government and was established for the designation of the Czechoslovak Federal Government. It was established in 10 December 1989 and until 1990, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia was in power of the government and held a large majority until the new elections in February 1990 when the Civic Forum claimed victory and led the government until its end. The government was replaced by the Government of National Sacrifice led by Marián Čalfa.
Name
The official name of the country was the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. Conventional wisdom suggested that it would be known as simply the "Czechoslovak Republic"—its official name from 1920 to 1938 and from 1945 to 1960. However, Slovak politicians felt this diminished Slovakia's equal stature, and demanded that the country's name be spelled with a hyphen (i.e. "Czecho-Slovak Republic"), as it was spelled from Czechoslovak independence in 1918 until 1920, and again in 1938 and 1939. President Havel then changed his proposal to "Republic of Czecho-Slovakia"—a proposal that did not sit well with Czech politicians who saw reminders of the 1938 Munich Agreement, in which Nazi Germany annexed a part of that territory. The name also means "Land of the Czechs and Slovaks" while Latinised from the country's original name – "the Czechoslovak Nation"[4] – upon independence in 1918, from the Czech endonym Češi – via its Polish orthography[5]
The name "Czech" derives from the
History
Background
Eastern Bloc |
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Before the
In April 1945, the Third Republic was formed, led by a
Following Czechoslovakia's brief consideration of taking
On 25 February 1948, Beneš, fearful of
Czechoslovak Republic (1948–1960)
After passage of the
1968–1990
In 20–21 August 1968 the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was jointly invaded by the Soviet Union and
Except the Prague Spring in the late-1960s, Czechoslovakia was characterized by the absence of democracy and competitiveness of its Western European counterparts as part of the Cold War. In 1969, the country became a federative republic comprising the Czech Socialist Republic and Slovak Socialist Republic.
Under the
The 1970s saw the rise of the dissident movement in Czechoslovakia, represented (among others) by Václav Havel. The movement sought greater political participation and expression in the face of official disapproval, making itself felt by limits on work activities (up to a ban on any professional employment and refusal of higher education to the dissident's children), police harassment and even prison time.
In late 1989, the country became a
Geography
The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was bounded on the west by West Germany and East Germany, on the north by Poland, on the east by the Soviet Union (via the Ukrainian SSR) and on the south by Hungary and Austria.
Politics
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ) led initially by First Secretary Klement Gottwald, held a monopoly on politics. Following the 1948 Tito–Stalin split, increased party purges occurred throughout the Eastern Bloc, including a purge of 550,000 party members of the KSČ, 30% of its members.[18][19]
The evolution of the resulting harshness of purges in Czechoslovakia, like much of its history after 1948, was a function of the late takeover by the communists, with many of the purges focusing on the sizable numbers of party members with prior memberships in other parties.
In terms of political appointments, the KSČ maintained cadre and nomenklatura lists, with the latter containing every post that was important to the smooth application of party policy, including military posts, administrative positions, directors of local enterprises, social organization administrators, newspapers, etc.[21] The KSČ's nomenklatura lists were thought to contain 100,000 post listings.[21] The names of those that the party considered to be trustworthy enough to secure a nomenklatura post were compiled on the cadre list.[21]
Leaders of the Communist Party
Name | Photo | Title | In office |
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Antonín Novotny
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First Secretary | 14 March 1953 – 5 January 1968 | |
Alexander Dubček | First Secretary | 5 January 1968 – 17 April 1969 | |
Gustáv Husák | First Secretary /
General Secretary |
17 April 1969 – 17 December 1987 as First Secretary 1969–1971 | |
Miloš Jakeš | General Secretary | 17 December 1987 – 24 November 1989 | |
Karel Urbánek | General Secretary | 24 November 1989 – 20 December 1989 | |
Ladislav Adamec | Chairman | 21 December 1989 – 1 September 1990 |
Heads of state and government
Foreign relations
Communist-controlled Czechoslovakia was an active participant in the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (
Administrative divisions
- 1960–1992: 10 regions (kraje), Prague, and (since 1970) Bratislava; divided in 109–114 districts (okresy); the kraje were abolished temporarily in Slovakia in 1969–1970 and for many functions since 1991 in Czechoslovakia; in addition, the two internal republics, the Czech Socialist Republic, and Slovak Socialist Republic, were established in 1969.
Economy
The CSSR's economy was a
In the 1950s, Czechoslovakia experienced high economic growth (averaging 7% per year), which allowed for a substantial increase in wages and living standards, thus promoting the stability of the regime.[25]
- Industry: extractive and manufacturing industries dominated this sector. Major branches included communist countries.
- Agriculture: minor sector but supplied bulk of domestic food needs. Dependent on large imports of grains (mainly for livestock feed) in years of adverse weather. Meat production constrained by shortage of feed, but high per capita consumption of meat.
- Foreign Trade: exports estimated at US$17.8 billion in 1985, of which 55% was machinery, 14% fuels and materials, and 16% manufactured consumer goods. Imports at estimated US$17.9 billion in 1985, of which 41% was fuels and materials, 33% machinery, and 12% agricultural and forestry products. In 1986, about 80% of foreign trade was with communist countries.
- Exchange Rate: the official, or commercial, rate was Kcs 5.4 per US$1 in 1987; whereas the tourist, or noncommercial, rate was Kcs 10.5 per US$1. Neither rate reflected purchasing power. The exchange rate on the black market was around Kcs 30 per US$1, and this rate would become official once the currency became convertible in the early 1990s.
- Fiscal Year: calendar year.
- Fiscal Policy: state almost exclusive owner of means of production. Revenues from state enterprises primary source of revenues followed by turnover tax. Large budget expenditures on social programs, subsidies, and investments. Budget usually balanced or small surplus.
Resource base
After World War II, the country was short on energy, relying on imported
Demographics
Society and social groups
Homosexuality was decriminalized in 1962.[26]
Religion
Religion was oppressed and attacked in communist-era Czechoslovakia.[27] In 1991, 46.4% of Czechoslovaks were Roman Catholics, 29.5% were atheists, 5.3% were Evangelical Lutherans, and 16.7% were n/a, but there were huge differences between the 2 constituent republics – see Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Culture and society
Health, social welfare and housing
After World War II, free health care was available to all citizens. National health planning emphasized preventive medicine; factory and local health-care centers supplemented hospitals and other inpatient institutions. Substantial improvement in rural health care in 1960s and 1970s.
Mass media
The mass media in Czechoslovakia was controlled by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ). Private ownership of any publication or agency of the mass media was generally forbidden, although churches and other organizations published small periodicals and newspapers. Even with this informational monopoly in the hands of organizations under KSČ control, all publications were reviewed by the government's Office for Press and Information.
Military
See also
- Government structure of Communist Czechoslovakia
- Economy of Communist Czechoslovakia
- Resource base of Communist Czechoslovakia
- Society of Communist Czechoslovakia
- Health and social welfare in Communist Czechoslovakia
- Mass media in Communist Czechoslovakia
- Prague Spring
- Captive Nations
- Czech Socialist Republic
- Slovak Socialist Republic
- Czech Republic within Czechoslovakia (1963-1969)
Footnotes
Sources
- ^ "Human Development Report 1990" (PDF). Human Development Reports.
- ^ Vladimir Tismaneanu, Marius Stan, Cambridge University Press, 17 May, 2018, Romania Confronts Its Communist Past: Democracy, Memory, and Moral Justice, p. 132
- ^ Rao, B. V. (2006), History of Modern Europe Ad 1789–2002: A.D. 1789–2002, Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
- Masaryk, Tomáš. Czechoslovak Declaration of Independence. 1918.
- ^ a b Czech. CollinsDictionary.com. Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 11th Edition. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
- ^ Online Etymology Dictionary. "Czech". Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ a b Wettig 2008, p. 45
- ^ Wettig 2008, p. 86
- ^ Wettig 2008, p. 152
- ^ Wettig 2008, p. 110
- ^ Wettig 2008, p. 138
- ^ Grogin 2001, p. 134
- ^ Grenville 2005, p. 371
- ^ Grenville 2005, pp. 370–371
- ^ Grogin 2001, pp. 134–135
- ^ Saxonberg 2001, p. 15
- ^ Grogin 2001, p. 135
- ^ a b c Crampton 1997, p. 262
- ^ Bideleux & Jeffries 2007, p. 477
- ^ Crampton 1997, p. 270
- ^ a b c Crampton 1997, p. 249
- ^ Dale 2005, p. 85
- ^ Bideleux & Jeffries 2007, p. 474
- ^ Hardt & Kaufman 1995, p. 17
- ^ Chris Harman, A People's History of the World, 1999, p 625
- ^ "Vers la décriminalisation de l'homosexualité sous le communisme". February 2017.
- ^ Catholics in Communist Czechoslovakia: A Story of Persecution and Perseverance
References
- Bideleux, Robert; Jeffries, Ian (2007), A History of Eastern Europe: Crisis and Change, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-36626-7
- Black, Cyril E.; English, Robert D.; Helmreich, Jonathan E.; McAdams, James A. (2000), Rebirth: A Political History of Europe since World War II, Westview Press, ISBN 0-8133-3664-3
- Crampton, R. J. (1997), Eastern Europe in the twentieth century and after, Routledge, ISBN 0-415-16422-2
- Dale, Gareth (2005), Popular Protest in East Germany, 1945–1989: Judgements on the Street, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-7146-5408-9
- Frucht, Richard C. (2003), Encyclopedia of Eastern Europe: From the Congress of Vienna to the Fall of Communism, Taylor & Francis Group, ISBN 0-203-80109-1
- Grenville, John Ashley Soames (2005), A History of the World from the 20th to the 21st Century, Routledge, ISBN 0-415-28954-8
- Grenville, John Ashley Soames; Wasserstein, Bernard (2001), The Major International Treaties of the Twentieth Century: A History and Guide with Texts, Taylor & Francis, ISBN 0-415-23798-X
- Grogin, Robert C. (2001), Natural Enemies: The United States and the Soviet Union in the Cold War, 1917–1991, Lexington Books, ISBN 0-7391-0160-9
- Hardt, John Pearce; Kaufman, Richard F. (1995), East-Central European Economies in Transition, M.E. Sharpe, ISBN 1-56324-612-0
- Saxonberg, Steven (2001), The Fall: A Comparative Study of the End of Communism in Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary and Poland, Routledge, ISBN 90-5823-097-X
- Wettig, Gerhard (2008), Stalin and the Cold War in Europe, Rowman & Littlefield, ISBN 978-0-7425-5542-6