Czechoslovakia Socialist Republic

Československá socialistická republika

Official Names

1918 - 1920: Republic of Czechoslovakia (abbreviated RČS)/Czecho-Slovak State or Czecho-Slovakia/Czechoslovakia.

1920 - 1938: Czechoslovak Republic (ČSR), or Czechoslovakia.

1938 - 1939: Czecho-Slovak Republic, or Czecho-Slovakia.

1945 - 1960: Czechoslovak Republic (ČSR), or Czechoslovakia.

Official Names

1960 - 1990: Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (ČSSR), or Czechoslovakia.

April 1990: Czechoslovak Federal Republic (Czech version) and Czecho-Slovak Federative Republic (Slovak version).

The country subsequently became the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic ČSFR, or Československo (Czech version) and Česko-Slovensko (Slovak version).

InformationMotto

"Pravda vítězí" (Czech)"Truth prevails“.

Constitution= 9 May 1948Czech and Slovak Federal Republic

established= March 1989Capital: Prague

Language: Czech and SlovakGovernment: Single-party Marxist-Leninist

federal republicCurrency :Czechoslovak koruna

Information The Czechoslovak Socialist

Republic (Czech/Slovak: Československá socialistická republika) was the official name of Czechoslovakia from 1960 until shortly after the Velvet Revolution in 1989. It was a Soviet satellite state of theEastern Bloc.

Following the coup d'état of February 1948, when the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia seized power with the backing of the Soviet Union, the country was declared a people's republic after the Ninth-of-May Constitution became effective.

The traditional name Československá republika (Czechoslovak Republic) was changed on 11 July 1960 following implementation of the 1960 Constitution of Czechoslovakia as a symbol of the "final victory of socialism" in the country, and remained so until the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia.

It is a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992.

Information

From 1939 to 1945, the state did not de facto exist because of its forced division and partial incorporation into Nazi Germany, but theCzechoslovak government-in-exile operated independently during this period.

1 January 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Information

Basic CharacteristicsForm of state: 1918 - 1938: A democratic republic. 1938 - 1939: After annexation

of Sudetenland by Germany in 1938, the region gradually turned into a state with loosened connections among the Czech, Slovak, and Ruthenian parts

1939 - 1945: The region split into the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and the Slovak Republic. A government-in-exile continued to exist in London, supported by the United Kingdom, United States and its Allies; after German invasion of Russia, it was also recognised by the USSR.

Basic Characteristics

1946 - 1948: The country was governed by a coalition government withCommunist ministers, with the prime minister and the minister of interior.Carpathian Ruthenia was ceded to the USSR.

1948 - 1989: The country became a communist state with a centrally planned economy. In 1960, the country officially became asocialist republic.

Basic Characteristics

1969 - 1990: The federal  republic consisted of the Czech Socialist Republic and the Slovak Socialist Republic.

1990 - 1992: The federal democratic republic consisted of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.

Topography

The country was of generally irregular terrain. The western area was part of north-central European uplands. The eastern region was composed of northern reaches of Carpathian Mountains and Danube River basin lands.

ClimateThe weather was predominantly continental, but varied from the moderate temperature of Western Europe in the west, to more severe weather of Eastern Europe and the western Soviet Union in the east.

Formation Before the Soviet invasion of

Czechoslovakia, in 1943, Czechoslovakian leader in exile Edvard Beneš agreed to Soviet leader Joseph Stalin's demands for unconditional agreement with Soviet foreign policy and the Beneš decrees.

While Beneš was not a Moscow cadre and several domestic reforms of other Eastern Bloc countries were not part Beneš' plan,

Stalin did not object because the plan included property expropriation and he was satisfied with the relative strength of communists in Czechoslovakia compared to other Eastern Bloc countries.

In April 1945, the Third Republic was formed, led by a National Front of six parties. Because of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia's strength (they held 114 of 300 seats) and Beneš' loyalty, the Kremlin did not require Bloc politics or "reliable" cadres in Czechoslovakian power positions, and the executive and legislative branches retained their traditional structures. 

The Communists were the big winners in the 1946 elections--one of only two free elections ever held in the Soviet bloc. 

Klement Gottwald, leader of the KSČ, became Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia.

the Soviet Union was disappointed that the government failed to eliminate "bourgeois" influence in the army, expropriate industrialists and large landowners and eliminate parties outside of the "National Front“.

 in September 1947, Rudolf Slánský returned to Prague with a plan for the final seizure of power,

including the StB's elimination of party enemies and purging of dissidents

On 25 February 1948, Beneš, fearful of civil war and Soviet intervention, capitulated and appointed a Communist-dominated government who was sworn in two days later.

Foreign Minister Jan Masaryk, the only prominent minister still left who wasn't either a Communist or fellow traveler, was found dead two weeks later.

  On 30 May, a single list of candidates from the National Front—now an organization dominated by the Communists—was elected to the National Assembly.

After passage of the Ninth-of-May Constitution on 9 June 1948, the country became a People's Republic until 1960.

On 11 July 1960, the 1960 Constitution of Czechoslovakia was promulgated, changing the name of the country from the "Czechoslovak Republic" to the "Czechoslovak Socialist Republic".

Eastern Bloc refers to the former communist

states of Central and Eastern Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact.

States of the Eastern Bloc People's Republic of Hungary People's Republic of Poland

Czechoslovak Socialist Republic Romanian People's Republic /

Socialist Republic of Romania German Democratic Republic (East Germany)

People's Republic of Albania (to 1961) People's Republic of Bulgaria Federal People's Republic of

Yugoslavia (to 1948)

History

Czechoslovakia was characterized by the absence of democracy and competitiveness with the Western European nations as part of the Cold War.

In the religious sphere, atheism was officially promoted and taught. In 1969, the country became a federation of the Czech Socialist Republic and Slovak Socialist Republic.

Under the federation, social and economic inequities between the Czech and Slovak halves of the state were largely eliminated.

the centralized political control by the Communist Party severely limited the effects of federalization.

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.

In late 1989, the country became a democratic country again through the Velvet Revolution.

In 1992, the federal parliament decided to dissolve the country into the Czech Republic and Slovakia as of 1 January 1993.

Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution

was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 to December 29, 1989. Dominated by student and other popular demonstrations against the one-party government of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, it saw to the collapse of the party's control of the country, and the subsequent conversion from Czech socialism to parliamentary republic.

Geography

Neighbour states were: West Germany and East Germany, People's Republic of Poland, Soviet Union,  People's Republic of Hungary, and Austria.

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;

two republics Czech Socialist Republic and Slovak Socialist Republic were established in 1969.

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 and the Berlin Blockade, increased party purges occurred throughout the Eastern Bloc, including a purge of 550,000 party members of the KSČ, which comprised 30% of its members .Approximately 130,000 people were sent to prisons, labor camps and mines.

Antonín Novotny served as First Secretary of the KSČ from 1953 to 1968

Gustáv Husák was elected first secretary of KSČ in

1969 (changed to general secretary in 1971) and

president of Czechoslovakia in 1975

Other parties and organizations existed but functioned in subordinate roles to KSČ. All political parties, as well as numerous mass organizations, were grouped under the umbrella of National Front of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic.

Human rights activists and religious activists were severely repressed.

Economy

a centrally planned command economy with links controlled by the communist party, similar to theSoviet Union.

Large metallurgical industry, but was dependent on imports for iron and nonferrous ores.

Like the rest of the Eastern Bloc, producer goods were favored over consumer goods, causing consumer goods to be lacking in quantity and quality.

Investments made in industry did not yield the results expected, and consumption of energy and raw materials was excessive.

Czechoslovak leaders themselves decried the economy's failure to modernize with sufficient speed.

Industry: Extractive and manufacturing industries dominated

sector. Major branches included machinery, chemicals, food

processing, metallurgy, and textiles. Industry was wasteful of energy, materials, and labor and slow to upgrade technology, but was a

source of high-quality machinery and arms for other communist countries.

Agriculture: Minor sector but supplied bulk of 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.

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.

The exchange rate on the black

market was around Kcs 30 per US$1, and this rate became the official one 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 crude oil and natural gas from the Soviet Union, domestic brown coal, and nuclear and hydroelectric energy. Energy constraints were a major factor in 1980s.

Religion

In 1991: Roman Catholics 46.4%,

Evangelic Lutheran 5.3%, Atheist 29.5%, n/a 16.7%,

but there were huge differences between the 2 constituent

republics.

Health, social welfare and housing

After World War II:free health care was available to all

citizensNational health planning emphasized

preventive medicinefactory 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.

International agreements and membership

Council for Mutual Economic

Assistance (Comecon)Warsaw Pact, United Nation

its specialized agencies Non-Aligned Movement;

signatory of conference on Security and

Cooperation in Europe.

Warsaw Pact

APRIL 1985, the general secretaries of the communist and workers' parties of the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), Hungary, Poland, and Romania gathered in Warsaw to sign a protocol extending the effective term of the 1955 Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance, which originally established the Soviet-led political-military alliance in Eastern Europe.

Their action ensured will remain part of the international political and military landscape well into the future.

PRAGUE, Czechoslovakia—Warsaw Pact invasion Prague, Aug. 21,

1968.

Historical Sites

From Napoleonic battlefields to medieval castles, grand monuments to touching memorials, the Historic Sites in Czech Republic tell the story of a land with a diverse history.

Prague, Czechoslovakia

The Prague Castle is the

largest medieval castle complex.

Today, it is listed in the Guinness Book of World

Records for being one of the world’s biggest castles.

Austerlitz Battlefield was the site of the

Battle of Austerlitz, also known as the Battle of the

Three Emperors, which took place on 2

December 1805 and saw Napoleon

Bonaparte’s army decisively

defeat the combined

forces of the Russian and

Austrian empires.

Lobkowicz Palace

(Lobkowiczky palac) is one of the museums of Prague Castle

and almost certainly one of

its most popular sites. It is named

after the affluent and influential Lobkowicz

family, to whom Lobkowicz

Palace passed not long after it was built in the mid-sixteenth

century.

Charles Bridge (Karluv Most) is an iconic

bridge in Prague that crosses the river

Vltava.Bridge began during the reign of Charles

IV in 1357 to replace the Judita Bridge which had

been damaged by a flood in 1342.

known as “Stone Bridge” was the

only means the of crossing the river, a

vital connection between Prague

Castle and the Old Town and a trade

route.

The Communism Museum (Muzeum

Komunismu) of Prague showcases the history

of what was Czechoslovakia - and particularly Prague - under the communist regime from 1948 to

1989.

Koniggratz Battlefield and the Chlum

Museum commemorate the

1866 Battle of Königgrätz between Prussia and Austria.

The decisive encounter of the war,

the Battle of Königgrätz, or battle of Hradec Králové, saw

Prussian forces defeat those of the Austrian

Empire, inflicting significant casualties on the Austrian army.

This momentous Prussian victory

helped pave the way for future German

unification.

The Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague is the final resting place of many leading figures of the city’s

Jewish community.

The Astronomical

Clock at Prague Old

Town Hall was made by

Mikuláš of Kadaň and

Professor Jan Šindel in 1410,

with the calendar dial and gothic decorations presumed to have been

added near the end of the century.

Prague’s Old Town Square

(Staromestske Namesti)

was established

in the twelfth

century and originally served as the city’s

main marketplace

St George’s Basilica is a tenth century church rich with Baroque, Romanesque and

Bohemian architectural elements located in the Prague Castle complex. Toriginally built in

920 AD by Prince Vratislav I, St George’s Basilica only retains the foundations from this

period.

St Nicholas Church in

Prague was a Jesuit

church built between 1673 and 1752 to

replace the thirteenth

century Parish of St Nicholas.

Theresienstadt Concentration Camp in

Terezin in the Czech Republic was a Nazi concentration camp

during the Holocaust.Originally

known as Terezin Fortress built in the

eighteenth century to protect Prague from the possibility of invasion by Prussia. It then became a prison in the 1880’s

before being taken over during the Nazi

occupation of the then Czechoslovakia in World

War Two.

Wenceslas Square (Vaclavske Namesti) is a shopping boulevard in the centre of Prague which

has witnessed centuries of historical events.Established as a horse market and in fact named “Horse Market” or “Koňský trh” in the fourteenth

century during the reign of King Charles IV

The Old-New Synagogue in

Prague is Europe’s oldest synagogue to

still hold services today. Built in

approximately 1270, it was

initially called the “New Shul” (shul meaning synagogue), to distinguish it from others in

the city

Thank You so Much for listening!

Reporter: Tipan, Gerome Mikhail C. BSED III