Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia (
Czech:
ÄŒeskoslovensko,
Slovak:
ÄŒesko-Slovensko/before 1990
ÄŒeskoslovensko) was a country in
Central Europe that existed from
1918 until early
1993 (with
government-in-exile during the
World War II period). On
January 1,
1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully
split into the
Czech Republic and
Slovakia.
Form of state:
*1918–1939: a
democratic republic consisting of the regions Bohemia, Slovakia, Czech Silesia and
Carpatho-Ukraine*1939–1945: after annexation of
Sudetenland by
Germany in 1938, split into the
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and the
Slovak Republic (WWII) *1948–1989: a
Communist country with a centrally planned economy (from 1948 People's Republic, from 1960 Socialist Republic to 1989)
*1969–1989: a
federal republic consisting of the
Czech Socialist Republic and the
Slovak Socialist Republic;
*1989–1993: a
federal republic consisting of the
Czech Republic and the
Slovak Republic;
Neighbors:
Germany (1945–1990:
West Germany and
East Germany),
Poland, from 1945
Soviet Union (1992:
Ukraine),
Romania (until 1939),
Hungary,
AustriaTopography: Generally irregular terrain. Western area is part of north-central European uplands. Eastern region is composed of northern reaches of Carpathian Mountains and Danube Basin lands.
Climate: Predominantly continental but varied from moderate temperatures of Western Europe in the west to more severe weather systems affecting Eastern Europe and the western Soviet Union in the east.
*1918–1920:
Czecho-Slovak Republic or
Czechoslovak Republic (abbreviated RÄŒS); short form Czecho-Slovakia or rarely Czechoslovakia
*1920–1938 and 1945–1960:
Czechoslovak Republic (ÄŒSR [initially abbreviated RÄŒS]); short form Czechoslovakia
*1938–1939:
Czecho-Slovak Republic; Czecho-Slovakia
*1960–1990:
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (ÄŒSSR); Czechoslovakia
*April 1990: Czechoslovak Federative Republic (Czech version) and Czecho-Slovak Federative Republic (Slovak version),
*afterwards:
Czech and Slovak Federative Republic (ÄŒSFR, with the short forms Czechoslovakia (Czech version) and Czecho-Slovakia (Slovak version))
*Note that the official adjective form is
Czechoslovak, not
Czechoslovakian. (And likewise
Slovak, not
Slovakian although both erroneous forms are pretty much the standard in the English-speaking world)
Main article:
History of Czechoslovakia[[Image:Czech and Slovak peoples in Austro-Hungarian Empire.gif|450px|thumb|right|Czechoslovakian lands inside {{Austro-Hungarian Empire}}, 1911
]]
Czechoslovakia arose in October 1918 as one of the succession states of
Austria-Hungary at the end of
World War I. It consisted of the present-day territories of the
Czech Republic,
Slovakia and (until
1939/
29 June 1945)
Carpathian Ruthenia (briefly independent as
Carpatho-Ukraine). Its territory included some of the most industrialized regions of the former Austria-Hungary, it was a
democratic republic throughout the pre-
World War II period, but was characterized by ethnic problems. The ethnic problems were due to the fact that the second and third largest
ethnic groups (
Germans and
Slovaks, respectively) were not satisfied with the political and economic dominance of the
Czechs, and that most Germans and
Hungarians of Czechoslovakia never really accepted the creation of the new state.
Many Germans, Hungarians and Poles, but also some Slovaks, felt disadvantaged in Czechoslovakia, because the political elite of the country introduced a centralised state and most of the time did not allow political autonomy for the ethnic groups. This policy, combined with increasing Nazi propaganda especially in the industrialised German speaking Sudetenland, led to increasing unrest among the Non-Czech population.
Before WWII, Czechoslovakia became
Hitler's target. After the
Munich Agreement of 1938, Hitler's troops occupied the ethnic-German border regions of
Bohemia and
Moravia (the
Sudetenland), Hungary received territory in southern Slovakia, and the Slovak and
Ruthene regions received an autonomous status for a while. Finally Czechoslovakia ceased to exist in March 1939, when Hitler occupied the remainder of the
Czech lands and (the remaining) Slovakia was forced to declare independence. During the
Second World War the Czech lands were designated the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and were ruled directly by the German state. The newly independent Slovak state became an ally of Nazi Germany. Slovakia's troops fought on the Russian front until the summer of 1944, when the Slovak armed forces staged an uprising against their government. German forces crushed this uprising after several months of fighting.
After
World War II, pre-war Czechoslovakia was reestablished, all Germans were expelled from the country and
Ruthenia was occupied by (and ultimately ceded to) the Soviet Union. Three years later the
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia seized power (
1948–
1989) following a parliamentary election in which the Communists emerged as the winner and the country came under the influence of the
Soviet Union. Except for a short period in the late
1960s (the
Prague Spring) the country was characterized by the absence of democracy and relative economic backwardness compared to Western Europe, although its economy remained more advanced than those of its neighbors in Eastern Europe. In the religious sphere,
atheism was officially promoted and taught. In
1969, Czechoslovakia was turned into 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 1970s saw the rise of the dissident movement in Czechoslovakia, led in part by
Vaclav Havel and
Vaclav Benda. The movement sought greater political participation and expression, but in either case the dissident faced social isolation and even prison time.
In
1989, the country became a democratic country again through the
Velvet Revolution. In
1992, the federal parliament decided to split the country into the
Czech Republic and
Slovakia, as of
January 1,
1993.
From creation to dissolution â€" overview
*
List of Presidents of Czechoslovakia*
List of Prime Ministers of Czechoslovakia* see also
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia —
LeadersAfter WWII, active participant in Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (
Comecon),
Warsaw Pact,
United Nations and its specialized agencies, and
Movement of Nonaligned Nations; signatory of
conference on Security and Cooperation in EuropeMain article: Administrative divisions of Czechoslovakia
*
1918–
1923: different systems on former Austrian territory (
Bohemia,
Moravia, small part of
Silesia) and on former Hungarian territory (
Slovakia and
Ruthenia): 3 lands [země] (also called district units [obvody]) Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia + 21 counties [župy] in today's Slovakia + 2? counties in today's Ruthenia; both lands and counties were divided in districts [okresy]
*
1923–
1927: like above, except that the above counties were replaced by 6 (grand) counties [(veľ)župy] in today's Slovakia and 1 (grand) county in today's Ruthenia, and the number and frontiers of the okresy were changed on these 2 territories
*
1928–
1938: 4 lands [in Czech: zemÄ› / in Slovak: krajiny]: Bohemia, Moravia-Silesia, Slovakia and Subcarpathian Ruthenia; divided in districts [okresy]
*late
1938–March
1939: like above, but Slovakia and Ruthenia were promoted to "autonomous lands"
*
1945–
1948: like 1928–1938, except that Ruthenia became part of the Soviet Union
*
1949–
1960: 19 regions [kraje] divided in 270 districts [okresy]
*
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 republics Czech Socialist Republic and Slovak Socialist Republic were established in 1969 (without the word
Socialist since 1990)
Main article:
Population and Ethnic Groups of CzechoslovakiaMain article:
Religion in Communist CzechoslovakiaIn 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 – see
Czech Republic and
SlovakiaMain article:
Health and Social Welfare in Communist CzechoslovakiaAfter WWII, 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.
Main articles:
Czechoslovakia: 1918 - 1938 and
Politics of Communist CzechoslovakiaAfter WWII, monopoly on politics held by
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
Gustáv Husák elected first secretary of KSC 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 KSC. All political parties, as well as numerous mass organizations, grouped under umbrella of National Front of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. Human rights activists and religious activists severely repressed.
Main article:
Government structure of Communist CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia had the following
constitutions throughout its history (1918 – 1992):
* Temporary Constitution of November 14 1918 [democratic], see:
Czechoslovakia: 1918 - 1938* The 1920 Constitution (The Constitutional Document of the Czechoslovak Republic) [democratic, in force till 1948, several amendments], see:
Czechoslovakia: 1918 - 1938* The 1948 Constitution (The
Ninth-of-May Constitution) [a Communist one]
* The
1960 Constitution (The Constitution of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic) [a Communist one till 1989] with amendments in 1968 (Czechoslovakia turned into a federation), 1971, 1975, 1978, 1989 (leading role of the
KSC abolished) and several times during 1990-1992 (e. g. 1990 change of the name of Czechoslovakia, 1991 incorporation of the human rights charter)
Main article:
Society of Communist CzechoslovakiaMain article:
Education in CzechoslovakiaEducation free at all levels and compulsory from age six to sixteen. Vast majority of population literate. Highly developed system of apprenticeship training and vocational schools supplemented general secondary schools and institutions of higher education.
Main article:
Resource base of Communist CzechoslovakiaAfter WWII, country energy short, relying on imported crude oil and natural gas from Soviet Union, domestic brown coal, and nuclear and hydroelectric energy. Energy constraints a major factor in 1980s.
Main articles:
Economy of Communist Czechoslovakia and
Economic History of Communist CzechoslovakiaAfter WWII, economy centrally planned with command links controlled by communist party, similar to
Soviet Union. Large metallurgical industry but dependent on imports for iron and nonferrous ores.
*Industry: Extractive and manufacturing industries dominated sector. Major branches included machinery, chemicals, food processing, metallurgy, and textiles. Industry wasteful of energy, materials, and labor and slow to upgrade technology, but country 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.
*Foreign Trade: Exports estimated at US$17.8 billion in 1985, of which 55 % machinery, 14 % fuels and materials, 16 % manufactured consumer goods. Imports at estimated US$17.9 billion in 1985, of which 41 % fuels and materials, 33 % machinery, 12 % agricultural and forestry products other. In 1986, about 80 % of foreign trade with communist countries.
*Exchange Rate: Official, or commercial, rate Kcs 5.4 per US$1 in 1987; tourist, or noncommercial, rate 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 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.
Main article:
Transportation in CzechoslovakiaMain article:
Mass media in Communist CzechoslovakiaThe
Czechoslovakia national football team was a consistent performer in the international scene, with 8 appearances in the
FIFA World Cup Finals, finishing in second-place in
1934 and
1962. The team also won the
European Football Championship in
1976 and came in second in
1996.
The
Czechoslovakian national ice hockey team has won many medals from the world championships and olympic games.
The famous
tennis players
Ivan Lendl and
Martina Navrátilová were born in Czechoslovakia.
See:
*
Czech Republic,
Slovakia*
List of Czechs,
List of Slovaks*
MDŽCzechoslovakia's first issue [
1]
*
Former countries in Europe after 1815*
Orders and Medals of Czechoslovakia including Order of the White Lion (
in English and Czech)
