A History of Czechoslovakia Since 1945

A History of Czechoslovakia Since 1945

Author: Hans Renner

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2023-08-11

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 1000962350

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First published in 1989, A History of Czechoslovakia Since 1945 is a comprehensive account of Czechoslovakia under Communist rule, tracing events from 1945 to 1990. The author focuses on the last twenty years in particular, when the Prague Spring offered a brief period of liberalization, but was followed by harder times, with the hope of change fading, and society becoming paralyzed. Dr. Renner describes vividly the country’s fortunes under the Soviet rule of Stalin and Brezhnev, and how it pioneered the policy of glasnost during the Prague Spring of 1968. The book concludes with a special look at the influence of Gorbachev’s glasnost on the regime of Czechoslovakia. Dr. Renner combines a chronological overview with a passionate yet scholarly discussion of underlying political, economic, and cultural issues and developments, making this book invaluable as an authoritative and lucid account of Czechoslovak history, as well as an explanation of the role this country and in events played in the shaping of modern Europe.


Book Synopsis A History of Czechoslovakia Since 1945 by : Hans Renner

Download or read book A History of Czechoslovakia Since 1945 written by Hans Renner and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-08-11 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First published in 1989, A History of Czechoslovakia Since 1945 is a comprehensive account of Czechoslovakia under Communist rule, tracing events from 1945 to 1990. The author focuses on the last twenty years in particular, when the Prague Spring offered a brief period of liberalization, but was followed by harder times, with the hope of change fading, and society becoming paralyzed. Dr. Renner describes vividly the country’s fortunes under the Soviet rule of Stalin and Brezhnev, and how it pioneered the policy of glasnost during the Prague Spring of 1968. The book concludes with a special look at the influence of Gorbachev’s glasnost on the regime of Czechoslovakia. Dr. Renner combines a chronological overview with a passionate yet scholarly discussion of underlying political, economic, and cultural issues and developments, making this book invaluable as an authoritative and lucid account of Czechoslovak history, as well as an explanation of the role this country and in events played in the shaping of modern Europe.

Communist Czechoslovakia, 1945-89

Communist Czechoslovakia, 1945-89

Author: Kevin McDermott

Publisher: Red Globe Press

Published: 2015-08-28

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780230217140

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Few Europeans in the twentieth century have been subject to the repeated buffetings by foreign powers, ideologically driven transformations and internal upheaval of the Czechs and the Slovaks. The period of Communist rule was complex, and those who gleefully overthrew the regime in 1989 were the very grandchildren of those who had voted for Communism with hope in the free elections of 1946. This concise account includes both political and social history, analysing half a century of Communism from at all strata of society. Kevin McDermott is equally intrigued by those in power and ordinary citizens, asking what motivates a young Czech worker-believer to join the Communist Party in the early 1950s, enrol in the People's Militia and remain in the party during the dark years of 'normalisation', yet end up welcoming the tearing down of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Using Czech and Slovak archival sources and the most recent historiography, McDermott challenges the still dominant 'totalitarian' paradigm and argues that the forty year communist experience in Czechoslovakia cannot simply be dismissed as a Soviet-imposed aberration.


Book Synopsis Communist Czechoslovakia, 1945-89 by : Kevin McDermott

Download or read book Communist Czechoslovakia, 1945-89 written by Kevin McDermott and published by Red Globe Press. This book was released on 2015-08-28 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Few Europeans in the twentieth century have been subject to the repeated buffetings by foreign powers, ideologically driven transformations and internal upheaval of the Czechs and the Slovaks. The period of Communist rule was complex, and those who gleefully overthrew the regime in 1989 were the very grandchildren of those who had voted for Communism with hope in the free elections of 1946. This concise account includes both political and social history, analysing half a century of Communism from at all strata of society. Kevin McDermott is equally intrigued by those in power and ordinary citizens, asking what motivates a young Czech worker-believer to join the Communist Party in the early 1950s, enrol in the People's Militia and remain in the party during the dark years of 'normalisation', yet end up welcoming the tearing down of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Using Czech and Slovak archival sources and the most recent historiography, McDermott challenges the still dominant 'totalitarian' paradigm and argues that the forty year communist experience in Czechoslovakia cannot simply be dismissed as a Soviet-imposed aberration.

Postwar

Postwar

Author: Tony Judt

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2006-09-05

Total Pages: 1000

ISBN-13: 9780143037750

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Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize • Winner of the Council on Foreign Relations Arthur Ross Book Award • One of the New York Times' Ten Best Books of the Year “Impressive . . . Mr. Judt writes with enormous authority.” —The Wall Street Journal “Magisterial . . . It is, without a doubt, the most comprehensive, authoritative, and yes, readable postwar history.” —The Boston Globe Almost a decade in the making, this much-anticipated grand history of postwar Europe from one of the world's most esteemed historians and intellectuals is a singular achievement. Postwar is the first modern history that covers all of Europe, both east and west, drawing on research in six languages to sweep readers through thirty-four nations and sixty years of political and cultural change-all in one integrated, enthralling narrative. Both intellectually ambitious and compelling to read, thrilling in its scope and delightful in its small details, Postwar is a rare joy. Judt's book, Ill Fares the Land, republished in 2021 featuring a new preface by bestselling author of Between the World and Me and The Water Dancer, Ta-Nehisi Coates.


Book Synopsis Postwar by : Tony Judt

Download or read book Postwar written by Tony Judt and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2006-09-05 with total page 1000 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize • Winner of the Council on Foreign Relations Arthur Ross Book Award • One of the New York Times' Ten Best Books of the Year “Impressive . . . Mr. Judt writes with enormous authority.” —The Wall Street Journal “Magisterial . . . It is, without a doubt, the most comprehensive, authoritative, and yes, readable postwar history.” —The Boston Globe Almost a decade in the making, this much-anticipated grand history of postwar Europe from one of the world's most esteemed historians and intellectuals is a singular achievement. Postwar is the first modern history that covers all of Europe, both east and west, drawing on research in six languages to sweep readers through thirty-four nations and sixty years of political and cultural change-all in one integrated, enthralling narrative. Both intellectually ambitious and compelling to read, thrilling in its scope and delightful in its small details, Postwar is a rare joy. Judt's book, Ill Fares the Land, republished in 2021 featuring a new preface by bestselling author of Between the World and Me and The Water Dancer, Ta-Nehisi Coates.

History of Czechoslovakia after 1945 pamphlet collection

History of Czechoslovakia after 1945 pamphlet collection

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1946

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis History of Czechoslovakia after 1945 pamphlet collection by :

Download or read book History of Czechoslovakia after 1945 pamphlet collection written by and published by . This book was released on 1946 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Socialism and Democracy in Czechoslovakia

Socialism and Democracy in Czechoslovakia

Author: M. R. Myant

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2008-06-26

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780521067164

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This book is about the political, social and economic changes in Czechoslovakia in the years 1945- 1948. In 1945 the 'national revolution' established the Communist Party as the dominant force within a coalition government. The leading Communists then evolved the idea of a specific Czechoslovak road to socialism that could bypass the 'dictatorship of the proletariat'. By analysing in detail the revolutionary events and the society that emerged from them, the book demonstrates that there was a real possibility of developing a distinct model of socialism containing a plurality of parties and a sizeable private sector. Such thinking, however, was effectively ended in February 1948, when the Communist Party established a monopoly of power. The fundamental causes of this change in the party's strategy are to be found, it is argued, in the international situation. The February events were of international significance as they confirmed the division of Europe into two blocs. The concluding chapter shows how important they were for the subsequent development of Czechoslovak society.


Book Synopsis Socialism and Democracy in Czechoslovakia by : M. R. Myant

Download or read book Socialism and Democracy in Czechoslovakia written by M. R. Myant and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2008-06-26 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is about the political, social and economic changes in Czechoslovakia in the years 1945- 1948. In 1945 the 'national revolution' established the Communist Party as the dominant force within a coalition government. The leading Communists then evolved the idea of a specific Czechoslovak road to socialism that could bypass the 'dictatorship of the proletariat'. By analysing in detail the revolutionary events and the society that emerged from them, the book demonstrates that there was a real possibility of developing a distinct model of socialism containing a plurality of parties and a sizeable private sector. Such thinking, however, was effectively ended in February 1948, when the Communist Party established a monopoly of power. The fundamental causes of this change in the party's strategy are to be found, it is argued, in the international situation. The February events were of international significance as they confirmed the division of Europe into two blocs. The concluding chapter shows how important they were for the subsequent development of Czechoslovak society.

Manufacturing a Socialist Modernity

Manufacturing a Socialist Modernity

Author: Kimberly Elman Zarecor

Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press

Published: 2011-04-10

Total Pages: 398

ISBN-13: 082297780X

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Eastern European prefabricated housing blocks are often vilified as the visible manifestations of everything that was wrong with state socialism. For many inside and outside the region, the uniformity of these buildings became symbols of the dullness and drudgery of everyday life. Manufacturing a Socialist Modernity complicates this common perception. Analyzing the cultural, intellectual, and professional debates surrounding the construction of mass housing in early postwar Czechoslovakia, Zarecor shows that these housing blocks served an essential function in the planned economy and reflected an interwar aesthetic, derived from constructivism and functionalism, that carried forward into the 1950s. With a focus on prefabricated and standardized housing built from 1945 to 1960, Zarecor offers broad and innovative insights into the country's transition from capitalism to state socialism. She demonstrates that during this shift, architects and engineers consistently strove to meet the needs of Czechs and Slovaks despite challenging economic conditions, a lack of material resources, and manufacturing and technological limitations. In the process, architects were asked to put aside their individual creative aspirations and transform themselves into technicians and industrial producers. Manufacturing a Socialist Modernity is the first comprehensive history of architectural practice and the emergence of prefabricated housing in the Eastern Bloc. Through discussions of individual architects and projects, as well as building typologies, professional associations, and institutional organization, it opens a rare window into the cultural and economic life of Eastern Europe during the early postwar period.


Book Synopsis Manufacturing a Socialist Modernity by : Kimberly Elman Zarecor

Download or read book Manufacturing a Socialist Modernity written by Kimberly Elman Zarecor and published by University of Pittsburgh Press. This book was released on 2011-04-10 with total page 398 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Eastern European prefabricated housing blocks are often vilified as the visible manifestations of everything that was wrong with state socialism. For many inside and outside the region, the uniformity of these buildings became symbols of the dullness and drudgery of everyday life. Manufacturing a Socialist Modernity complicates this common perception. Analyzing the cultural, intellectual, and professional debates surrounding the construction of mass housing in early postwar Czechoslovakia, Zarecor shows that these housing blocks served an essential function in the planned economy and reflected an interwar aesthetic, derived from constructivism and functionalism, that carried forward into the 1950s. With a focus on prefabricated and standardized housing built from 1945 to 1960, Zarecor offers broad and innovative insights into the country's transition from capitalism to state socialism. She demonstrates that during this shift, architects and engineers consistently strove to meet the needs of Czechs and Slovaks despite challenging economic conditions, a lack of material resources, and manufacturing and technological limitations. In the process, architects were asked to put aside their individual creative aspirations and transform themselves into technicians and industrial producers. Manufacturing a Socialist Modernity is the first comprehensive history of architectural practice and the emergence of prefabricated housing in the Eastern Bloc. Through discussions of individual architects and projects, as well as building typologies, professional associations, and institutional organization, it opens a rare window into the cultural and economic life of Eastern Europe during the early postwar period.

The Struggle for the Soul of the Nation

The Struggle for the Soul of the Nation

Author: Bradley F. Abrams

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 380

ISBN-13: 9780742530249

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The material effects of World War II, in combination with Eastern Europe's disappointingly undemocratic interwar history, placed radical social change on the postwar agenda across the region and shaped the debates that took place in immediate postwar Czech society. These debates adopted both a cultural form, in struggles over the meaning of the recent past and the nation's position on the East-West continuum, and a directly political form, in battles over the meaning of socialism. The Struggle for the Soul of the Nation examines the most important and politically resonant fields of historical and cultural debate in Czech society immediately after World War II. Bradley Abrams finds that communist public figures were largely successful in controlling debate over the nation's recent past--the interwar First Republic and the experiences of Munich and World War II--and over its location on the East-West continuum. This success preceded and was mirrored in the struggles over the political issue of the times: socialism. The communists engaged their political foes in the democratic socialist and Roman Catholic camps, and, surprisingly, found significant support from a major Protestant church. Abrams's careful reading of major publications re-creates a postwar mood sympathetic to radical social change, questioning the standard view of the communists' rise to power. This book not only contributes to the specific literature on Czech history, but also raises questions about the relationship between war and radical social change, about the communist takeover of the region, and about the role of intellectuals in public life.


Book Synopsis The Struggle for the Soul of the Nation by : Bradley F. Abrams

Download or read book The Struggle for the Soul of the Nation written by Bradley F. Abrams and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2005 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The material effects of World War II, in combination with Eastern Europe's disappointingly undemocratic interwar history, placed radical social change on the postwar agenda across the region and shaped the debates that took place in immediate postwar Czech society. These debates adopted both a cultural form, in struggles over the meaning of the recent past and the nation's position on the East-West continuum, and a directly political form, in battles over the meaning of socialism. The Struggle for the Soul of the Nation examines the most important and politically resonant fields of historical and cultural debate in Czech society immediately after World War II. Bradley Abrams finds that communist public figures were largely successful in controlling debate over the nation's recent past--the interwar First Republic and the experiences of Munich and World War II--and over its location on the East-West continuum. This success preceded and was mirrored in the struggles over the political issue of the times: socialism. The communists engaged their political foes in the democratic socialist and Roman Catholic camps, and, surprisingly, found significant support from a major Protestant church. Abrams's careful reading of major publications re-creates a postwar mood sympathetic to radical social change, questioning the standard view of the communists' rise to power. This book not only contributes to the specific literature on Czech history, but also raises questions about the relationship between war and radical social change, about the communist takeover of the region, and about the role of intellectuals in public life.

A History of Czechoslovakia Since 1945

A History of Czechoslovakia Since 1945

Author: Hans Renner

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2023-08-11

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 1000962334

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First published in 1989, A History of Czechoslovakia Since 1945 is a comprehensive account of Czechoslovakia under Communist rule, tracing events from 1945 to 1990. The author focuses on the last twenty years in particular, when the Prague Spring offered a brief period of liberalization, but was followed by harder times, with the hope of change fading, and society becoming paralyzed. Dr. Renner describes vividly the country’s fortunes under the Soviet rule of Stalin and Brezhnev, and how it pioneered the policy of glasnost during the Prague Spring of 1968. The book concludes with a special look at the influence of Gorbachev’s glasnost on the regime of Czechoslovakia. Dr. Renner combines a chronological overview with a passionate yet scholarly discussion of underlying political, economic, and cultural issues and developments, making this book invaluable as an authoritative and lucid account of Czechoslovak history, as well as an explanation of the role this country and in events played in the shaping of modern Europe.


Book Synopsis A History of Czechoslovakia Since 1945 by : Hans Renner

Download or read book A History of Czechoslovakia Since 1945 written by Hans Renner and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-08-11 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First published in 1989, A History of Czechoslovakia Since 1945 is a comprehensive account of Czechoslovakia under Communist rule, tracing events from 1945 to 1990. The author focuses on the last twenty years in particular, when the Prague Spring offered a brief period of liberalization, but was followed by harder times, with the hope of change fading, and society becoming paralyzed. Dr. Renner describes vividly the country’s fortunes under the Soviet rule of Stalin and Brezhnev, and how it pioneered the policy of glasnost during the Prague Spring of 1968. The book concludes with a special look at the influence of Gorbachev’s glasnost on the regime of Czechoslovakia. Dr. Renner combines a chronological overview with a passionate yet scholarly discussion of underlying political, economic, and cultural issues and developments, making this book invaluable as an authoritative and lucid account of Czechoslovak history, as well as an explanation of the role this country and in events played in the shaping of modern Europe.

Labor in State-Socialist Europe, 1945–1989

Labor in State-Socialist Europe, 1945–1989

Author: Marsha Siefert

Publisher: Central European University Press

Published: 2020-09-01

Total Pages: 484

ISBN-13: 9633863384

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Labor regimes under communism in East-Central Europe were complex, shifting, and ambiguous. This collection of sixteen essays offers new conceptual and empirical ways to understand their history from the end of World War II to 1989, and to think about how their experiences relate to debates about labor history, both European and global. The authors reconsider the history of state socialism by re-examining the policies and problems of communist regimes and recovering the voices of the workers who built them. The contributors look at work and workers in Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia. They explore the often contentious relationship between politics and labor policy, dealing with diverse topics including workers’ safety and risks; labor rights and protests; working women’s politics and professions; migrant workers and social welfare; attempts to control workers’ behavior and stem unemployment; and cases of incomplete, compromised, or even abandoned processes of proletarianization. Workers are presented as active agents in resisting and supporting changes in labor policies, in choosing allegiances, and in defining the very nature of work.


Book Synopsis Labor in State-Socialist Europe, 1945–1989 by : Marsha Siefert

Download or read book Labor in State-Socialist Europe, 1945–1989 written by Marsha Siefert and published by Central European University Press. This book was released on 2020-09-01 with total page 484 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Labor regimes under communism in East-Central Europe were complex, shifting, and ambiguous. This collection of sixteen essays offers new conceptual and empirical ways to understand their history from the end of World War II to 1989, and to think about how their experiences relate to debates about labor history, both European and global. The authors reconsider the history of state socialism by re-examining the policies and problems of communist regimes and recovering the voices of the workers who built them. The contributors look at work and workers in Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia. They explore the often contentious relationship between politics and labor policy, dealing with diverse topics including workers’ safety and risks; labor rights and protests; working women’s politics and professions; migrant workers and social welfare; attempts to control workers’ behavior and stem unemployment; and cases of incomplete, compromised, or even abandoned processes of proletarianization. Workers are presented as active agents in resisting and supporting changes in labor policies, in choosing allegiances, and in defining the very nature of work.

Czechoslovakia in Africa, 1945-1968

Czechoslovakia in Africa, 1945-1968

Author: Philip Muehlenbeck

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Published: 2015-11-04

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781137561442

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This book explores Czechoslovakia's diplomatic relations with African states and places them within a wider Cold War historiography, providing contextual background information on the evolution of communist Czechoslovakia's pro-Soviet foreign policy orientation. This shift in Soviet foreign policy made Africa a priority for the Soviet bloc.


Book Synopsis Czechoslovakia in Africa, 1945-1968 by : Philip Muehlenbeck

Download or read book Czechoslovakia in Africa, 1945-1968 written by Philip Muehlenbeck and published by Palgrave Macmillan. This book was released on 2015-11-04 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores Czechoslovakia's diplomatic relations with African states and places them within a wider Cold War historiography, providing contextual background information on the evolution of communist Czechoslovakia's pro-Soviet foreign policy orientation. This shift in Soviet foreign policy made Africa a priority for the Soviet bloc.