Syllabus
Week 1
Introduction: Czech Countries in the Context of European History
Beginning of the Human Settlement; Slavic peoples, Ancient Bohemian Legends; The Chronicle of the Czechs - Cosmas of Prague; European powers, the Great Moravia.
Week 2
Czech dukes & Bohemian Kings
Frankish Empire and Medieval France; Medieval Poland and Hungary; Přemyslid dynasty, National Saints – St. Wenceslas.
Week 3
Last Přemyslid Kings & Luxemburg Dynasty Charles IV.; bohemian reform movement; the schizm - role of popes in European society; Hussite wars; Hussite program; civil war, peace agreement - the Compacts.
Week 4
Bohemian Reform Movement European Devotio Moderna; the Schizm, role of popes in European society, Hussite Wars.
Week 5
Era of Jiří of Poděbrady Turkish problem in Europe.
Jagelonian kings and Middle Europe
Week 6
The House of Habsburgs in Europe Bohemian Kingdom since 1526, the Thirty Years' War in Bohemia; society in 17th - 18th century; the enlightment and civil reforms. 19th century - Era of National Rebirth (Czechs and Germans in Bohemia; modern political system in Middle Europe; political parties, economy, society.
Week 7
World War I. and Bohemia
Independence of Czechoslovakia (T.G. Masaryk; politics; Sudeten Germans; E. Beneš; 30's economic depresion).
Theme for discussion: World War I.; Russian Revolution (1917) and Rise of USSR
Week 8
The First Republic 1918 - 1938
The Second Republic September 1938 - March 1939
The end of Czechoslovakia Munich Agreement; The Second Republic; Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.
Week 9
World War II. 1945-1948 - the bridge between East and West expulsion of Germans; Communists' coup d'état.
Week 10
People's democracy political trials in Soviet block; other communist countries in Europe.
Week 11 60's - Prague Spring A. Dubček; Soviet invasion; the real existing socialism.
Week 12
Normalisation Charter 77; the end of communist era; the velvet revolution.
Middle Europe in 90's
Annotation
The objective of this course is to familiarize the student with the most representative events of Czech history. By studying the events, students will get to know not only the political changes of a country, but also how history is represented through the different European countris. With this information the students will be able to produce their opinions about the past, present and future of Bohemia and apply this knowledge to further topics related to the present political situation in different countries.