Syllabus
1) Interwar development of Czechoslovak economy; war (WWII) economy
Czechoslovak economy after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire phases of interwar economy development, Germanization of economy analysis of economic development in agriculture, industry, services, transport and banking 2) Economic development after the World War II (1945–1948) – international context post-war restoration of Czechoslovakia and Western countries
Marshall Plan
Czechoslovakia and Western countries “at the threshold of the Cold War” post-war restoration and the Soviet Union 3) Economic development after the World War II – nationalization in 1945 the National Front
Košice Government program nationalization under presidential decrees currency reform in 1945 social situation, social problems 4) Economic development after the World War II (years 1946 and 1947); February 1948 impacts on economy
Two Year Plan (1946–1947) land reforms year 1947
February 1948 (communist coup d’état) impacts on economy social development during 1945–1948 5) Completion of economic transformation after February 1948 first Five-Year Plan (1949–1953) 1953 currency reform collectivization of agriculture collapse of economy in 1955–1956 6) Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA)
CMEA – circumstances of its founding
CMEA and structural changes of Czechoslovak economy
CMEA and Czechoslovak economy during 1949–1956 7) Second Five Year Plan (1956–1960); first attempt to reform the economy economic characteristics of the period
“Rozsypal” economic reform
CMEA further development and its effect on Czechoslovak economy social system development 1948–1960 8) Stagnation in the first half of 1960s third Five Year Plan (1961–1965) problems of various economic sectors relationship between economy problems and democratization process 9) “Šik” economic reform; impacts of democratization process on the economy
Fourth Five Year Plan (1966–1968) characteristics of the “Šik” reform
Action Program of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia democratization process and its impacts on the economy (workers councils; law on enterprise) return to direct model of planning and economy management 10) Social consequences of so-called normalization from reform activities back to central regulation of social processes population development; the issue of employment changes of distribution and re-distribution of values social system of “real socialism“ 11) Czechoslovak economy in 1970s from extensive development to stagnation fifth Five Year Plan (1971–1975) deceleration of economic development after 1975 sixth Five Year Plan (1976–1980) 12) Czechoslovak economy in 1980s; conditions for the transformation of 1989 development of world economy economic development after 1980 attempts to carry out partial changes in the direct model of economic management
„re-building” of economic mechanism (perestroika) transformation conditions
Annotation
The aim of the course is to introduce basic characteristics of the economic and social development in Czechoslovakia in the period from the end of WWII to 1989. The main topics: interwar economic development – economic development after WWII (international consequences, main problems in the country) – February 1948 communist coup d’état – related transformation of Czechoslovak economy – Council for Mutual Economic Assistance – first economic reform (Rozsypal) – economic stagnation in the first half of 1960s – second economic reform (Šik) – impacts of democratization process in the 1960s on the economy – return to the direct model of planning and economic management in 1970s – economy in 1970s and 1980s – initial conditions for transformation after year 1989.