Preliminary Schedule of Topics

Po 2/12 14:00-17:00 IES, Opletalova 26, room 206

Introduction to the course

U.S.-Czechoslovak relations 1918-1938

U.S.-Czechoslovak relations during World War II

Discussion: What factors influenced U.S-Czechoslovak relations before 1945?

Út 3/12 12:30-15:30 IES, Opletalova 26, 206

U.S.-Czechoslovak relations, 1945-48

The February coup and the Stalinist era

Establishment of the Council of Free Czechoslovakia and other émigré organizations

Czechoslovaks in international organizations, 1945-48

Discussion: Could the U.S. have done anything to prevent the February coup?

St 4/12 11:00-16:00 Staroměstské náměstí 1, Pražské kreativní centrum, místnost č. 219

Thawing relationships, 1958-68 (trade, tourism, and educational and cultural exchanges)

Czechoslovakia’s role in decolonization and global competition between the superpowers

Discussion: How did diverging and sometimes contradictory trends influence U.S.-Czechoslovak relationships during the years leading up to the Prague Spring?

Po 9/12 14:00-17:00 IES, Opletalova 26, room 206

The Prague Spring (economic reform, mutual cultural influences, youth culture)

Relationships during normalization

Discussion: Why didn’t the U.S. intervene after the Warsaw Pact invasion?

What impact did 1968 émigrés have on U.S.-Czechoslovak Relations?

Út 10/12 12:30-15:30 IES, Opletalova 26, room 206

Growing competition in the 1980s: Reagan, Thatcher, and the arms race

Consumerism

Trade and indebtedness

Discussion: How did culture influence U.S.-Czechoslovak relations during normalization?

How did economic considerations influence U.S.-Czechoslovak relations during normalization?

St 11/12 11:00-16:00 Staroměstské náměstí 1, Pražské kreativní centrum, místnost č. 219

1989 and after

Discussion: How have Czech-U.S. relations evolved since 1989-92?

What influences from the past are still relevant today?