Vaclav Havel and Czechoslovak (Czech) Conception Towards Eastern Europe after the Fall of Soviet Union
Abstract
Václav Havel belonged to the most influential thinkers and politicians on the territory of post-communist countries of the former Soviet block, Eastern Europe. While criticized by a number of politicians in Czechoslovakia (and later Czech Republic) he exerted considerable influence on Western politicians.
Václav Havel and Czechoslovak (Czech) diplomats and intellectuals markedly co-created approaches and attitudes of key American and western politicians, stunned by the quick fall of the Soviet Union and its empire, towards former post-Communist world and his future development. His ideas were inspired both by negative Czechoslovak historical experience, interest in securing of Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic), or Central Europe in Europe, or his general distrust towards Russia, perceived by his critics as Russofobia and his admirers as correct attitude towards Moscow etc.
In this logic, Havel, advocated right of post-Communist countries in Central and South-Eastern Europe, and later other post-Soviet countries on their independent policy on Russian hegemon, and actually in opposition to Moscow. To which extent Havel's ideas inspired American and western politicians in their still more critical approaches to Russia, or to which extent only complied with American (western) aims is a question of interpretation.
In any case, Havel and the Czechoslovak (Czech) diplomacy contributed in first years after the collapse of the Soviet empire to formation of vaguely formulated fundaments of conception towards Eastern Europe, and mostly towards Russia which prevailed in last almost thirty years. Analysis of Havel's ideas towards post-Communist countries and post-Soviet space, mostly towards Russia, and their role in new global order will be a matter of this paper.
A part of this paper will be a consideration whether Havel's ideas could be interpreted within the scope of colonial and post-colonial theories related to Russia and post-Soviet (post-Communist) space.