Abstract
From the Middle Ages to present, belated modernization has been the fate of the Czech nation. The best periods of Czech economic development were the "economic miracle" of 1850-1914 and the time from the beginning of our century till present.
The "case of Czech Europeanization" after 1989 is, however, a case of several bitter years of overcoming technological and systemic backwardness. This paper describes the competitiveness of Czechoslovak economy in the post-war period, which was the best starting point in the country's history.
A high level of Czech economics was one of the conditions of this competitiveness. Czech economic theory of that time included excellent knowledge of modern Keynesianism (macroeconomic planning, national accounting), of German statistics, and of managerial and financial accounting.
Bata's methods of management were supreme. The paper presents detailed analysis of elements of Czech economics and reaches the following conclusion: modern mixed economy with social orientation began to form in the Czechoslovak Republic during 1945-1952, in advance of other European countries.
This development was interrupted by the communist coup d'etat of 1948.