Czechoslovakia

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Czechoslovakian_Wolfdog

Czechoslovakia (Czech: Československo, Slovak: Česko-Slovensko/before 1990 Československo) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1918 until early 1993 (with government-in-exile during the World War II period). On January 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Note that correct adjective form is Czechoslovak, not Czechoslovakian. (And likewise Slovak, not Slovakian although both erroneous forms are widely used in the English-speaking world)

Basic characteristics

Form of state:

1918–1939: a democratic republic consisting of the regions Bohemia, Slovakia, Czech Silesia and Carpatho-Ukraine
1939–1945: after annexation of Sudetenland by Germany in 1938, split into the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and the Slovak Republic (WWII)
1948–1989: a Communist country with a centrally planned economy (from 1948 People's Republic, from 1960 Socialist Republic to 1989)
1969–1989: a federal republic consisting of the Czech Socialist Republic and the Slovak Socialist Republic;
1989–1993: a federal republic consisting of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic;

Neighbors: Germany (1945–1990: West Germany and East Germany), Poland, from 1945 Soviet Union (1992: Ukraine), Romania (until 1939), Hungary, Austria

Topography: Generally irregular terrain. Western area is part of north-central European uplands. Eastern region is composed of northern reaches of Carpathian Mountains and Danube Basin lands.

Climate: Predominantly continental but varied from moderate temperatures of Western Europe in the west to more severe weather systems affecting Eastern Europe and the western Soviet Union in the east.

Official names

1918–1920: Czecho-Slovak Republic or Czechoslovak Republic (abbreviated RČS); short form Czecho-Slovakia or rarely Czechoslovakia
1920–1938 and 1945–1960: Czechoslovak Republic (ČSR abbreviated RČS); short form Czechoslovakia
1938–1939: Czecho-Slovak Republic; Czecho-Slovakia
1960–1990: Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (ČSSR); Czechoslovakia
April 1990: Czechoslovak Federative Republic (Czech version) and Czecho-Slovak Federative Republic (Slovak version),
afterwards: Czech and Slovak Federative Republic (ČSFR, with the short forms Czechoslovakia (Czech version) and Czecho-Slovakia (Slovak version))

History

Main article: History of Czechoslovakia

Czech and Slovak peoples in Austro-Hungarian Empire.gif|450px|thumb|right|Czechoslovakian lands inside Austro-Hungarian Empire, 1911

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Czechoslovakia arose in October 1918 as one of the succession states of Austria-Hungary at the end of World War I. It consisted of the present-day territories of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and (until 1939/29 June 1945) Carpathian Ruthenia (briefly independent as Carpatho-Ukraine). Its territory included some of the most industrialized regions of the former Austria-Hungary, it was a democratic republic throughout the pre-World War II period, but was characterized by ethnic problems. The ethnic problems were due to the fact that the second and third largest ethnic groups (Germans and Slovaks, respectively) were not satisfied with the political and economic dominance of the Czechs, and that most Germans and Hungarians of Czechoslovakia never really accepted the creation of the new state.

Many Germans, Hungarians and Poles, but also some Slovaks, felt disadvantaged in Czechoslovakia, because the political elite of the country introduced a centralised state and most of the time did not allow political autonomy for the ethnic groups. This policy, combined with increasing Nazi propaganda especially in the industrialised German speaking Sudetenland, led to increasing unrest among the Non-Czech population.

Before WWII, Czechoslovakia became Hitler's target. After the Munich Agreement of 1938, Hitler's troops occupied the ethnic-German border regions of Bohemia and Moravia (the Sudetenland), Hungary received territory in southern Slovakia, and the Slovak and Ruthene regions received an autonomous status for a while. Finally Czechoslovakia ceased to exist in March 1939, when Hitler occupied the remainder of the Czech lands lands and (the remaining) Slovakia was forced to declare independence. During the Second World War the Czech lands were designated the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and were ruled directly by the German state. The newly independent Slovak state became an ally of Nazi Germany. Slovakia's troops fought on the Russian front until the summer of 1944, when the Slovak armed forces staged an uprising against their government. German forces crushed this uprising after several months of fighting.

After World War II, pre-war Czechoslovakia was reestablished, all Germans were expelled from the country and Ruthenia was occupied by (and ultimately ceded to) the Soviet Union. Three years later the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia seized power (1948–1989) following a parliamentary election in which the Communists emerged as the winner and the country came under the influence of the Soviet Union. Except for a short period in the late 1960s (the Prague Spring) the country was characterized by the absence of democracy and relative economic backwardness compared to Western Europe, although its economy remained more advanced than those of its neighbors in Eastern Europe. In the religious sphere, atheism was officially promoted and taught. In 1969, Czechoslovakia was turned into a federation of the Czech Socialist Republic and Slovak Socialist Republic. Under the federation, social and economic inequities between the Czech and Slovak halves of the state were largely eliminated.

The 1970s saw the rise of the dissident movement in Czechoslovakia, led in part by Vaclav Havel and Vaclav Benda. The movement sought greater political participation and expression, but in either case the dissident faced social isolation and even prison time.

In 1989, the country became a democratic country again through the Velvet Revolution. In 1992, the federal parliament decided to split the country into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, as of January 1, 1993.

From creation to dissolution — overview

Heads of state and government

International agreements and membership

After WWII, active participant in Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (Comecon), Warsaw Pact, United Nations and its specialized agencies, and Movement of Nonaligned Nations; signatory of conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe

Administrative divisions

Main article: Administrative divisions of Czechoslovakia

1918–1923: different systems on former Austrian territory (Bohemia, Moravia, small part of Silesia) and on former Hungarian territory (Slovakia and Ruthenia): 3 lands (also called district units ^*" target="_blank" >in today's Slovakia + 2? counties in today's Ruthenia; both lands and counties were divided in districts [okresy
1923–1927: like above, except that the above counties were replaced by 6 (grand) counties ^* in today's Slovakia and 1 (grand) county in today's Ruthenia, and the number and frontiers of the okresy were changed on these 2 territories
1928–1938: 4 lands Czech: země / in Slovak: krajiny: Bohemia, Moravia-Silesia, Slovakia and Subcarpathian Ruthenia; divided in districts ^*
late 1938–March 1939: like above, but Slovakia and Ruthenia were promoted to "autonomous lands"
1945–1948: like 1928–1938, except that Ruthenia became part of the Soviet Union
1949–1960: 19 regions divided in 270 districts [okresy
1960–1992: 10 regions Prague, and (since 1970) Bratislava; divided in 109–114 districts [okresy; the kraje were abolished temporarily in Slovakia in 1969–1970 and for many functions since 1991 in Czechoslovakia; in addition, the two republics Czech Socialist Republic and Slovak Socialist Republic were established in 1969 (without the word Socialist since 1990)

Population and ethnic groups

Main article: Population and Ethnic Groups of Czechoslovakia

Religion

Main article: Religion in Communist Czechoslovakia

In 1991: Roman Catholics 46.4%, Evangelic Lutheran 5.3%, Atheist 29.5%, n/a 16.7%, but there were huge differences between the 2 constituent republics – see Czech Republic and Slovakia

Health, social welfare and housing

Main article: Health and Social Welfare in Communist Czechoslovakia

After WWII, free health care was available to all citizens. National health planning emphasized preventive medicine; factory and local health-care centers supplemented hospitals and other inpatient institutions. Substantial improvement in rural health care in 1960s and 1970s.

Politics

Main articles: 1918 - 1938 and Politics of Communist Czechoslovakia

After WWII, monopoly on politics held by Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. Gustáv Husák elected first secretary of KSC in 1969 (changed to general secretary in 1971) and president of Czechoslovakia in 1975. Other parties and organizations existed but functioned in subordinate roles to KSC. All political parties, as well as numerous mass organizations, grouped under umbrella of National Front of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. Human rights activists and religious activists severely repressed.

Government

Main article: Government structure of Communist Czechoslovakia

Constitutional development

Czechoslovakia had the following constitutions throughout its history (1918 – 1992):

Temporary Constitution of November 14 1918 ^*, see: 1918 - 1938
The 1920 Constitution (The Constitutional Document of the Czechoslovak Republic) in force till 1948, several amendments, see: 1918 - 1938
The 1948 Constitution (The Ninth-of-May Constitution) Communist one
The 1960 Constitution (The Constitution of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic) Communist one till 1989 with amendments in 1968 (Czechoslovakia turned into a federation), 1971, 1975, 1978, 1989 (leading role of the KSC abolished) and several times during 1990-1992 (e. g. 1990 change of the name of Czechoslovakia, 1991 incorporation of the human rights charter)

Society and social groups

Main article: Society of Communist Czechoslovakia

Education

Main article: Education in Czechoslovakia

Education free at all levels and compulsory from age six to sixteen. Vast majority of population literate. Highly developed system of apprenticeship training and vocational schools supplemented general secondary schools and institutions of higher education.

Resource base

Main article: Resource base of Communist Czechoslovakia

After WWII, country energy short, relying on imported crude oil and natural gas from Soviet Union, domestic brown coal, and nuclear and hydroelectric energy. Energy constraints a major factor in 1980s.

Economy, foreign trade and financial system

Main articles: Economy of Communist Czechoslovakia and Economic History of Communist Czechoslovakia

After WWII, economy centrally planned with command links controlled by communist party, similar to Soviet Union. Large metallurgical industry but dependent on imports for iron and nonferrous ores.

Industry: Extractive and manufacturing industries dominated sector. Major branches included machinery, chemicals, food processing, metallurgy, and textiles. Industry wasteful of energy, materials, and labor and slow to upgrade technology, but country source of high-quality machinery and arms for other communist countries.
Agriculture: Minor sector but supplied bulk of food needs. Dependent on large imports of grains (mainly for livestock feed) in years of adverse weather. Meat production constrained by shortage of feed, but high per capita consumption of meat.
Foreign Trade: Exports estimated at US$17.8 billion in 1985, of which 55 % machinery, 14 % fuels and materials, 16 % manufactured consumer goods. Imports at estimated US$17.9 billion in 1985, of which 41 % fuels and materials, 33 % machinery, 12 % agricultural and forestry products other. In 1986, about 80 % of foreign trade with communist countries.
Exchange Rate: Official, or commercial, rate Kcs 5.4 per US$1 in 1987; tourist, or noncommercial, rate Kcs 10.5 per US$1. Neither rate reflected purchasing power. The exchange rate on the black market was around Kcs 30 per US$1, and this rate became the official one once the currency became convertible in the early 1990s.
Fiscal Year: Calendar year.
Fiscal Policy: State almost exclusive owner of means of production. Revenues from state enterprises primary source of revenues followed by turnover tax. Large budget expenditures on social programs, subsidies, and investments. Budget usually balanced or small surplus.

Transportation and communications

Main article: Transportation in Czechoslovakia

Mass media

Main article: Mass media in Communist Czechoslovakia

Sports

The Czechoslovakia national football team was a consistent performer in the international scene, with 8 appearances in the FIFA World Cup Finals, finishing in second-place in 1934 and 1962. The team also won the European Football Championship in 1976.

The Czechoslovakian national ice hockey team has won many medals from the world championships and olympic games.

The famous tennis players Ivan Lendl and Martina Navrátilová were born in Czechoslovakia.

Culture

See:

Postage stamps

Czechoslovakia's first issue ^*

External links

Orders and Medals of Czechoslovakia including Order of the White Lion (in English and Czech)

Czechoslovakia | Former countries in Europe

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