Kampaň proti „americkému brouku“ a její politické souvislosti
Campaign against “the american beetle” and its political circumstances

Summary/Abstract: The 1950’s in Czechoslovakia were marked by countless massive propaganda campaigns organised by the Communists. They were supposed to assist in strengthening the communist government and defame their opponents. The campaigns attacked those respecting the democratic values of the First Republic, those involved with the Western resistance, Catholic church representatives, farmers, businessmen as well as small businesses, artists whose work was found objectionable by the communist culture leaders, and also “western imperialists and their agents and collaborators from the treacherous emigration”. Paradoxically enough, the key role in one of the campaigns was even played by an insect, in particular the Colorado potato beetle (Doryphora decemlineata). The infestation of the potato beetle, seen in Europe in 1950, was used by the propaganda in the Czech Republic, East Germany and Poland. It was described as an intentional act carried out by American imperialists who planted the pest beetle artificially “with the assistance of clouds and winds” to destroy our economy. This study describes the organisation and conduct of the propaganda campaign both in the state line and the party line. Seek-and-collect days were announced, to be obligatory for workers and youngsters at school. All media, i.e. press, radio and film, were used for the campaign. The contemporary caricature used the stout appearance of the beetle with its stripey wing-cases which, with a bit of perverse imagination, were reminiscent of the stripes on the American flag. The posters and press cartoons often depicted the beetle with small human heads wearing Uncle Sam’s top hat or an American soldier’s helmet. The study also mentions diplomatic notes exchanged between the USA and Czechoslovakia. It also touches upon some cases of people sentenced for treason and sent to prison for many years because of their alleged dissemination of the beetle, thus striving to “subvert our people’s democratic establishment”. The largest campaign was held in 1950; however, the “American beetle” which was “intentionally brought to our country by the American imperialists” was fought against in Czechoslovakia throughout the whole of the 1950’s.

• Details
• Contents