The Czech and Slovak Republics. Twenty Years of Independence, 1993-2013
The Czech and Slovak Republics. Twenty Years of Independence, 1993-2013
Contributor(s): M. Mark Stolarik (Editor)
Subject(s): History, Social Sciences, Sociology, Recent History (1900 till today), Special Historiographies:, Economic development, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Post-Communist Transformation
Published by: Central European University Press
Keywords: Politics and government;Czech republic;Slovakia;Post-communism;Social conditions;Economic conditions;
Summary/Abstract: The essays in the book compare the Czech Republic and Slovakia since the breakup of Czechoslovakia in 1993. The papers deal with the causes of the divorce and discuss the political, economic and social developments in the new countries. This is the only English-language volume that presents the synoptic findings of leading Czech, Slovak, and North American scholars in the field.The authors include two former Prime Ministers of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, eight leading scholars (four Czechs and four Slovaks), and eight knowledgeable commentators from North America. The most significant new insight is that in spite of predictions by various pundits in the Western World that Czechia would flourish after the breakup and Slovakia would languish, the opposite has happened. While the Czech Republic did well in its early years, it is now languishing while Slovakia, which had a rough start, is now doing very well. Anyone interested in the history of the Czech and Slovak Republics over the last twenty years will find gratification in reading this book.
- E-ISBN-13: 978-963-386-154-7
- Print-ISBN-13: 978-963-386-153-0
- Page Count: 378
- Publication Year: 2016
- Language: English
The “Velvet Split” of Czechoslovakia (1989–1992)
The “Velvet Split” of Czechoslovakia (1989–1992)
(The “Velvet Split” of Czechoslovakia (1989–1992))
- Author(s):Jan Rychlík
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Transformation Period (1990 - 2010)
- Page Range:23-46
- No. of Pages:24
- Keywords:Czech nation-state;Slovaks;Czechoslovakia disintegrate
- Summary/Abstract:The main reason Czechoslovakia disintegrated in 1992 can be explained quite simply: there was no strong Czechoslovak identity. Starting with its creation in 1918, the Czechs identified with Czechoslovakia as their nation-state, but they considered it in fact as their Czech nation-state. The Slovaks never saw Czechoslovakia this way, but rather as a loose union of two nation-states. Language similarity between Czech and Slovak was not enough to span two fully conscious nations with different histories. By 1992, the Czechs and Slovaks did not need each other any more. However, the split took place in a concrete political situation and in the specific constitutional system of Czechoslovakia, which did not offer many alternatives.
- Price: 9.60 €
Czechoslovakia’s Dissolution Twenty Years After
Czechoslovakia’s Dissolution Twenty Years After
(Czechoslovakia’s Dissolution Twenty Years After)
- Author(s):Michael Kraus
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Transformation Period (1990 - 2010)
- Page Range:47-54
- No. of Pages:8
- Summary/Abstract:January 1, 2013 marked the twentieth anniversary of Czechoslovakia’s end. To account for Czechoslovakia’s dissolution, Jan Rychlík states his thesis at the very outset: the Czechs and the Slovaks went separate ways in 1993 primarily because no deep sense of Czechoslovak identity had emerged over the previous decades that would hold them together. In his view, the seventy-four years of common statehood—interrupted by WWII—did not forge common bonds strong enough to withstand the trials and tribulations of the post-communist transformation.
- Price: 4.50 €
The Dissolution of Czechoslovakia: The Slovak Perspective
The Dissolution of Czechoslovakia: The Slovak Perspective
(The Dissolution of Czechoslovakia: The Slovak Perspective)
- Author(s):Jozef Žatkuliak, Adam Hudek
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Transformation Period (1990 - 2010)
- Page Range:55-78
- No. of Pages:24
- Summary/Abstract:In 1990, scholars and journalists abroad generally perceived postcommunist Czechoslovakia as a country with a bright, democratic future. Only a few of them were aware of the existence and seriousness of the Czech-Slovak relationship and the significance this issue would have in the coming years. The inability of political elites to solve this problem during the negotiations in the years 1990–1992 ultimately sealed the fate of the Czechoslovak Federation. However, only in the second half of 1992 did it became clear that there were no alternatives but the dissolution of the common state. For many observers the rapid breakup of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic came unexpectedly.
- Price: 12.00 €
The Dissolution of Czechoslovakia: The Slovak Perspective
The Dissolution of Czechoslovakia: The Slovak Perspective
(The Dissolution of Czechoslovakia: The Slovak Perspective)
- Author(s):Stanislav J. Kirschbaum
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Transformation Period (1990 - 2010)
- Page Range:79-84
- No. of Pages:6
- Summary/Abstract:Jozef Žatkuliak and Adam Hudek’s presentation of the Slovak perspective on the dissolution of Czechoslovakia takes its cue from Western writings on the dissolution that focus on elites and process. The approach of these two authors is best articulated by Abby Innes, whom they quote, that the dissolution was “manufactured by a ruthlessly pragmatic Czech right, with the help of Slovak populists and opportunist leadership.” The greater part of their presentation focuses on the strategy and tactics of the Slovak side during the short period of negotiation that preceded it. They also offer some explanatory factors of a historical and social nature that underscore the political interests of the elite but they do not make an attempt to present them in a coherent and cohesive way that would actually enable one to define a Slovak perspective. The reason for this is found in their interpretation of historical developments and also in their explanation of elite behavior and outcome options.
- Price: 4.50 €
The Slovak Republic After Twenty Years
The Slovak Republic After Twenty Years
(The Slovak Republic After Twenty Years)
- Author(s):Jozef Moravčík
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Present Times (2010 - today)
- Page Range:85-93
- No. of Pages:9
- Summary/Abstract:Less than one year after the division of Czechoslovakia in 1993, a proposal to nominate Mr. Mečiar and Mr. Klaus for the Nobel Peace Prize was made by the leadership of a certain political party. Fortunately, the proposal remained in limbo. It is a fact that the world greatly appreciated the peaceful division of Czechoslovakia, in the spirit of the Velvet Revolution. However, the very fact of the division was not so well appreciated. Generally speaking, the international community does not welcome the division of states, especially if such divisions could be seen as a precedent. Therefore, the question remains: can we defend what we have done? This question may seem irrelevant, as there is no tribunal before which we should stand. However, in this case, a tribunal is replaced by our consciences, with which we could be reconciled only after the consequences of this step had become clear.
- Price: 4.50 €
The Czech Republic after Twenty Years: Gains and Losses
The Czech Republic after Twenty Years: Gains and Losses
(The Czech Republic after Twenty Years: Gains and Losses)
- Author(s):Petr Pithart
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Present Times (2010 - today)
- Page Range:95-102
- No. of Pages:8
- Summary/Abstract:Since January 1, 1993, for the first time in our more than one-thousand year history, we Czechs are living in our “state house,” alone. This house has changed its name, size, form, ruling dynasties and presidents many times. But always here with us—Bohemians, Moravians, and Silesians—were other nations or national minorities: we were never alone. The transformation from a multinational state to a nation-state was significant: it changed our being, our way of life, but it happened and the inhabitants of the country were not asked to approve of it.
- Price: 4.50 €
Of People, Mice and Gorillas: Slovak Politics Twenty Years After
Of People, Mice and Gorillas: Slovak Politics Twenty Years After
(Of People, Mice and Gorillas: Slovak Politics Twenty Years After)
- Author(s):Juraj Hocman
- Language:English
- Subject(s):International relations/trade, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Inter-Ethnic Relations, EU-Accession / EU-DEvelopment, Geopolitics
- Page Range:105-127
- No. of Pages:23
- Summary/Abstract:When post-communist Czechoslovakia broke up, the public became perplexed. Few outside observers knew that there had been two nations in communist Czechoslovakia because its citizens had traditionally been referred to as Czechs. Nevertheless, with Yugoslavia torn apart by civil war at the time, the Velvet Divorce was easier to digest. In sharp contrast with the former, no war ruined the long-lasting and mostly friendly relationship between the Slovaks and the Czechs. Paradoxically, on January 1, 1993, the same date when Czechoslovakia ceased to exist, the Maastricht Treaty transformed a part of Western Europe from an economic community into an “ever closer (European) Union,” which both Czechoslovakia’s successor states desperately wished to join.
- Price: 9.20 €
Thinking Big about a Small Country: On Juraj Hocman’s “People, Mice and Gorillas”
Thinking Big about a Small Country: On Juraj Hocman’s “People, Mice and Gorillas”
(Thinking Big about a Small Country: On Juraj Hocman’s “People, Mice and Gorillas”)
- Author(s):Kevin Deegan-Krause
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Government/Political systems
- Page Range:129-142
- No. of Pages:14
- Summary/Abstract:Juraj Hocman’s meditation on Slovakia’s political development over the last twenty years makes colorful use of provocative metaphors. His comparisons run the zoological gamut from mus musculus to gorilla gorilla, and the cinematic range from the “General Audience” rating of Stuart Little to the “Restricted” rating of The Thing. Woven through his text is a poignant account of the setbacks and successes of a particular country for which Hocman and I share great affection. But seen in the broader European perspective, the story of Slovakia is not a particularly unusual one. Without explicitly making the case, Hocman’s account implicitly reinforces the argument that scholars should pay attention to Slovakia not because its experiences have been unique but because they are so typical. Slovakia is fascinating in its own right, but even more so in the way that it provides an important laboratory in which we can look at deeper regional trends and a few worldwide trends as well
- Price: 5.60 €
Letting Czechoslovakia Go: Czech Political Developments Since 1993
Letting Czechoslovakia Go: Czech Political Developments Since 1993
(Letting Czechoslovakia Go: Czech Political Developments Since 1993)
- Author(s):Adéla Gjuričová
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Politics, Geopolitics
- Page Range:143-154
- No. of Pages:12
- Summary/Abstract:The story of the twenty-year independence of the Czech Republic has a different starting point from the Slovak one. While the latter’s narration opens with the founding of a new state, for the Czechs, it begins with first having to let go of the old one. The breakup of Czechoslovakia was traumatic for the Czechs, both for the political elite and for the general population. Czechoslovakia had been a Czech-initiated project. On the one hand, the Czechs accepted, believed in, and identified with it. On the other hand, the Slovaks quite often pointed to imbalances in the distribution of power between the common state institutions and Slovakia. The Czechs played down such complaints and concentrated on dominating and organizing the central, later federal, power. Only after 1989 did Czech politicians invest a lot of energy into finding a form of the federation acceptable to both nations.
- Price: 4.80 €
Czech Political Developments Since 1993: Some Comments
Czech Political Developments Since 1993: Some Comments
(Czech Political Developments Since 1993: Some Comments)
- Author(s):Carol Skalnik Leff
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Government/Political systems, Geopolitics
- Page Range:155-173
- No. of Pages:19
- Summary/Abstract:Given the excellent framing of post-independence politics in Adéla Gjuričová’s discussion, I want to focus on some of the paradoxes and distinctiveness of the Czech political scene suggested by her analysis. I hope to contextualize her examination of Czech politics in comparative perspective, both with regards to the new Slovak state and Central Europe.
- Price: 7.60 €
Economic Developments in Slovakia Since 1993
Economic Developments in Slovakia Since 1993
(Economic Developments in Slovakia Since 1993)
- Author(s):Ľudovít Hallon, Miroslav Londák, Adam Hudek
- Language:English
- Subject(s):National Economy, Economic policy, Socio-Economic Research
- Page Range:177-196
- No. of Pages:20
- Summary/Abstract:The societal changes which occurred in post-communist states after 1989 are commonly described as a triple transition—political, economic, and state-national. The transformation of the economy was a complex transformation of the socialist economic system. After the fall of the communist regimes, liberal reformers sought to transform the central-planning (socialist) model quickly into a market-oriented, capitalist economy. Such change involved radical and profound alterations, including the reorientation of exports from East to West, the privatization of state-owned property, the restructuring of industry, and the introduction of foreign investment. This process was crucial to a successful transition and was accompanied by deep changes to the political system and to property relations.
- Price: 8.00 €
To Neoliberalism and Back? Twenty Years of Economic Policy in Slovakia
To Neoliberalism and Back? Twenty Years of Economic Policy in Slovakia
(To Neoliberalism and Back? Twenty Years of Economic Policy in Slovakia)
- Language:English
- Subject(s):National Economy, Socio-Economic Research
- Page Range:197-210
- No. of Pages:14
- Summary/Abstract:The story of Slovakia’s economic development since 1918 has been told before, but rarely in a single place and never, as far as I know, in a single article. In that respect, Hallon, Londák, and Hudek’s “Economic Developments in Slovakia Since 1993” makes an important contribution to the field of Slovak studies. The title, with its promise to provide a review of Slovakia’s economic development since independence, actually understates its scope. Indeed, a good portion of the article concerns the 1918–1989 period. As far as I can tell, they get the communist and pre-communist history right in most of the details, and in spite of the article’s remarkable parsimony, they add new insights to our understanding of the period since independence. This is an impressive accomplishment.
- Price: 5.60 €
Economic Developments in the Czech Republic, 1993–2013
Economic Developments in the Czech Republic, 1993–2013
(Economic Developments in the Czech Republic, 1993–2013)
- Author(s):Martin Pospíšil
- Language:English
- Subject(s):National Economy
- Page Range:211-235
- No. of Pages:25
- Summary/Abstract:This paper deals with economic developments in the Czech Republic in the last two decades and attempts to analyze problems related to the historically unprecedented process of transition from a command to a market economy. These twenty years were marked by economic reforms, economic convergence, three crises, and a large inflow of foreign capital, among others. Despite many mistakes, Czech economic development was a success, and the lessons that economists and policy makers have learned from these mistakes can serve as an example for other countries. In this article, we will describe key actors, policies, and outcomes with a focus on the question of what Czech society has gained over the last twenty years. At the same time, the transition was probably not as successful as hoped, especially at the beginning of the 1990s, when the Czechs were expecting a fast economic convergence with Western Europe. The Czech transition became a mix of shocks and gradualist steps and was not as rapid as many had expected.
- Price: 10.00 €
The Czech Economic Transition: From Leader to Laggard
The Czech Economic Transition: From Leader to Laggard
(The Czech Economic Transition: From Leader to Laggard)
- Author(s):Sharon Fisher
- Language:English
- Subject(s):National Economy
- Page Range:237-244
- No. of Pages:8
- Summary/Abstract:The chapter by Martin Pospíšil titled “Economic Developments in the Czech Republic, 1993–2013” provides a good overview of the country’s economic transformation after the fall of communism. In it the author offers a detailed description of three key periods of Czech economic transition, describing key actors, policies and outcomes: the initial transformation (1991–1997); the convergence (1998–2007); and the global crisis (2008–today).
- Price: 4.50 €
Reflections on Social Developments in Slovakia, 1993–2013
Reflections on Social Developments in Slovakia, 1993–2013
(Reflections on Social Developments in Slovakia, 1993–2013)
- Author(s):Martin Bútora, Zora Bútorová
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Social development, Human Ecology, Political Ecology, Economic development
- Page Range:247-279
- No. of Pages:33
- Summary/Abstract:„Social Developments” could mean many different things. This term can be understood as “a transformation of social structures in a manner which improves the capacity of the society to fulfill its aspirations”— says one of the educational websites. It can be perceived as “qualitative changes in the structure and framework of society that help the society to better realize its aims and objectives,” claim protagonists of a comprehensive theory of social development. It refers to the alteration of social order within a society, and it is “a process of social change, not merely a set of policies and programs instituted for some specific results,” other experts remind us.
- Price: 13.20 €
Social Developments in Slovakia after Twenty Years: The Impact of Politics
Social Developments in Slovakia after Twenty Years: The Impact of Politics
(Social Developments in Slovakia after Twenty Years: The Impact of Politics)
- Author(s):Sharon L. Wolchik
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Social development
- Page Range:281-287
- No. of Pages:7
- Summary/Abstract:As Martin Bútora and Zora Bútorová note in the introduction to their chapter, the social dimension of the transition from communism and a planned economy, as well as of the changes that occurred after Slovakia became independent in 1993, is a huge, multifaceted subject. The authors wisely chose to limit their consideration to several key aspects. Focusing on seven areas related to social changes in the country, their analysis highlights numerous important issues. In this response, I will group my comments into four main areas. These include judgments about the successes and failures of the last two decades; citizens’ evaluations of positive and negative changes since 1989 and critical problems; issues related to the development of political and civic life; and the authors’ call for a “new narrative.” Based, as one would expect in a work by two of Slovakia’s preeminent sociologists, on a wealth of empirical data from international as well as domestic sources, the analysis provides an extremely useful and nuanced overview of the areas the authors discuss. As I do not disagree with their interpretations of the data they present or their overall conclusions, my remarks will largely focus on additional questions their snapshots raise.
- Price: 4.50 €
Social Developments in the Czech Republic Since 1993
Social Developments in the Czech Republic Since 1993
(Social Developments in the Czech Republic Since 1993)
- Author(s):Oldřich Tůma
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Social development
- Page Range:289-310
- No. of Pages:22
- Summary/Abstract:Writing on social developments from a historian’s perspective is an extremely demanding task. It is a diverse, multilevel and complex topic, which requires adequate across-the-board research. It is in fact impossible to cover the topic fully without subtopical studies on political, economic or social history, cultural history, and everyday life. Conducting such research and presenting its results is very difficult even for older periods and almost impossible for the last twenty years. Any partial studies, if existing at all, are very preliminary and almost all of them deal exclusively with the 1990s. The following pages are not, and cannot be, the product of focused research, but are based on reflections of public or media discourses or on the perception of and comments regarding changes of the social atmosphere.
- Price: 8.80 €
Some Comments on “Social Developments in the Czech Republic”
Some Comments on “Social Developments in the Czech Republic”
(Some Comments on “Social Developments in the Czech Republic”)
- Author(s):James W. Peterson, Mara Petersone
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Social development
- Page Range:311-319
- No. of Pages:9
- Summary/Abstract:This chapter presents a useful overview of current Czech attitudes regarding key social, political, and economic issues. Oldřich Tůma provides interesting data that demonstrate how economic conditions in Prague have improved to the point that they exceed the average of the European Union. This has had the unfortunate consequence of creating a certain resentment and even animosity towards the capital city in other sections of the country. Further, Tůma offers the central thesis that “post-communist changes are more important than post-Czechoslovak changes.” Having an overarching theme lends coherence to his paper and provides a lens for interpreting a variety of conditions and changes during the last two decades in the Czech Republic. Interestingly, Tůma offers the conclusion that Czechs “perhaps need a spiritual boost” to get rid of “feelings of frustration and general skepticism.”
- Price: 4.50 €
Contributors
Contributors
(Contributors)
- Contributor(s):M. Mark Stolarik (Editor)
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Essay|Book Review |Scientific Life
- Page Range:321-324
- No. of Pages:4
- Price: 4.50 €
Bibliography
Bibliography
(Bibliography)
- Contributor(s):M. Mark Stolarik (Editor)
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Essay|Book Review |Scientific Life
- Page Range:325-346
- No. of Pages:22
- Price: 4.50 €
Index
Index
(Index)
- Contributor(s):M. Mark Stolarik (Editor)
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Essay|Book Review |Scientific Life
- Page Range:347-364
- No. of Pages:18
- Price: 4.50 €
