End of Democracy žForeign policy – E. Beneš and others – advocated an alliance with the West and the East (continue of policy – exile) but they knew – USSR will be the main power factor in CE žE. Beneš and J. Masaryk – Czechoslovakia – bridge between East and West – they didn’t expect so fast division of the world and such development of USSR - consolidation of the Stalinist dictatorship and imperial policy žCSR – not only communist party, democratic parties following Western concept of democracy but they couldn’t rely on effective alliances with the West - dependence on the USSR žJ. Masaryk: „… I flew to Moscow as the Czechoslovak Minister of Foreign Affairs and return as Stalin's henchman…“ ž žgovernment at the local level = National Committee žNational Front of Czechs and Slovaks - Association of parties had representation in exile and to participate in the liberation žMajority of approved parties – socialism žNew political order rely on Kosice government program - foundation of the People's Democratic regime ždiffered from parliamentary democracy - guaranteed the Constitution of 1920 žnon-communist parties didn’t want to admit – KGP – a lot of changes to parliamentary democracy žCzech and Slovak National Interests - Munich atonement, war damage and suffering žSocial and socializations steps - nationalization and land reform žCSR: two equal nations žpunishment of war criminals,collaborators and betrayers žCzechoslovak citizenship lost: Germans and Hungarians, who ran afoul of the Republic žX citizenship was given to those who actively fought against fascism žproperty transferred under national administration and then was confiscated and nationalized žadvantage of the Communist Party in government žlegislative power in the hands of the President – decrees had to be signed by goverment and it was agreed once The National Assembly is established – decrees must be retrospectively approved, 89 ž žBanks, insurance companies, key industries and mines and industries with more than 500 žPlanned economy žPrivate sector and craft small žLand reform (dercee June 1945) – land of Germans or of collaborator - landless, peasant - in the borderlands ž ž89 žconcerned: constitutional government, restoring the national economy and public finances, the establishment of new universities, nationalization and the expulsion of German and Hungarian minorities – there is not any decree ordering the expulsion – explusion accordingly article XII of Potsdam Conference and decision of Allied Control Council, decrees concerning citizenship and property žprosecution of crimes committed during the war - People's Court and the national courts in Praha and Bratislava žration supply not only food but also textile for taylors žLack of food ž1947 - disastrous drought - threat of food crisis žPrerequisite for economic recovery -Monetary reform -Payroll reform -child benefit -Xmas benefits -extension of paid leave ž Volume of industry ½ compare to before WWII žURNA – food, clothes, help to industries, drugs,… - žMay 1945 – wild expulsion (15,000 – 30, 000)!! - displacement and expulsion of German populations, Saxon, Austria – 660, 000 ž žAgaints human right žnot concern only the notables of the Nazi regime in Sudeten County or in the Protectorate – in general related to all Germans žMain actions: adventurers, looters and thugs who wanted to enrich and to vent anger – masive violence žhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6IFfQdM7EI&feature=related ž žAugust 1945 – transfer of German populatin from Czechoslovakia and Poland, expulsion of Hungarian population was not agreed žRelated President´s Decrees - revoke citizenship, National Administration of firms, confiscation of land žimmovable property, valuables žPersonal luggage 30 – 50 kilos žOrganized transfer – 1946 - Allied Control council. 2, 256,000 ž1947 – 48 - Additional transfer - family reunification – 80, 000 žIn Slovakia 600, 000 Hungarians žWest powers did not agree with the transfer but 1946 - Czechoslovakian - Hungarian Agreement on exchange of populations ž(only 73,000 to Slovakia and quite a lot of Romas) žPopulation exchange didn’t work out– reslovacization and transfer to border area ž ž ž1939 – 118, 310 x 1945 14, 045!!!!!!!!!! žOpen asylum policy, pro – Jewish state policy žAnna Hanusová – Flachová ž žBRENNER, H.: The Girls of Room 28: Friendship, Hope, and Survival in Theresienstad. New York 2009. ž ž žCSR – trying to solve transfer of Eastern Jews (Poland) and strong support for the establishment of an independent state in Palestine žUN – CSR supported establishment of Israel and provided military aid žIntegration of jewish population to czechoslovak society – difficult – as many of Jews - german nationality žAntisemitism žreturn of property to persons of Jewish origin ž disappointment, Israel,injustice, coup d`Etat 1948 žSince 1947 - departure of Jews from CSR žAfter April 1949 only 500 Jews in CSR ž¼ of Romas victims from Czech lands žcontrolled assimilation ž žFeis, H.: Between War and Peace: The Potsdam Conference. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1983. žRoberts, G.: Stalin's Wars: From World War to Cold War, 1939-1953. Yale University Press, 2006. žKaplan, K.: The Short March: The Communist Takeover in Czechoslovakia, 1945-1948. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 1987. žZeman, Z.: The Life of Edvard Beneš, 1884-1948: Czechoslovakia in Peace and War. Clarendon Press, 1997. ž ž ž ž1946 – last democratic election - Constituent National Assembly žOnly parties united in National front žrestoration of the structure of state power, the formation of CNA, which should prepare a new constitution žParties: Communists (1,000,000) – chairman K. Gottwald ž- National Socialists (520, 000) – P. Zenkl, middle class, continuity – T.G. Masaryk and E. Beneš ž - The People's Party – J. Šrámek ž - Social Democrats – Z. Fierlinger -Democratic Party – J. Letrich – Slovakia,… - - žCzech lands: -Communists – 40% žX žSlovakia: ž- Democratic Party – 62% x Communists – 30% žNegotiations on forming a government – a lot of disputes led by National Socialists (wanted democracy) žCommunist - Ministry of Interior Aff.; Ministr of Foreign Aff. J. Masaryk; Ministr of national Security L. Svoboda; deputy of Prime Minister P. Zenkl žMain goal: 2 two-year economic plan and the new constitution žGrowing political tention – non cummunist parties profiling as an anti-communist ž1947 – drought žRation supply žReduction of the supplying – growing black market žSlovakia – real poverty žSoviet Union help – 600,000 tons of grain x propaganda – Soviets saved Czechoslovakia again… ž žpotato beetle žpropaganda and publicity campaigns, mass protests, staged affair and assassination attempts, some of the policy component – provocation and espionage + close ties to the Soviet Union effort to influence opinion about situation in CSR žconvergence process of democratic forces began late – lack of unifying personality žCommunists – mass POPULARITY žExtra income for the state bugdet ž6,000,000,000 Czechoslovak crown ž(76 304 993 000 Kčs), CP – big success ž žNon communist opposition hope – new elections planned for spring 1948 žMain aim - preservation of democratic principles ž1947/1948 – dispute about anything in National Front, in government, national committee,….2 blocs ž19th February 1948 – Valerian Zorin Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of USSSR – arrived to Praha. He Prompted K. Gottwald, if need, asked for Soviet military aid (soviet army was ready – slovak/hungarian boarders) žK. Gottwald refused direct military intervention žspecific suggestions to the government crisis – Corps of state security žNon communists criticized the investigation procedure in some political affaires - protesting at government meeting, but no reaction from min. of Interior – these ministers refused to participate next gm ž20th February 1948 12 ministers (3 non communistic government parties) resigned žThey hoped that: President will not accept their resignation. They expected new election of resignation of CP žThey wanted to resolve the government crisis Parliamentary ways x CP started counterattack žCP – 21st February organized manifestation – Old Town Square, Praha žpressure on President žOnly 2 actions supporting democracy – university Students in Praha – marchs and support to President žPresident E. Beneš accepted demission of 12 ministers, affraid of civil war, millitary intervantion from USSR and neverending pressure of CP žPresident Edvard Beneš accepted demission of the ministers and the new government was accepted (Gottwald’ s proposal), majority Communists = mission completed žAction Committee žJune 1948 merging: Communists and SD žMay 9th new constitution , E. Beneš refused to sign žEnd of May – parliamentary election – manipulated žE. Beneš resigned and died žNew President Klement Gottwald, prime minister Antonin Zápotocký žhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNFMmgE8etY ž