Czechoslovakia and its Armed Forces in Times of Change

In the 1980s Czechoslovakia was one of the strongest countries in the Warsaw Treaty Organisations in terms of military capacity. In addition to the regular army, Czechoslovakia had strong internal security forces and people’s militia.The army was under the control of the Communist Party, whose extension wasthe political main directorate of the army. The reorganisation of the army started in 1990. The main task was to reorganise the army of a totalitarian country into the armed forces of a democratic state. A civilian was appointed the Defence Minister; a new military doctrine was prepared, which stated that national defence was the duty of the army; the general staff and the Ministry of Defence as well as the structure of units were reorganised; reducing the number of staff started; the length of compulsory military service was shortened; and becoming a member of NATO was set as a goal.

The Czechoslovak desk of the Radio Free Europe: Its development and impact on the Czechoslovak history

The disertation is focused on development and importance of the Czechoslovak desk of the Radio Free Europe in period between 1950 and 1994. This broadcasting have gained in time of strong censorship significant and till now unresearched importance. In February 1948 the Communist party took power in the Czechoslovakia. After that Czech and Slovak democratic politicians had left country to the West. They wanted to break the isolation of people living behind the Iron Curtain and promote restoration of democracy in their homeland. In 1949 was in the USA established the National Committee for Free Europe as fomally independent citizens association. As its most known activity had became the Radio Free Europe (RFE). This radio station had became an important tool for political strugle between two blocks in time of the Cold War. The basic qestion is what real position RFE broadcasting have reached in this struggle. The estabilishing of foreign broadcasting to the Czechoslovakia was very difficult task. RFE started its activity as exiles platform for purpose of liberation the Czechoslovakia from rule of the Communistic Party regime. The programming position of the RFE was in reality influented by american politicians and was depending on changing global political conditions as well. The unique position of..

Verfall von Moral und Disziplin in der Tschechoslowakischen Volksarmee als Zeichen der Diskrepanz zwischen dem Ideal des sozialistischen Soldaten und der Realität in den letzten beiden Jahrzehnten der sozialistischen Tschechoslowakei

Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie stanu morale w Czechosłowackiej Armii Ludowej w ostatnich dwóch dekadach jej istnienia. Wykorzystując ramy metodologiczne Jacques’a van Doorna, autor porównuje ogólne wymagania stawiane zawodowym wojskowym z rzeczywistością Czechosłowackiej Armii Ludowej. Istotny okazuje się wpływ interwencji zbrojnej w sierpniu 1968 roku na późniejsze morale armii. Żołnierze nie byli już w stanie zjednoczyć swoich interesów w ramach jej organizacji.This study is intended to map the state of morale in the Czechoslovak People’s Army in the last two decades of its existence. Using Jacques van Doorn’s methodological framework, the Author compares the general demands of the military profession with the reality of the Czechoslovak People’s Army. A significant finding is an overwhelming influence of military intervention in August 1968 on the subsequent morale of the army. Its members were no longer able to unite their interests within the organisation of the army.Ziel dieser Studie ist es, den Zustand der Moral in der Tschechoslowakischen Volksarmee in den letzten beiden Jahrzehnten ihres Bestehens darzustellen. Unter Verwendung des methodischen Rahmens von Jacques van Doorn vergleicht der Autor die allgemeinen Anforderungen an den Soldatenberuf mit der Realität der Tschechoslowakischen Volksarmee. Eine wichtige Erkenntnis ist der überwältigende Einfluss der militärischen Intervention im August 1968 auf die spätere Moral der Armee. Ihre Mitglieder waren nicht mehr in der Lage, ihre Interessen innerhalb der Organisation der Armee zu vereinen

District in the east. Citizens and the lowest organizational part of the State security by example of the district of Havlíčkův Brod

Společenský pohyb směřující k ukončení více než čtyřicetileté monopolní vlády komunistů v Československu je patrný i na úrovni okresu Havlíčkův Brod. Projevoval se poměrně razantně a přes impuls a podporu z hlavního města měl dostatečné vlastní lidské zdroje. V tomto ohledu je třeba vyzdvihnout význam nezávislých struktur (Charta 77 a Havlíčkova mládež), které představovaly počáteční "institucionální" základnu opozice i rezervoár osobností fakticky předcházející nezávislou činností připravených převzít a udržet iniciativu při klíčových shromážděních občanů v okresním městě. Jediným nedostatkem (vlastním nejen okresu Havlíčkův Brod) byla absence zájmu o struktury politické policie - StB. Proto mimo aktivní pozornost veřejnosti mohlo dojít k nekontrolovanému ničení dokladů o činnosti okresního oddělení StB. Prověrky příslušníků Okresního oddělení StB související s ukončením existence StB nijak nevybočují z tristního celorepublikového průběhu této akce

Eastern district 1960-1989. Citizens and the lowest link of the State security on the example of the Havlíčkův Brod district

The subject of this dissertation is the problem of activities of the State Security on a current district level which has remained up to now unnoticed. On one hand it dwells on the organization development of the apparatus of the political police outside big centres, on its persona! appointments and on the incorporation of the StB structure into the local system of the totalitarian power. On the other hand it analysis interests of the State Security, the develop-ment in the interpretation of enemy and of supposed or actual risks for the stability of the state power. The period between 1960 and 1989 was choosen for its stable form of the territorial zoning and as a period of declarative completion of the so-called socialist society. In such a framework it is possible to follow the influence that important landmarks had on the territorial structure of the State Security, as for instance the period around the Prague Spring 1968, or the rise of civic activities starting the end of 1970's, as well as the period of the fall of regime at the end of 1989. The study was written in particular as a result of studies of original so far mostly unexplored archival materials including use of some memoirs and other secondary literary sources. The role of territorial StB-bodies did not consist in a direct and mass..

On the Waves of Radio Free Europe. The story of Jaroslav and Pavel Pecháček

On the Waves of Radio Free Europe. The story of Jaroslav and Pavel Pecháček Radio Free Europe represented a significant phenomenon for more than 40 years, a symbol of struggle against the distortion of information, concealing of events, and against censorship. The name Pechaček was connected with this radio station throughout its existence. The life story of Jaroslav and Pavel Pechačeks, father and son, is another story typical for Czechoslovakia of the 20th century. The father was forced to emigrate due to the communist takeover in 1948 while his son stayed in Czechoslovakia. They met again only after two decades when the son had to leave Czechoslovakia in consequence of another historical upheaval in the centre of Europe. Both of them achieved success in the same field, working for the Radio Free Europe and Voice of America stations and heading them for many years. They were both kept under close watch of the State security (StB) service, but both lived to see the fall of the communist regime in their home country. Prokop Tomek’s biographical study embraces the Pechaček family’s struggle against both the Nazi and the communist regimes, their professional career, problems with the State Security, as well as Pavel Pechaček’s activities following November 1989. It is not by chance that the study is included in the section called Against Totalitarianism