Hanak, Harry

English

Bohemia - Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Kultur der böhmischen Länder

C Z E C H O S L O V A K H I S T O R Y I N G R E A T B R I T A I N By Harry Hanak When in Septembe r 1990 forme r Prim e Ministe r Margare t Thatche r addresse d th e Federa l Assembly of th e Czec h and Slovák Republic , she apologised , so to speak, for British action s atMunichi n 1938. She the n went on to say tha t British policy toward s Beneš and th e Czechoslovak s had change d th e momen t war broke out . Nothin g coul d be furthe r from th e truth . Indeed , on e of th e reason s for Benes' s pro-Sovie t policy line was caused by th e tardines s of the British in grantin g his governmen t füll recognition . I t was in fact delayed unti l after th e Germa n attac k on th e Soviet Union . N o blame attache s to Thatcher , but muc h to thos e who gave her historica l advice and wrote her speech . But historica l curiositie s like thi s are no t confine d to th e British . O n 25 Octobe r Premie r Maria n Čalfa told La Tribune de ['Expansion, tha t he favoured a Volkswagen rathe r tha n a combine d Renault-Volv o investmen t in Škoda on th e ground , amon g others , "tha t th e German s are ou r neighbours. " As a statemen t on geograph y it canno t be faulted . As a statemen t on economi c planning , ther e is perhap s muc h to be said for it. As a statemen t of politica l inten t it ma y signalise th e willing, and even enthusiastic , acceptanc e of Germa n politica l influenc e rathe r tha n th e influenc e of othe r Europea n forces, no t least thos e of th e Europea n Community . As a historica l statement , how-ever, it mus t have mad e th e founder s of Czechoslovaki a of 1918 and th e refounder s of 1945 tur n in thei r graves. Th e thir d nam e I would like to introduc e her e is tha t of Professo r Hug h Seton -Watson . Firs t of all to regret his untimel y deat h five years before th e events which transforme d th e politica l configuratio n of th e whole of centra l and eastern Europe . In a lectur e tha t he gave in 1983 "On Tryin g to be a Historia n of Easter n Europe " Hug h identifie d himsel f with tha t generatio n which experience d th e Secon d World War and the n th e decolonisatio n process . These experience s convince d him tha t "the end of Austria-Hungar y seems rathe r th e first act in anothe r process : th e disintegratio n of multinationa l Europea n empires , of which toda y only on e still remains. " Ha d he lived longer he migh t have witnessed , as we do , th e beginning s of tha t proces s of disinte -gration . H e would also have seen tha t "zlatá Praha " whose beauties , so he complaine d in 1983, he ha d no t beheld for 36 years 1. M y intentio n her e is no t to proclai m my academi e piety to Hug h or to familiarise you with his 1983 lecture . I t is rathe r to dra w your attentio n to th e view, which he propagated , tha t ther e was a fundamenta l differenc e between "native" and "foreign" 1 Hugh Seton-Watson' s essay is in D . D e l e t a n t and H . H a n a k (eds.) : Historian s as Natio n Builders. Londo n 1988. 100 Bohemia Band 32 (1991) historians. By native must not be taken to mean only those born in the country whose history they study. There are those immigrants, whose perfectly valid desire for identi-fication with those among whom they live, turns them into "native" historians. And f or-eign, in this sense, does not necessarily mean one born outside Great Britain. The native historians are those who study the history of the country they live in. In England their maximum strength is to be found in the study of the Tudor and Stuart periods, and it is worthy of note that one of these süperb historians was born in Austria. In contrast to them the foreign historians cannot hope to produce such studies in depth and in detail. Hugh made the distinction here, made familiär by Sir Isaiah Berlin, quoting the Greek poet Archilochus: "The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing."2 The Tudor-Stuart élite are hedgehogs and proud of it, while the foreign historians are foxes. I need not weary the reader with the reasons for this difference. Questions of time, questions of travel, questions of money have much to do with it. Above all the foreign historian must acquire an intellectual identification with the country he studies, which is a lengthy process and one which does not always succeed. Moreover the English historian of the Czech and Slovák lands, or of any other lands has to divest himself of an Anglocentrism. No wonder that the Tudor-Stuart hedge-hogs tend to accuse the foreign historians of dilettantism and journalism. There is much in this. The intelligent journalistic outpourings in Britain about Czechoslovakia in the last year are impressive. The historical enquiry less so. It also is surprising that the 1990 Conference to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the School of Slavonic and East European Studies in the University of London, should not in its programme mention its first lecturer, T. G. Masaryk, nor his inaugural lecture on 19 October 1915, "The Problem of the Small Nations in the European Crisis." I am sure he will forgive his old university as the subject of the Conference "Towards aNew Community. Culture and Politics in Post-Totalitarian Society" has, after all, a Masarykian ring to it. There are two groups of historians that Hugh did not mention. One of them, in any case, refers only to the Czech Lands. They are the German historians originating from the Czech and Slovák Lands. The second group are the émigré historians. Let me deal with the émigrés first. By émigré I do not mean only those who have left the Czech Lands and Slovakia for political or economic reasons. I also include in this group those who by descent and even by marriage have evolved a personal interest in their origins or in the origins of their spouses. I shall make a vety risky judgement here. The socially and psychologically well-adjusted British historian may do research in British history or Empire themes connected with it. One not so well adjusted may become a foreign historian and may thus acquire a foreign wife. Obviously the largest number of these foreign historians are to be found in the United States, though given the Immigrant origins of American society, my idiosyncratic views do not apply to them. I think, in any case, that American culture is such, and American historical research is of such a standard, that they are well placed to study and write the history of the Czech and Slovák Lands. But then I do not write here of American historians. Nevertheless, in drawing the boundaries of émigré historians so wide, distinctions 2 Ber l in , Isaiah: The Hedgehog and the Fox. In: Ders. : RussianThinkers. London 1978, 22-82. H. Hanak,  Czechoslovak History in Great Britain 101 mus t be made . Th e secon d or thir d generatio n of historian s ma y trea t historica l sub-jects differently . In th e case of first generatio n of émigrés difference s mus t be mad e be-tween th e waves of 1939,1948, and 1968. Th e last wave being neares t to th e events of a generatio n ago, and seeing these ideals realised no w seems th e mos t relevant . Yet mos t of thei r work, I think , deals with th e recen t histor y of Czechoslovakia . I t is an attemp t to explain th e whys and hows of Czechoslova k communism . Th e hedgeho g Tudor -Stuar t group would say tha t thei r persona l involvemen t with th e events the y try to explain robs the m of th e intellectua l insight which distanc e and tim e gives. I can also no t speak for thos e whom for lack of a bette r word I describe as "German " historians . Th e Collegiu m Carolinu m has been outstandin g in its work in th e histor y of th e Czec h and Slovák Land s and also in providin g a harbou r for historian s exiled from Czechoslovakia . I am delighte d to see tha t Czechoslova k historian s have no w recognise d thei r great Services3. I would like to say somethin g abou t thi s group . I welcom e th e reconciliation , perhap s I shoul d say, th e mora l reconciliation , between Czech s and Germans , based as it mus t be on th e recognitio n tha t a crim e had been committe d by German s in 1938 to 1945 and by Czech s in 1945 to 1946.1 quot e th e war tim e Czechoslova k Ministe r of Defence , Genera l Ing r on th e BBC on 3 Novembe r 1944: Až přijde náš den, bude celý náro d následovat starý válečný pokřik husitů : Bijte je, zabte je, nikoh o nenechávejt e na živu! Každý by se měl už teď poohlédnou t po vhodn é zbrani , která trefí Němc e nejúčinněji . Kdo nemá po ruce žádno u střelno u zbraň , ať si opatř í jakoukoli jinou a uchová ji. . . On e canno t read these words withou t a feeling of shame . Yet, let me admit , tha t if I ha d hear d these words, living as a teenage r in Londo n in Novembe r 1944,1 would no t have disagreed . Let me also teil you tha t it was th e unanimou s view of th e staff of th e British embassy in Pragu e after liberatio n tha t th e transfe r -  an innocuou s word like th e phras e final Solutio n -  was somethin g which was necessar y to preserve a viable Czechoslovaki a and to safeguard th e peace in Europe . However , to com e to th e pre -sent . I t seems to me tha t th e Germa n historians , amon g th e foreign historians , have th e insight and th e opportunitie s to write Czec h and Slovák history . The y have th e intel -lectua l connection , th e geographi c nearnes s which Čalfa mentioned , or which Profes -sor Ferdinan d Seibt mad e th e them e of his 1974 book , Deutschland und die Tschechen. Geschichte einer Nachbarschaft in der Mitte Europas. The y also have th e linguistic knowledge . The y have th e sympathy . The y are th e one s who , at a tim e when it was no t always possible or easy to do so in Czechoslovakia , have maintaine d th e high Stan -dard s of Czechoslova k history . Ca n British historian s play a prominen t par t in th e post-Novembe r 1989 Czec h and Slovák historica l writing? British historica l writin g as far as it concentrate d on non -British and non-Empir e subjects has been heavily concentrate d on America n histor y and on France . Th e special relationshi p between Britain and th e Unite d State s is no t 3 Historick ý ústav ČSAV. Collegio Carolino  ad Honorem . Prah a 1990. 4 Quote d in Proglas 1 (1990) 69: "When our day dawns, the whole natio n will heed the war cry of the Hussites : Beat them , kill them , don' t leave anyon e alive! Everyone should already now look aroun d for a suitable weapon which will be most useful to hit the Germans . He who has not got a firearm to hand , let him equip himself with anyothe r weapon and keep it ready... " 102 Bohemia Band 32 (1991) merel y th e consequenc e of th e reactio n of a declinin g world power to an unf avourabl e internationa l environment , bu t accord s well with th e cultura l an d historica l interest s of th e British people . In th e case of France , th e nearnes s of th e Frenc h neighbou r or foe, th e interminglin g of English an d Frenc h histor y over 900 years, an d th e fact tha t English childre n do learn Frenc h at schoo l mad e thi s inevitable . Ther e are, of course , British historian s of Germany , bu t ther e are no t man y of them . I believe tha t I am right in saying tha t ther e is no t a single chai r of Germa n histor y at any British university . O n th e othe r han d th e forme r Masary k Professo r of Centra l Europea n History , F . L. Carsten , easily filled thi s gap. No r shoul d th e work of th e Germa n Historica l Institut e in London , with its histor y seminář , be overlooked . Th e interest s of Russian histor y are competentl y maintaine d by a small numbe r of historians . Inevitabl y th e histor y of th e Soviet Unio n evokes great interes t amon g academic s and students . In additio n ther e is a stron g and numerou s bod y of politica l scientists , student s of inter -nationa l relations , who write on th e USSR . Yet thei r numbe r and influenc e is smaller tha n tha t of America n Sovietologists . Of th e smaller East Europea n nation s th e inter -ests of Polish histor y and politic s are adequatel y served. Th e samé canno t be said of th e rest of eastern Europe . Th e historian s of Czechoslovaki a includ e Rober t Evans , Zby-něk Zeman , Mar k Cornwal l (Oxford) , William Wallace (Glasgow) , Trevo r Thoma s (London) , Gordo n Wightma n (Liverpool) , J . F . N . Bradle y (formerl y of Manches -ter) , Marti n Myant , Alice Teichov á (Cambridge) , and a few others . Ther e are politi -cal scientist s like Alexander Pravda , Vladimír Kusín , Archie Brown , Jud y Batt , and Jarosla v Krejčí . Krejčí has in fact recentl y writte n a history , Czechoslovakia at the Crossroads of European History (1990). J. W. Bruegel died in 1986, a veritable giant of exile Czechoslova k historiography . Th e infinitel y good Elizabet h Wiskemann , whose stud y of Czechs and Germans entitle s he r to a to p rankin g place in British studie s of Czechoslovakia , died in 1975. On e shoul d also in thi s contex t mentio n thos e out -standin g scholar s of Czec h an d Slovák literatuř e an d also of language Rober t Pynsent , David Short , Jame s Naughton , and Kare l Brušák 5. Th e reade r ma y well ask after th e Masary k chai r at th e Universit y of London . What has happene d to it? Fro m 1922 to 1945 th e chai r in Centra l Europea n History , finance d by th e Czechoslova k government , was held by R. W. Seton-Watson , th e autho r of th e mos t importan t English histor y of th e Czech s and Slovaks to be writte n between th e two wars. H e was succeede d by th e medievalis t R. R. Betts , whose untimel y deat h deprived Czec h histor y in Britain of its mos t outstandin g scholar . Hi s succes-sor, F . L. Carsten , is equally if no t mor e outstandin g but Czechoslova k histor y is no t his field. When Carste n retired , financia l exigencies prevente d th e appointmen t of a ne w professor . Fo r man y years SSEE S had a historia n of Czechoslovakia . When he retire d in 1989 his post was advertised as coverin g centra l Europea n history . In th e event a schola r of Hungaria n histor y was appointed . All thi s in th e Schoo l whose ori-ginal aim was to act as a centr e of stud y of "Le mond e Slavě". I t is also interestin g to look at some leadin g British historica l Journal s and see what has appeare d on Czechoslova k history . In th e last ten years, unless I have missed 5 If I have missed any one, my apologies. H. Hanak,  Czechoslovak History in Great Britain 103 something , The Slavonic and East European Review onl y carrie d on e articl e on Czechoslova k history : "Nineteent h Centur y Bohemi a in Contemporar y Czecho -slovak Historiography : Changin g Views." Th e autho r is Alf redo Laudier o -  an Italia n schola r from th e Universit y of Naples . Th e onl y othe r recen t articl e I coul d find was in The Journal of Contemporary History, by Kastrie l Ben-Arie , an Israel i scholar , on "Czechoslovaki a at th e Tim e of 'Munich' : Th e Militar y Situation." 6 Th e subject of Munic h and of British appeasemen t has naturall y enoug h never ceased to occup y British historian s and politica l scientist s an d indee d th e politica l establishment . I t is n o exaggeration to say tha t muc h of British policy, and America n too , has been conditio -ned by th e reactio n to th e Munic h settlement . Ther e has, in fact, been a recen t publica -tion to add to thos e on Munich , The Eleventh Hour (1988) by th e jounalis t Rober t Kee . Ca n anythin g be don e to revive th e stud y of Czechoslova k history ? Th e revolution s of 1989 have create d a fresh interes t in th e affairs of centra l and eastern Europe . Th e long series of television programme s on Czechoslovaki a early in 1990 are evidenc e of this . The y ma y even have impresse d upo n some Englishme n tha t ther e are Slovaks and no t onl y Czech s and tha t th e language tha t the y speak ist no t "Czechoslovakian. " Pynsent , Short , and Naughto n can teac h Czec h and Slovák and literatuř e bette r tha n anyon e I know . Inevitabl y th e numbe r of "takers" will remai n small. Ther e is mor e hop e with th e study of politics . Th e stud y of comparativ e communis t Systems has a stron g following bot h amon g academic s and amon g students . In thi s contex t I regard th e English translatio n of Zdeně k MlynáF s boo k and th e numerou s book s on Czechoslova k communis t politic s by Kare l Kapla n and also Gali a Gola n and Vladimir Kusin as particularl y importan t in awakenin g an interes t in Czec h and Slovák history . Now , I thin k it is possible to gain a superficia l knowledge of th e politic s of a countr y withou t a knowledge of its history . Withou t it you have journalism . But eventuall y th e expert s in politic s requir e a knowledge of history . Her e lies perhap s th e hop e of Czechoslova k histor y in Britain . A furthe r possibility exists in th e writin g of Czechoslova k histor y at point s where it meet s generá l Europea n history . Clearl y Munic h is such an example but ther e are man y others . I t would be useful if ou r Czechoslova k colleague s would encourag e foreign scholar s to seek such opportunitie s in Czechoslova k archives . I t is ou r respon -siblity to encourag e ou r student s to take an advantag e of these opportunities . Of course , th e primar y requiremen t is linguistic . Perhap s m y pessimism is no t justified. Th e Czec h language has provide d English with at least on e word : robot . Czec h histor y at least on e politica l concept . In Octobe r 1990 The Financical Times spoke of th e forme r Prim e Minister' s "defenestration " of herministers . 6 Journa l of Contemporar y Histor y 25 (1990) 431-446. 

Czechoslovak History in Great Britain

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Czechoslovak History in Great Britain

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