Cílem této seminární práce je analýza vývoje charakteristik Sovětského svazu během reformního období spojeného s M. S. Gorbačovem. Právě proměně základních atributů sovětského systému se věnuje první část práce. Pro druhou část práce jsem vybral konkrétní reformní kroky sovětského vedení, které měly přispět k obnovení hospodářského rozvoje. U těchto opatření jsou popsána jejich východiska, zamýšlené důsledky a skutečné dopady. Celá práce by tak měla svým obsahem přispět k diskuzi o možnosti reformování sovětského hospodářství i samotného Sovětského svazu. Práce dokazuje, že upuštění od základních znaků sovětského systému spolu se změnami v hospodářství nevedlo k nastolení rozkvětu ekonomiky a státu. Ale naopak výrazně přispělo k celkové destabilizaci, a proto práce dokazuje nereformovatelnost Sovětského svazu i jeho hospodářství.

Diploma thesis analyses mutual relations between Cuba and Soviet Union between 1959 (victory of the Cuban revolution led by Fidel Castro) and 1991 (the dissolution of Soviet Union). The thesis is divided into five chapters, first of which deals with the historical development of the island. The rest of the chapters describe circumstances leading to establishing, deepening, or worsening mutual relations and explains the causes of such development. Motivation factors leading both countries to cooperation are object of the work. This thesis intends to find out whether geographical location of Cuba was the main reason for Soviet Union to cooperate and support financially the Caribbean island. The role of Marxism-Leninism ideology in mutual relations is also clarified.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 607-621). Also available on the Internet.

Tato práce je zaměřena na zkoumání politických a ekonomických souvislostí vztahů Sovětského Svazu a Československa v období po nástupu komunismu v roce 1948 až do 1968, kdy se uskutečnila intervence států Varšavské smlouvy, která ukončila reformní proces v ČSSR. Obsahuje charakteristiku vztahů dvou zemí v období před rokem 1948, které vytvořilo předpoklady pro vzájemnou spolupráci a vycházela z konkrétní politické situace jak ve vnitřní politice, tak i na mezinárodní scéně, a po roce 1968, pro které bylo charakteristické ekonomický úpadek a pokles vzájemného obchodu mezi zeměmi, samotné zkoumané dvacetileté období, které je považováno za nejúspěšnější v dějinách takzvaného Východního bloku a obou zemí, kdy jejich politická a ekonomická váha ve světě dosáhuje vrcholu pro Československou republiku v poválečném období a pro SSSR v dějinách země, a také charakteristiku fungování Rady vzájemné hospodářské pomoci, v jejimž rámci probíhá vzájemný obchod ČSSR a SSSR v tomto období. Úlohou práce je pak zhodnotit pozitivní a negativní stránky vývoje vztahů mezi oběma zeměmi v tomto období z politického a ekonomického hlediska.

Práce se zabývá rozpadem Sovětského svazu. Rozebírá politické a hospodářské dějiny SSSR od konce padesátých let až do samotného rozpadu bloku v roce 1991. Dále zobrazuje mocenskopolitický boj mezi hlavními představiteli SSSR v této době. Cílem je nalezení příčin rozpadu a zobrazení hospodářských a politických procesů, které v této době probíhaly a které ke kolapsu vedly.

The thesis focuses on the privatisation process held in Russia in the 1990s and its consequences. It examines historical background of the reforms on the example of attempts to introduce elements of private property to the Russian or more precisely Soviet economy since 1950s. The thesis concentrates on the process of privatisation with an emphasis on comparison of different projects of privatisation and the influence of the most significant agents on the Russian political scene on the implementation of these projects. Special focus is given to the influence the privatisation had on the Russian economy, standard of living of the population, society, as well as situation on the Russian political scene.

The aim of this thesis is an analysis of economic development in Soviet Union during the era of Nikita S. Khrushchev. The thesis examines reforms initiated after 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, primarily agriculture and industry. Simultaneously is analyzed socioeconomic situation of post-Stalinist Soviet Union and reasons obliging Khrushchev to plan and carry through with reforms. Efficiency of these reforms, their effect on soviet economy and on standard of living of soviet citizens will be evaluated. As a source will be used monographies, sub-studies and archive materials.

The thesis compares Western and Soviet approaches to creating the image of state in the Cold War period. Terms public diplomacy, propaganda and agitation are explained and the Cold War period is covered in the first section. Second chapter depicts American and British approach to the public diplomacy after WW2 and deals with Western methods and tools used to create the image of state abroad. Third section describes Soviet propaganda and its machine of the stated period and the fourth section compares and judges Western and Eastern approaches. It seems that although the differences of democratic and totalitarian form of state are relevant, the structure and institutions used to creating the image of state during the Cold War were similar on both sides of the iron curtain.

This thesis presents an account of a prominent eighteenth-century European naturalist, Peter Pallas (1741-1811), in the setting to which he contributed his scientific talents—the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. A complete outline of Pallas' life is presented for purposes of continuity, but the heart of the thesis is presented in chapters four and five, which combined, relate the major features of Pallas' career in Russia. These two chapters are set against pertinent background material, most of which is involved with the institution itself which supported Pallas. The St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences is surveyed in its origin and development in the eighteenth century and material is presented which will outline the ups and downs of the development of academic life in Russia as well as the general milieu in which Pallas fitted. This milieu, it has been concluded, was one of lively and relatively unfettered advance in the development of science in Russia, to which Pallas contributed a great deal of stimulus by way of his widely known and respected accomplishments. The focal point of Pallas' career is represented by his Siberian expedition of 1768-1774, a momentous six-year scientific enterprise to which a central part of the research has been directed. The account of the Pallas Expedition presented here is entirely original, utilizing chiefly his own travel account and the Proceedings (Protokoly) of the Academy, from which source, in the absence of archival materials, can be gained the general content of Pallas' communications to the Academy during his absence. To add perspective, the Pallas Expedition has been set against the historical and contemporary background of Russian scientific exploration in the eighteenth century. An appendix has also been included which lists the Russian-sponsored eighteenth-century scientific expeditions. The follow-up to Pallas' expedition--the remainder of his career in St. Petersburg--is equally a central part of the study. As an academician in St. Petersburg from 1774 to 1793, Pallas was a luminary of European natural science as well as a pillar of scientific achievement in Russia. In historical terms and seen against the background of the Academy of which he was a part, Pallas’ scholarly contributions in Russia have been outlined, most of which can be explained as a consequence of his expedition. A wide selection of available secondary material has been utilized to explain Pallas’ academic career supplemented by some original research supplemented by some original research (chiefly from the Academy Proceedings) and the opportunity I have had to see and scan most of his major publications pertaining to zoology and botany, the major fields to which he contributed. Although of German background, Pallas spent most of his adult life in Russia (1767-1810). His career there forms one of the highlights of foreign scientific expeditionary achievement during the century that Russia relied almost exclusively on foreigners to establish the serious beginnings of both. His contributions--expeditionary and academically in the realm of biology--for obvious reasons are more closely connected to the Russian arena; perhaps for that reason he has failed to attract deserved notice alongside the eighteenth-century European naturalists who are now more popularly known. This thesis attempts no more than to account historically for the career of Peter Simon Pallas in Russia and to present his remarkable accomplishments. A categorized, partially annotated bibliography is appended, preceded by a bibliographic explanation.

The thesis "External economic activity of the Republic of Belarus" is focused on the analysis of the most important areas for evaluation of external economic activity and the sustainability of economic equilibrium of Belarus. These areas are external trade policy of the state, its foreign trade, investments and balance of payments. Special attention was paid to studying the development of the international trade of the republic from the end of 80. years up to the present time. On the basis of the conducted research the external stability of the republic was considered.