In this master's thesis I am researching the foreign policy of Edvard Beneš in 1938- 1945. Foreign policy of Czechoslovakia is closely linked to Beneš as he led it continuously since 1918 - first as a minister of foreign affairs and after 1935 as president. Beneš did reassess his foreign policy after the Munich Agreement and Czechoslovakia emerged from the World War II tightly connected to the Soviet Union without any western counterbalance. This shift in foreign policy subsequently led to transformation of Czechoslovakia into Soviet satellite which is frequent subject to criticism of Edvard Beneš. The goal of this thesis is to analyse the development of the second Czechoslovak President's foreign policy in 1938-1945 and to define the causes of the shift in the foreign policy of Czechoslovakia. I will be focusing mainly on the backgrounds of determining the foreign policy since Edvard Beneš' statements depended mainly on the audience. I want to accomplish that based on research of memoirs and many more documents. I will confront my interpretations of the primary sources with views from the secondary sources. One of the goals of this thesis is also to find out if it's possible to draw new and valuable conclusions by researching available primary sources.

Diploma thesis "The elimination of the Private Enterprises, Small and Medium Sized Entrepreneurs, in Czechoslovakia between 1948-1953" is focused on the period after the February 1948, which dates the power takeover by Communistic party of Czechoslovakia, and deals with one feature of change of the Czechoslovak economy, especially the elimination of the private sector, and arising of the socialistic sector as the only segment of the national economy. The thesis reveals the change in communistic attitude toward the private entrepreneurship in 1945-1949, and steps which it took against the private entrepreneurs. Moreover, the thesis describes acting of state authorities and other institutions which played important role in the whole process. It also detects the way which was used for joining the private small and medium sized enterprises into the socialistic sector or the way how they were eliminated in 1948-1953. The whole process is embedded into a broader historical background. The research includes three levels. The first one is legislative level, the second includes state authorities and institutions taking part in the process of elimination following the instructions given by the Communistic party of Czechoslovakia, and finally the third level which refers to entrepreneurs themselves and their...

The thesis aimed to analyze the depiction of the monetary reform in 1953 in Czechoslovakia in the regional printed media in Olomouc (Stráž lidu and Časopis Krajského národního výboru Olomouc) and to compare the published reports at the regional level with the national press (Rudé právo and Svobodné slovo). A more detailed look into the situation was also provided by examining the archival documents of political authorities (HSTD, the press department of the KV KSČ in Olomouc and the KNV Olomouc) who were in charge of the analyzed newspapers and the aim was to find out whether the written instructions to individual editors on how to report about the economic changes in the newspaper were preserved. For the analysis of archival materials and preserved copies of selected newspapers, I chose the historical direct method, historical-comparative method and narrative analysis. Research in the archives did not provide direct evidence that the competent state authorities in charge of the analyzed periodicals passed instructions on what is to be printed about monetary reform to the editors of each analysed newspapers. However, the fact that the notes on instructions have not been preserved does not preclude their existence. Thanks to the historical-comparative method it was possible to find based on the...

The aim of this thesis is to analyze the relationships between allied nations Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia in years 1918 and 1938 from the perspective of selected commemorative acts. The main aim of this thesis is to define the role of the 48th Infantry Regiment in these celebrations. This Thesis is based on the hypothesis that through its honorary title "Jugoslavia" was created symbolic function of the regiment, which was strengthened mutual friendly relationships between Czechoslovakia and the Kingdom of SHS. My thesis statement is not chronologically limited on the years 1918 and 1938 because the "seed" was planted before the founding of the independent countries. The thesis examines relationships between Czechs and South Slavs before and during 1st World War, focusing on the relationships and short history of 102nd Infantry Regiment "Potiorek", which has been precursor of the 48th Infantry Regiment "Jugoslavia". Keys words: 1st World War, recollection, holidays, celebrations, collective memory, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, France, Little Entente, 48th Infantry Regiment "Jugoslavia", 102nd Infantry Regiment, Benešov u Prahy.

Summary: The thesis "Folk As a Social Phenomenon in the Time of So Called Normalization" does not take folk primarily for a music style but it intends to demonstrate its limits the Communist power in Czechoslovakia had set for independent cultural activities in 1970s and 1980s. That is why the thesis is not a musicological one but a political and historic one. The text is based on a wide basis of sources: studies in archives, the analysis of valid legislation of that time, studies of contemporary press, interviewing the contemporary witnesses and using the witnesses' private archives and last but not least the lyrics of the songs themselves have been selected as important sources The text focuses on important milestones having the information value about the folk in 1970s and 1980s. There is provided an analysis of qualification tests which should have "cleansed" the official stages from "defective" musicians (and from a lot of folk singers as well). The demonstration of possibilities is given here showing the fact the folk could survive and balance on the edge of the public life in spite of all legislation barriers and this either in the form of circumventing the law and using the gaps in the law (folk singers' union Šafrán (Saffron)) or in the form of "hacking" the system, i.e. gaining influence in an...

Lusatia in the plans of building the new Czechoslovakia. Great expectations and early disillusionment of the Czech Slavists. During the Great War, especially in the last year of the war, a number of representatives of Czech political and cultural life reflected upon an idea of a renewal of the Czech state in a historical borders of the former Czech crown lands. The independence of Czechoslovakia was proclaimed on October 28, 1918, by the Czechoslovak National Council in Prague. Only several years before, an independent Czechoslovakia had been a dream of a small number of intellectuals and politicians. The transformation of the dream into reality was a formidable task. While the creation of Czechoslovakia was based on certain historical precedents, it was, nevertheless, a new country carved out of disparate parts of the old Hapsburg Empire. This study deals with the matter of how Czechoslovak scientists, first of all slavists, intervened in the forming of Czechoslovak political programme. Slavists' role in the communal life of Czechoslovakia has been transforming due to changes that took place in both local and international politics. For a long time before they had no chance to participate at official state politics as there was not a sympathetic for Slavonic cooperation on an international level...

The present doctoral thesis investigates book translations of Czech and Slovak literature into European Portuguese in 20th -century Portugal. The Introduction gives reasons for choosing the topic, argues for its relevance and outlines the structure of the thesis. It defines the main research question, 'What was the presence of Czech literature translated into European Portuguese in 20th -century Portugal?', and formulates the hypothesis to be tested: 'The translations of Czech literature in 20th century Portugal exhibited a tendency, a pattern.' Chapter 1 attempts to operationalise seven theoretical issues pertinent to Translation Studies in general: (1) ideology, (2) censorship, (3) indirect translations, (4) non- translation, (5) canon and world literature, (6) paratexts, and (7) medium-sized lingua- & socio-cultures. Chapter 2 delineates the research subject, discusses the most important types of sources and materials used and presents the methodology. The principal research subject is defined as translations of Czech fiction into European Portuguese published in book form in Portugal in the 20th century. Seminal works by J. Levý and A. Popovič are introduced, discussing the methodology most apposite to analysing the material found. Chapter 3 provides a general historical, political and cultural...

French art in the interwar Czechoslovakia and its influence The Diploma thesis / Šárka Komedová Abstract The aim of the Diploma thesis French art in the interwar Czechoslovakia and its influence is to show a significance of French art for a development of Czechoslovakian art in an interwar period. It will focus on the Czech-French cultural relationships, the French art exhibitions and other French cultural activities in Prague 1918-1938. The main part of the thesis is detailed documentation of French art exhibitions held in interwar Prague. It will also deal with influences of the French art on interwar Czechoslovakian visual art. Keywords Czechoslovakia (1918 - 1939), Prague's exhibitions of French art, French modern art, Czech interwar art, The popularity of French nation

The subject of this work is the beginning of women's ice hockey in Kladno, Czech Republic. This study deals with the continuity of the team in its early years from 1986 to 1992. The author uses Clifford Geertz interpretative approach to culture and oral history as a method. The rise of Kladno women's hockey club is shown in the context of women's hockey history in the World and Czechoslovakia. The story of the club is based on analysis and interpretation of interviews which were led with seven hockey players from the first generation. The work shows everyday life of hockey players in Kladno and also shows the dynamic of the team life in late eighties. The whole story is situated in social and sport life in Kladno, where ice hockey was very popular game and entertainment. As a crucial factors, which helped the preservation of the club after it was abandoned by its founders, were identified firstly the transition of the team from "friendship first" club to the team where it is mostly important "what happened on the ice" secondly the ability of the first hockey players to accept new joiners. The paper explains founding of the tradition of one sport club in former Czechoslovakia.

The topic of my work was The Repatriation of Czechs and Slovaks into Czechoslovakia after the First World War. I describe the years 1918 - 1923 in Central Europe, specifically in Czechoslovakia and in other new succession states after Austria-Hungary. My work is divided into 4 different chapters, introduction and conclusion. The first chapter describes the First World War and its consequences for Central European region. It also describes economic problems in succession states, the changes of territory, situation in Czechoslovakia after 1918 and it characterizes population in key countries (Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria and Poland) for my topic. The second chapter is focused on Czechoslovakia. It shortly explains reasons of emigration and immigration of Czechs and Slovaks before and also after the First World War. It describes factors which have big influence on repatriation in Czechoslovakia (for example land reform). The third and fourth chapters analyze materials from archives. They present a lot of very concrete examples of repatriation process (lack of housing, problems with citizenship, unemployment). It points at importance of state executive institutions for repatriation process. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry Social Security and...