Czechoslovakia and Eastern Europe in the Era of Normalisation, 1969-1989

"The post-1968 'normalisation' era in Czechoslovakia is usually dismissed as 'grey', yet, until Gorbachev, it represented the Soviet-sanctioned archetype for 'real socialism'. This superb collection, with its unprecedented range of analysis and themes, disperses the grey to reveal vibrant complexity and in so doing fills a real gap in the historiography."

-Nigel Swain, Lecturer, University of Liverpool, UK This edited collection represents the first comprehensive volume in English on the crucial, but under-explored, late period in the history of East European communism. Focusing on developments in Czechoslovakia from the crushing of the Prague Spring in August 1968 to the 'Velvet Revolution' of November 1989, the book examines a broad range of political, social and cultural issues, while also analysing external perceptions and relations. It explores the concept of 'normalisation' in historical context and brings together British, American, Czech and Slovak experts, each with their own archival research and particular interpretations. Overall, the anthology aims to assess the means by which the Prague Spring reforms were repealed and how Czechoslovakia was returned to a 'normal' communist state in line with Soviet orthodoxy. Key themes include the Communist Party and ideology; State Security; Slovak developments; 'auto-normalisation'; women and gender; cultural and intellectual currents; everyday life and popular opinion; and Czechoslovakia's political and cultural relationship with the USSR, the GDR, Poland and Yugoslavia. The volume sheds light on the process of decay of the Czechoslovak communist regime and the reasons for its ultimate collapse in 1989. Kevin McDermott is Professor Emeritus of Modern East European History at Sheffield Hallam University. Matthew Stibbe is Professor of Modern European History at Sheffield Hallam University. They have jointly edited five previous volumes of essays on post-1945 Eastern Europe.

Auteur

Kevin McDermott is Professor Emeritus of Modern East European History at Sheffield Hallam University.

Matthew Stibbe is Professor of Modern European History at Sheffield Hallam University.

They have jointly edited five previous volumes of essays on post-1945 Eastern Europe.

Texte du rabat

This edited collection represents the first comprehensive volume in English on the crucial, but under-explored, late period in the history of East European communism. Focusing on developments in Czechoslovakia from the crushing of the Prague Spring in August 1968 to the 'Velvet Revolution' of November 1989, the book examines a broad range of political, social and cultural issues, while also analysing external perceptions and relations. It explores the concept of 'normalisation' in historical context and brings together British, American, Czech and Slovak experts, each with their own archival research and particular interpretations. Overall, the anthology aims to assess the means by which the Prague Spring reforms were repealed and how Czechoslovakia was returned to a 'normal' communist state in line with Soviet orthodoxy. Key themes include the Communist Party and ideology; State Security; Slovak developments; 'auto-normalisation'; women and gender; cultural and intellectual currents; everyday life and popular opinion; and Czechoslovakia's political and cultural relationship with the USSR, the GDR, Poland and Yugoslavia. The volume sheds light on the process of decay of the Czechoslovak communist regime and the reasons for its ultimate collapse in 1989.

Contenu

Chapter 1: 'Normalisation': Definitions, Meanings, Interpretations - Kevin McDermott and Matthew Stibbe PART 1: Politics, State Security and IdeologyChapter 2: Politburo Meetings and Decision-Making in Late Communist Czechoslovakia - Stefan LehrChapter 3: Slovak Political Development in the Normalisation Era - Adam HudekChapter 4: Normalising the Czechoslovak State Security Police (StB) - Kieran WilliamsChapter 5: The Ideological Face of Normalisation: Socialist Modernity and the 'Quiet Life' - Michal PullmannChapter 6: Normalisation: Cultural and Intellectual Diagnoses and Prescriptions - Jonathan Bolton Part 2: Society and CultureChapter 7: From 'Auto-Normalisation' to 'New Normalisation': Czech and Slovak Political Culture, 1968-2018 - James KrapflChapter 8: Gendering Normalisation: Citizenship in Czechoslovakia during Late Communism - Celia Donert Chapter 9: The Janus Face of Normalisation Culture - Jan MervartChapter 10: 'We Were Like That': Problems of Everyday Life in Czechoslovakia in the 1970s and 1980s - Miroslav Vanek Chapter 11: Imagining Change: The Social Sciences and the Crisis of State Socialism in the 1980s - Vítezslav Sommer Part 3: External Relations and PerceptionsChapter 12: Friendship under Occupation: Soviet-Czechoslovak Relations and Everyday Life after the 1968 Invasion - Rachel ApplebaumChapter 13: Normalisation Across Borders: East Germans' Contacts with Czechoslovakia, 1969-79 - Matthew StibbeChapter 14: Suspicion did not Fade Away: Poles and Czechoslovaks in the Era of Normalisation - Ondrej KlípaChapter 15: Czechoslovak Normalisation and Tito's Yugoslavia - Ondrej Vojtechovský and Jan Pelikán