Description
Book SynopsisThe material effects of World War II, in combination with Eastern Europe''s disappointingly undemocratic interwar history, placed radical social change on the postwar agenda across the region and shaped the debates that took place in immediate postwar Czech society. These debates adopted both a cultural form, in struggles over the meaning of the recent past and the nation''s position on the East-West continuum, and a directly political form, in battles over the meaning of socialism. The Struggle for the Soul of the Nation examines the most important and politically resonant fields of historical and cultural debate in Czech society immediately after World War II. Bradley Abrams finds that communist public figures were largely successful in controlling debate over the nation''s recent past_the interwar First Republic and the experiences of Munich and World War II_and over its location on the EastDWest continuum. This success preceded and was mirrored in the struggles over the political issue of the times: socialism. The communists engaged their political foes in the democratic socialist and Roman Catholic camps, and, surprisingly, found significant support from a major Protestant church. Abrams''s careful reading of major publications re-creates a postwar mood sympathetic to radical social change, questioning the standard view of the communists'' rise to power. This book not only contributes to the specific literature on Czech history, but also raises questions about the relationship between war and radical social change, about the communist takeover of the region, and about the role of intellectuals in public life.
Trade ReviewExtraordinary. . . . Abrams's superb work can be read with profit by generalists as well as by historians of Central and Eastern Europe. Highly recommended. * CHOICE *
Abrams work will certainly set the standard on this subject for years to come. -- Melissa Feinberg, University of North Carolina at Charlotte * Habsburg, March 2005 *
An important part of the scholarly reexamination of the cold war since the fall of European communism is the questioning of traditionally accepted verities. One of the most hallowed of these is the notion that the establishment of communism in Central and Eastern Europe was purely a function of Soviet military occupation. That this was not the case in Czechoslovakia, and perhaps, by analogy, not nearly as much as we once believed to have been the case in other countries, is the theme of Bradley Abrams'sexcellent book.... [T]he period from 1945 to 1948...is minutely and superbly studied. We are all indebted to Abrams for so beautifully reminding us that history really does have something to teach us, even when it is about an episode that most of the world would rather forget.. * East European Politics and Societies *
Overall, this is an excellent book, meticulously researched and well organized, it succeeds in setting a new agenda for Czechoslovak history in the Cold War-free world. -- Sam Johnson, University of Sheffield * Seer *
Abram's work is well researched. It would be a very useful read for undergraduates in history, Czech culture courses or for those readying themselves for study abroad in Prague. -- Cynthia A. Klima, SUNY: College at Geneso * Slavic and East European Journal *
The communist seizure of power in Czechoslovakia, a country known for its democratic exceptionalism during the interwar era, has long attracted the interest of historians of the region. With this intellectual history of Czechoslovakia's postwar political culture, Bradley F. Abrams makes a valuable addition to the historiography of the topic. By carefully reconstructing the development of postwar political culture in Czechoslovakia, Abrams lays to rest any remaining notion of a top-down imposition of communism by Soviet outsiders who together with a few domestic fellow travelers subverted Czechoslovakia in 1948. As he demonstrates, the Communist Party had broad popular support in Czechoslovakia. Clearly written and well argued, this volume should be of interest to modern European historians as well as to those involved in Cold War and communist/postcommunist studies. -- Nancy M. Wingfield, Northern Illinois University * American Historical Review *
An important part of the scholarly reexamination of the cold war since the fall of European communism is the questioning of traditionally accepted verities. One of the most hallowed of these is the notion that the establishment of communism in Central and Eastern Europe was purely a function of Soviet military occupation. That this was not the case in Czechoslovakia, and perhaps, by analogy, not nearly as much as we once believed to have been the case in other countries, is the theme of Bradley Abrams's excellent book.... [T]he period from 1945 to 1948...is minutely and superbly studied. We are all indebted to Abrams for so beautifully reminding us that history really does have something to teach us, even when it is about an episode that most of the world would rather forget. * East European Politics and Societies *
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction: The Cold War and Contemporary Understandings of the Communist Takeover of Czechoslovakia Part 2 Part I: Czech Intellectuals Enter the Postwar World Chapter 3 World War II and the East European Revolution Chapter 4 Intellectuals in the Czech Environment Chapter 5 Four Groups of Czech Intellectuals Part 6 Part II: The Interpretation and Reinterpretation of Czech History and the Reorientation of the Czech Nation Chapter 7 The Communist Aim: The Creation of a New Czechoslovakia Chapter 8 The Battle Over the Recent Past I: The Experiences of Munich and World War II Chapter 9 The Battle Over the Recent Past II: The First Republic and Tomá? G. Masaryk Chapter 10 The Shift in Sensibilities and Generations: May 5, 1945 Versus October 28, 1918 Chapter 11 The Reorientation of National Identity: Czechs Between East and West Part 12 Part III: The Meaning of Socialism Chapter 13 Socialism and Communist Intellectuals: The "Czechoslovak Road to Socialism" Chapter 14 Socialism and Democratic Socialist Intellectuals: The "New Socialist Ethos" Chapter 15 Socialism and Roman Catholic Intellectuals: The "Fateful Struggle between Spirit and Matter" Chapter 16 Socialism and Protestant Intellectuals: The "Kingdom of God on Earth"? Chapter 17 Conclusion: The End of Czechoslovak Democracy and the Rise of Communism in Eastern Europe
