The struggle for the soul of the nation
Subtitle: Czech culture and the rise of communism
By: Bradley F. Abrams.
Series: The Harvard Cold War studies book series
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Published: 2004
Place of publication: Lanham, Md
Language: eng
Number of pages: 363
Subjects: Communism and intellectuals -- Czechoslovakia; Intellectuals -- Czechoslovakia -- Political activity; Communism -- Czechoslovakia; Czechoslovakia -- Politics and government -- 1945-1992; Czechoslovakia -- Intellectual life -- 20th century
Description: "The Struggle for the Soul of the Nation examines the most important and politically resonant fields of historical and culture debate in Czech society immediately after World War II. The author 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 East-West continuum. This success preceded and was mirrored in the struggles over the political issues 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."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 347-356) and index.
Table of contents: title: World War Two and the East European revolution; title: Intellectuals in the Czech environment; title: Four groups of postwar Czech intellectuals; title: The communist aim : the creation of a new Czechoslovakia; title: The battle over the recent past I : the experiences of Munich and the World War II; title: The battle over the recent past II : the First Republic and Tomáš G. Masaryk; title: The shift in sensibilities and generations; title: The reorientation of national identity : Czechs between East and West; title: Socialism and communist intellectuals : the "Czechoslovak road to socialism"; title: Socialism and democratic socialist intellectuals : the "new socialist ethos"; title: Socialism and Roman Catholic intellectuals : the "fateful struggle between spirit and matter"; title: Socialism and Protestant intellectuals : the Kingdom of God on earth?; title: The end of Czechoslovak democracy and the rise of communism in Eastern Europe.