Financování sportu v Československu od konce 50. let do konce 70. let: „státní amatérismus“ ve vrcholovém sportu a masová základna rekreačního sportování jako nástroje k dosažení mezinárodních úspěchů?

The diploma thesis deals with the functioning of Czechoslovak sport in the years 1957– 1978. This was a specific period when the direct responsibility for sport laid solely on the Czechoslovak Association of Physical Educatin (ČSTV). The thesis analyzes the most important regulations, reports and changes that took place in the period under review and had an impact on the performance of Czechoslovak athletes at international events. Based on these selected aspects of the thesis, it shows why the period 1957– 1968 was more successful in sport than the period 1969– 1978. The theoretical part is focused on description of the importance of sport in the economic and political level. It places special emphasis on sport and physical education in the socialist countries of the Eastern Bloc. In comparison with the Western bloc, it comes up with a theory of fundamental causes, where it points to the relative advantages of athletes from socialist countries ("state amateurism") over athletes from capitalist countries, which, unlike the economic dominance of the Western bloc, led to the sports dominance of the Eastern bloc. Furthermore, the theoretical part places the period in a socio-political-economic context, which means that in the period under review briefly describes the most important events that occurred, both in Czechoslovakia and around the world. It also describes the development of sports institutions in our country from 1948 to 1978. The practical part deals with the analysis of sports results of Czechoslovak representatives together with time correlations and causality with the development of the membership basis of recreational sports and the functioning of "state amateurism". The changes that took place in the organization and financing of sports in the period under review were often a reaction to sporting successes or failures. However, the thesis deals mainly with the changes that have been the cause of these different sports results. Using the coefficients of significance of individual international sports events (European or World Championships, Olympics), the thesis proves that the period 1957– 1968 was significantly more successful from a sports point of view than the period 1969– 1978. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of reports, regulations and data of the presidency, secretariat and ideological commission of the Central Committee of the Communist Party obtained from the National Labor Archive confirms the hypothesis that between 1957– 1968 and 1969– 1978 there were differences in sports organization and financing, which caused different results of Czechoslovak sports teams at international events.