Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Alexej Bálek
Title: Czechoslovak Economy in 1980s
Abstract: The Study analyzes the development of the Czechoslovak economy in the 1980s, which was the last decade of the existence of socialism. It shows that Czechoslovakia did not catch impulses which two oil shocks accelerated in Western countries, and which led both to the technical revolution in sphere of energy intensity of production and to computerization and automation.  It documents that growth rate of the CS economy in the 1980s was decelerated and lower than in the Western Europe. The consequences of this trend were reflected in the fact that differences between CS economy and similar countries of the West were continuously deepened. The integration into international distribution of labour was low. As regards the West it was influenced particularly by the circumstances of the Cold War, as for the East by very low efficiency of integrating process of the socialist countries. It can be documented, for example, by the unfavourable progress in terms of trade. The structure of the CS economy was formed in accordance with "demands" of the socialist countries. There were both abnormal proportion of the fuel-energetic and metallurgic complex, and the low proportion of those economic sectors being vehicles of progress in economy and society. The living standard of inhabitants was based on model grounded on socialist principles. The complete economic mechanism was to this model adopted. And over time the logic of the system drew apart the needs of the state.  Thenceforth the study gives attention to the problem of equation of Slovak and Czech economy after 1918 when Slovakia, as not too much developed country, and Czech lands were united in one state. In spite of considerable successes in this field this has not led to consolidation of Czechoslovakia. On the 1st January 2003 Czechoslovakia has split up and two new states originated - Czech Republic and Slovak Republic.
Keywords: extensive economic system, backwardness of economic level, structure of economy, integration process in Comecon, stabilization of region economic level
Pages: 45-54
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=176.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/176
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:176:p:45-54

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Michal Barnovský
Title: Industrialization of Slovakia and Environmental Issues in the Period of the Communist Regime
Abstract: After introduction concerning common features of Slovak industrialization as part of its modernization the author tries to show the envorinmental aspects of this process. His analysis is based upon examples of some factories. He states that all sorts of industrialization have a negative influence on environment. But the socialist industrialization of Slovakia caused even more damage because the priority was the development of heavy industry with its energy and raw material exacting character. Also with building new factories there had been no ecological approach. First at the beginning of the 1970s environmental problems aroused some interest. In comparison with industrial Western countries it was not so late but the differences in quality of ecological activities were enormous. In Slovakia as well as in whole Czechoslovakia the devastation of nature continued till the fall of the Communist regime whose economy was not able to follow new conditions after rise in prices of raw materials and fuel on the world markets. In 1982 Slovakia occupied the third place in Europe as to the air pollution on one inhabitant.
Keywords: industrialization, ecology, Slovakia, communist regime
Pages: 55-71
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=178.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/178
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:178:p:55-71

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: František Dudek
Title: Illusions and Myths Associated with Economic Emancipation of the Czech Nation
Abstract: An economic emancipation of the Czech nation was in progress in Czech Lands (Czechia) since half of the 19th century. It was based on agricultural production, food industry (primarily with beet-sugar industry) and on narrow network of financial institutions. Czech enterprises as compared to German enterprises in Czech Lands fell behind and their importance was small. However, Czech enterprises fully developed in decade before the World War I and their success was so high that contemporaries labelled it as "Czech miracle". This was not a case of Czech industrial capital share. It is estimated that 1/3 share belonged to the Czechs and remaining 2/3 shares to the Germans. However, according to new research, the Czech share was more like 1/5 instead of 1/3. For example, in sugar industry, a pillar of Czech capital, the Czechs owned only 24 % of plant value. Therefore, economically underdeveloped and politically not fully qualified Czech society raised its self-confidence by promoting illusions concerning its economic prevail. Paradoxically, these illusions and myths contributed to the accomplishment of economic emancipation of Czech nation. Therefore economically and politically self-confident Czech society could make resolution to create an independent state in the end of the World War I.
Keywords: historical illusions and myths, economic emancipation of Czech nation, Czech Lands (Czechia) in 1848?1914
Pages: 72-79
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=179.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/179
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:179:p:72-79

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Pavel Dufek
Title: The Position and Outputs of Private Industrial Undertakings in East German Economy in 1950s
Abstract: The private industrial undertaking in German Democratic Republic (GDR) have generally showed out lower level of gross industrial production per one employee than state public industrial enterprises. The greatest differences between them were obvious in sectors of textile, footwear and food industry. There were several reasons of this fact: Fundamentally, the owners of private industrial undertakings, notwithstanding sector of industry, did not struggle for high gross industrial production but for profit. From 1946 till 1948 the most effective and the largest private enterprises were nationalized, particularly textile industry, footwear industry, food industry and several more sectors. The private industrial undertakings did not get too high subsidies, if they have gotten something, as state public industrial enterprises. High level of gross industrial production of state public industrial enterprises per one employee was also caused by the fact that remaining private undertakings in some sectors were not specialized on production which enabled to achieve high value of gross industrial production.
Keywords: industry, East Germany, private industrial undertakings, state public industrial enterprises
Pages: 80-100
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=180.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/180
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:180:p:80-100

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Jiří Dvořák
Title: An Attempt of the Economic Board of South Bohemia - Prague at Saving the South-Bohemian Graphite Mining Companies in the 1930s
Abstract: In 1924 an economist and regionalist Jan Stocký (1897-1959) proposed to Rudolf Beran (1887-1952), at that time the secretary of the Republican Party of Farmers and Peasants (Agrarian Party), a concept of a plan of economic and social enhancement and its step-by-step realization through newly established interwar Economic Board of South Bohemia - Prague. The board followed up with some starting points and attempts from the pre-WWI period, from times of intensive attempts to find a solution to the so called "South-Bohemian question. The programme of its possible solution was defined in regional newspaper "South-Bohemian Region. The causes of complex situation were to be found in the preceding historical, economic and social development of the South or South-Western Bohemia. In the 1930s, the Economic Board of South Bohemia made an unsuccessful attempt at saving the declining South-Bohemian graphite mining companies through the participation of the Czechoslovak state. This group was formed by the Netolice Graphite Works in Chvalovice by Netolice, owned by František X. Kinský, owner of the Chlumec-nad-Cidlinou manor, and the Schwarzenberg Princely Graphite Mines in Černá v Pošumaví, owned by the Krumlov-Hluboká primogeniture of the princes of Schwarzenberg. Because of the opposition of some important officials representing for example Ministry of the National Defence, commercial and trading chambers, because of the reluctance of mines owners alone to extend the existence of uneconomic works, and because of financial demands of saving, the attempt came to nothing. After establishment the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, there appeared a diversion from the original regional concept. Therefore, it was proposed to build regional economic chambers in the spirit of the Nazi "new order. At that time, the cultural dimension of the regional movement was also intensified and emphasized. In 1941 the attempts to get through surviving Economic Board of South Bohemia definitely failed and similarly regionalism as such. Thereby the South-Bohemian regionalism also vanished from the life of Czech society.
Keywords: regionalism, South-Bohemian graphite mining companies, mines, blacklead (graphite), Netolice Graphite Works in Chvalovice by Netolice, Schwarzenberg Graphite Mines in Černá v Pošumaví (Schwarzbach), Economic Board of South Bohemia (NSJ) ? Prague
Pages: 101-111
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=182.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/182
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:182:p:101-111

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Jana Englová
Title: Solutions of Bohemian Unemployment in the Late 19th and Early 20th Century
Abstract: In 1896 there were 2858 several models of job centres in Austria. The most of them (885) were situated in Bohemia. New important job centre model has rested in special hostels. From 1886 till 1895 these hostels were established in seven Austrian Lands (in Bohemia for the first time in 1895). These hostels have provided two meals and overnight for job founders and also free job vacancies register. The Parliament of the Kingdom of Bohemia passed on 29th March 1903 the Act No. 57 concerning Public Labour Exchange in this land. It was the first attempt to address the public labour exchange to a systematic way in Austria and in Europe too. The number of those who found job using the public labour exchange services tripled during the decade from 1904 till 1913 (from 51 937 to 153 782 people). The efficiency of the public labour exchange was about 70 %.
Keywords: Austria, Bohemia, labour market, economic history, jobcentres, public labour exchange, 19th and 20th century
Classification-JEL: N, N4, N43, Z
Pages: 112-118
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=183.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/183
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:183:p:112-118

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Jana Geršlová
Title: Department Stores - Temples of Consumption, History of the First Department Stores in Europe
Abstract: Origin and history of Western European department stores deals with an industrial society development and with a new role of trade. The examples of department stores of France, Great Britain and particularly Germany approach a "new world" which they brought, the life inside them and their outside influence.
Keywords: european economic history of the 19th and 20th centuries, entrepreneurship history in Europe, history of trade in Europe, entrepreneurship personalities
Pages: 119-128
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=184.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/184
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:184:p:119-128

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Jan Hájek
Title: The Czechoslovak Post-Office Savings Bank in the 1930s and in Times of Nazi Occupation
Abstract: The Post-Office Savings Bank of Cisleithania started work on January, 1883 with branches almost in all post-offices of the country. As a result, it became overnight the most widely spread financial institution of Cisleithania, having clients even in the most remote places. Its scope of business can be divided into three fields: 1. Aggregation deposits, mainly from small savers; 2. Check and clearing operations; 3. Government stock trading. While the operations in point 1 and 3were identical with the operations of the post-office savings banks in other countries, the introduction of check and clearing services was a relatively revolutionary step in the world which was later followed by other countries. Right after disintegration of Austria-Hungary and creation of Czechoslovakia a new institution was established, the Czechoslovak Post-Office Savings Bank (November 1918), which was converted in 1919 into new institution: Check Post Office. Due to the resistance of other financial institutions, mainly Czech commercial banks and Saving Banks, it was not allowed to provide the savings type of services. Only in the half of 1931 was saving operations included into trade activities of this institution and its name was changed into "old" Post-Office Saving Bank. As a result of the political changes of 1938 and 1939 vast area of Czechoslovak state were lost (border areas of Czech Lands, Slovakia and the Carpathian Russia),which reduced the scope of business of the Post-Office Savings Bank in the years 1939-1941. Another decline of account was due to the large number of associations, small businesses and other organizations closed by the Protectorate authorities (until 1943). As of 1942, on the contrary, the number and, in particular, the volume of deposits was dramatically increased. This, however, was no evidence of economic prosperity, but a consequence of wartime economy and, in particular, of inflation.
Keywords: Post-Office Savings Bank, Czechoslovakia ? 1930?1944
Pages: 129-147
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=185.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/185
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:185:p:129-147

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Ľudovít Hallon
Title: Aryanization in Slovakia 1939-1945
Abstract: A part of economic program of the governmental totalitarian regime in Slovakia after October 1938 was gaining control of Jewish community possessions, i.e. so called aryanization. The original moderate conceptions of aryanization from era of Slovak autonomy 1938/39 were extended and deepened. A turning point came after the inception of Slovak Republic during the war in March 1939 when systematic attacks started and included all kinds of Jewish possessions on the basis of contemporary anti-Jewish legislation. Aryanization of a gradual so called evolutionary way according to the plans of moderate governmental garniture wing changed in mid 1940 under pressure of radical forces into so called revolutionary aryanization according to the model of Nazi Germany. The radical way of aryanization meant total dispossession and nationalization of all kinds of Jewish possessions. The task of the main arizator was performed by state which in different forms drew millions from the nationalized Jewish wealth until 1945.
Keywords: aryanization, Jews, possessions
Pages: 148-160
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=187.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/187
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:187:p:148-160

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Peter Heumos
Title: Zur Frage informeller Machtverhältnisse im Staatssozialismus. Das Beispiel der tschechoslowakischen Industriebetriebe 1945-1968
Abstract: Informelle Machtverhältnisse im Staatssozialismus sowjetischer Provenienz waren vor allem imindustriellen Bereich zu finden. Ihr Ausmaß differierte von Land zu Land und hatte unterschiedliche Folgen für die organisatorisch-politische Integration der Industriebetriebe in das Gesamtsystem. Gestützt auf die starke Stellung der Betriebsräte v o r der kommunistischen Machtübernahme und dank der schwachen Position des industriellen Managements in den 50er Jahren entwickelte sich in der Tschechoslowakei nach 1948 in den Industriebetrieben ein syndikalistisch eingefärbter, von den gewerkschaftlichen Betriebsorganisationen getragener Prozess der Selbstorganisation und Machtappropriation der Industriearbeiter, der im Zuge der Wirtschaftsreform der 60er Jahre kulminierte. Mit den zentralen Forderungen nach dem Rückzug der KPTsch und des ÚRO aus der direkten Steuerung des Produktionsprozesses bahnte sich 1968 ein grundlegender Systemkonflikt an, der dadurch angeheizt wurde, dass die Reformbewegung in den Industriebetrieben deutlich die Interessen und die Machtposition des Managements präferierte. Die Okkupation der Tschechoslowakei im August 1968 hat die Austragung dieses Systemkonflikts verhindert.
Keywords: communism, industrial workers, informal power structures, shop steward, autonomy of industrial plants
Pages: 161-175
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=190.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/190
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:190:p:161-175

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Ivan Jakubec
Title: Economy of the Central Union of Economic Cooperatives [Ústřední jednota hospodářských družstev] in the First Quarter of its Existence (1896-1918)
Abstract: The Central Union of Economic Cooperatives established in 1896 as Central Union of Economic Companies was the biggest cooperative centre in Cisleithania and aptly complemented the Monarchy's credit system by controlling national finances; it considerably influenced also economic life of rural and partly of urban communities. Through its focus on agricultural production particularly processing and distribution the Union became national economic basis for countryside. Its importance during the World War I increased more in context of provisioning the Monarchy rear, above all Cisleithania. The following statistics demonstrate importance of the Central Union within borders of Cisleithania: at the end of the 20th century first decade the Central Union partook in number of Raiffeisenbanks in Cisleithania between 26-27 % and almost 20 % share of number of members, almost 18 % share of lending ready money, nearly 16 % of bank credits and more than 18 % of turnover. The second most significant union of economic companies became the German Zentralverband der deutschen landwirtschaftlichen Genossenschaften Böhmens, G.m.b.H, Královské Vinohrady (Prague). The members of the board of directors and prominent officials were not the only one who contributed to the achieved results but also the leading management and Central Union's political contacts in Bohemia and Vienna.
Keywords: credit association of Raiffeisen, cooperative, Bohemian lands
Pages: 176-193
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=194.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/194
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:194:p:176-193

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Drahomír Jančík
Title: Export of the Czechoslovak Uranium Ore to the Soviet Union in 1946-1959
Abstract: The study is devoted to the genesis of the Czechoslovak uranium ore industry and its boom in the 1950s. Attention is given to history of the Jáchymov mines and activities of the permanent Czechoslovak-Soviet commission consisting of four members and being charged to safeguard the Soviet influence. It gives an account of participation of the Czechoslovak and Soviet sides in financing the operation of the Jáchymov mines and in costing the uranium ore and its extracts being exported to the Soviet Union as a monopolistic consumer on the basis of the international agreement from November 1945. Until the end of the 1940s the world price of the uranium ore was basically higher than price of the ore exported by Czechoslovakia to Soviet Union. Afterwards the relation underwent a change and the Soviet Union began to pay for Czechoslovak uranium ore more than the world market prices. The reason for this attitude was that in comparison with the United States of America the stock of the uranium ore within the confines of its sphere of influence was relatively scarce. But the fact was that the Soviet Union tried to minimize gradually the extent of its engagements (i.e. financing of geological research, granting investment loan). The export of production of its uranium ore industry to the Soviet Union was particularly advantageous to the economics of Czechoslovakia - it represented by the end of the 1950s 32,6% of the value bulk of export to the Soviet Union, which was compensated by the import of important commodities - iron, oil, meat and especially cereals. It appears that the slackness of the Soviet interest in the output of the uranium ore just at the end of the 1950s contributed to deepen the difficulties of the Czechoslovak economics and dislocated its central plan. The plan calculated with a growth of income of the uranium ore industry which was built up impetuously. Its working costs grew steadily due to gradually more complicated geological conditions and poor content of the ore. The working costs were to become step by step a burden to the Czechoslovak economics.
Keywords: economic history, Czechoslovak industry from 1945, uranium ore industry
Pages: 194-208
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=195.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/195
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:195:p:194-208

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Karel Jech
Title: The Beginnings of Collectivization in Czechoslovakia
Abstract: The contribution is an attempt at a critical and slightly ironical perspective on the turning point of the agricultural policy of the Communist party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ) which occurred shortly after the coup in February 1948. Under the crucial influence of the Informbyro rezolution on the Communist party of Yugoslavia the KSČ abandoned its post-war promises that Czechoslovakia would follow its own path to socialism without establishing dictatorship of the proletariat, without introducing kolkhoz type of farms and while preserving private farming. However, the Communist party incompetent decision in the end of 1948 led to the contrary: it opened space for adoption of a Stalinist collectivization of agriculture, for liquidation of prospering farming estates and for decline of small scale private agricultural production.
Keywords: private farmin, collectivization of agriculture, kolkhoz
Pages: 209-213
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=196.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/196
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:196:p:209-213

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Zdeněk Jindra
Title: The Foreign Workers (especially Czechoslovaks) in Compulsory Labour Service at Krupp-Concern from 1939 till 1945
Abstract: The study is based on suit-serious measures of documents both from the process with major war criminals and from following process called "Case 10" with Alfried Krupp and eleven heads of Krupp-concern before the International Military Tribunal (Nuremberg from 1946 to 1948). The topic of this study is the illegal exploitation of citizens from occupied countries, prisoners of war and concentration camps in compulsory labour service of German war economy. There was  a special accent for using Czech workers in the Krupp-concern. The mobilization of labour market in the occupied countries of Europe began to be urgent from two reasons: first, after the outbreak of war thousands of German men had to take the military duties and the big enterprises as Krupp were not exception (table 1); second, the Nazi government expected from mobilization of great number of foreign labour forces the substantial raising of the war material production. To this purpose they formed "Reichsministerium fuer Bewaffnung und Munition" (F. Todt 1940-1941, A. Speer 1942-1945) and "Amt des Generalbevollmaechtigten fuer Arbeitseinsatz" (F. Sauckel 1942-1945). Sauckel ordered in the first months of his activity the deportation of 2,300,000 workers from occupied countries to the compulsory labour service in "Reich"; from this number the citizens of Protectorate included 79 451. These deportations culminated in 1944 when the number of all foreign workers and other compulsory workingmen in German war economy increased to circa 7,5 millions. The compulsory and slavery labour service was in contradiction to the criteria of international conventions of Haag and Geneva. In the trial proceedings in Nuremberg it was proved that the heads of Krupp concern were aware of the involuntary employment of the foreign civil workers, prisoners of war and concentration camps in Germany. Despite this they exerted own initiative to get them and asked for distribution of all these workers. The public authorities of "Reich" and NSDAP took special care of Krupp's demands and reserved them by fulfilment the "briefly procedure". The accurate number of the foreign workers in all years of war is known only for Gußstahlfabrik/Essen, with culmination in the beginning of 1943 (tab. 2). The whole number of foreign workers in all Krupp-concerns we can find only in period from 1943 to 1945 (tab. 3). In September 1944 the Krupp-concern employed all in all 78,184 foreign workers, according to another dates 97,952 people. Review of the nationality structure of the foreign workers in Gußstahlfabrik is presented by tables 2 and 4. At the beginnings some dozens of Czechs and Slovaks accepted the labour by Krupp on the bases of voluntary contracts, one part perhaps before 15th of March 1939 and another part a short time after this date. But after several months the public authorities of Protectorate started to force Czech people to work in "Reich". In March 1943 the Czech workers in Gußstahlfabrik/Essen achieved the highest number (1,428) and in August 1943 in Bertha-Werk/Markstaedt in Upper Silesia (2,038). On the other hand Slovaks worked in more less number in "Reich" and also in Krupp factories, moreover in the voluntary relation (tab. 4). The labour and life conditions of foreign workers in Krupp factories were very hard nevertheless there were differences between the position of "west" and "east" workers. Rather more moderate form was established to French, Dutch and Belgians, on the other hand the life conditions were in brutal and rigorous form applied to Russians, Ukrainians and Poles. The position of Czech workers was somewhere in the middle: for example they earned similar wages such as the west workers, their camps were not surrounded with wire fence, they became relative free after the labour time, they could keep touch with families without restrictions and sent saved money there etc. But in case of making offence they were punished as strictly as east workers.
Keywords: World War II, Krupp concern, employment of foreign workers, Czechoslovaks in compulsory labour service in Germany and at Krupp/concern
Pages: 214-232
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=197.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/197
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:197:p:214-232

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Lenka Kalinová
Title: The Social Context of Economic Reform in 1960s
Abstract: The study deals with a new position of social policy in connection with economic reform and in relation with former impugning of its role in society. The component part of economic reform conception was accordingly the restoration of sovereignty and traditional mission of social policy leading to mitigation of social consequences of market regulation of economic processes for inhabitants, for example in cases of unemployment and in mitigation of grants in relation to prices particularly in cases of families with children. The proposal of social reform in 1966 and 1968 took into account far-reaching reconstruction of social system which should be consistent with direction of economic reform.
Keywords: economic reform, social reform, civilian movement
Pages: 233-246
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=198.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/198
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:198:p:233-246

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Zdeněk Kárník
Title: Prague Police Headquarters, State (political) Police and Its Informers during the Great War in Eyes of the Committee to Study the Police Archive in 1918-1920
Abstract: During the political crisis of the Austrian-Hungarian empire in 1893 the land mayor of Bohemia - Der Statthalter - in Prague established the State (political) police to watch the activities of "hostile" persons and movements. It was entrusted to recruit and control informers. State Police recruited and promoted to the position of its Chief Officer (Oberkommissar) even two Czechs patriotic families, well educated lawyers. During the Great War there was a widely accepted idea in public that there were a number of Czech top-politicians serving as informers of the State Police. This idea was reinforced by the police effort to move the State Police archive to Vienna or to destroy it during the revolution of October 1918. By the end of 1918 the Committee for the Study of Police Archive was established by the Czechoslovak parliament with the task to study the preserved archive. It has interrogated both above-mentioned Chief Officers of Czech origin. In the end it was found that no really important Czech politician collaborated with State Police (with the exception of Karel Šviha, the informer of the successor to the throne, Ferdinand d'Este - his case became known even before the war). The list of informers produced by the Committee contained only the politically unimportant persons. Both Chief Officers (Klíma and Slavíček) were rehabilitated and recruited to serve in Czechoslovak police.
Keywords: State police, informers, rehabilitation
Pages: 247-256
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=199.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/199
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:199:p:247-256

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Martin Kovář
Author-Name: Jaromír Soukup
Title: The Origin and Nature of the British Welfare State in 1939-1951
Abstract: The British post-war Welfare State originated from so called Beveridge Report (1942). The Labour government was successful in its effort to transform the war economy to peace conditions; the realization of its reform programme from spring 1945, mainly forming the Welfare State, i.e. the nationalization of key industries, creating of national system of insurance and system of social security benefits, forming the National Health System and the attempt to start new housing and education policy, was much more complicated. The cabinet wanted to avoid the fundamental conflict with its electorate and with general public at all and that was the main reason why its reforms were not as radical as the Labour Party announced before the election in July 1945.
Keywords: welfare state, Beveridge report, labour government, nationalization, national health service
Pages: 257-271
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=200.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/200
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:200:p:257-271

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Vlastislav Lacina
Title: The Economic Disintegration of Central Europe after the Great War and the Subsequent Efforts for Rapprochement in the years 1924 to 1930
Abstract: Since the 16th century Central Europe was dominated by the Habsburg Monarchy. The hegemony of two nations was opposed by the other ethnics living in monarchy who were fighting for national emancipation. Each conflict had different intensity and ended in different attitudes towards the monarchy. The Great War was a turning point in that historical development. The Czech political and economic elites departed from the Habsburg monarchy and adopted the idea of restoration of the independent state. Immediately after the foundation of independent Czechoslovakia on 28 October 1918, the problem concerning the forms of economic cooperation with the other succession states was not yet solved. A group around Rudolf Hotowetz, the Secretary of the Chamber of Trade and Commerce, favoured the customs union of succession states. However, the majority of representatives from the Czech economic circles led by Alois Rašín, the first Minister of Finance, and Jaroslav Preiss, the director of Trade Bank (Živnostenská banka), fearing the loss of recently acquired independence, enforced the establishment of independent economy. Same events happened in Yugoslavia and Poland. The main tools that were employed were monetary and customs separation, domestications of companies and banks, repatriation of the capital and agrarian reform. During the first half of 1919, the originally unified customs area of monarchy fell apart and the succession states were more occupied by building their "national" economy in first five years following the end of war. Nevertheless, in the middle of 1920s, the efforts to restore economic cooperation in Central Europe came to the fore. The Czech representatives, emphasized that it was completely new integration built on democratic principles. The proposals for establishment of customs union or Danubian federation were refused as "inconsistent with the current situation". As the first steps consistent with the current situation, the Czechs promoted preferential tariffs, industrial, commercial and financial agreements of Central European states. The Central European integration process was to include Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania and in future also Poland and Bulgaria. The superpowers were no to be directly involved in the process. This was opposed strongly by Italy and Germany, which wanted to have a dominant position in Central Europe. Since 1929, Bernard von Bülow, the Secretary of the German Minister of Foreign Affairs, promoted the restored conception of Mitteleuropa under the leadership of Germany against efforts for the Central European economic rapprochement.
Keywords: Central Europe, economy, disintegration, repeated rapprochement
Pages: 272-281
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=201.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/201
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:201:p:272-281

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Zbigniew Landau
Title: Are the Experiences of the Interwar Polish Banking Useful for Contemporary Banking in Poland?
Abstract: In author opinion, experience of Poland banking in the interwar period can be useful in solving certain problems of contemporary banking in Poland. It concerns the problems of share of the state in the credit system, as well as its attitude towards foreign capital in banking trade. The author opinion is that in countries when the private capital is scarce, the state ought to remain in possession of state banks to resist the takeover of the whole of the credit institutions by foreign countries.
Keywords: state banks, foreign capitals, Poland ? banking system
Pages: 282-287
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=206.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/206
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:206:p:282-287

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Wojciech Morawski
Title: Dilemmas of Conservative Modernization Economic Policy in Interwar Poland
Abstract: Irrespective of the changing economic climate, Polish economic policy in the interwar period had certain permanent features. Despite some real attempts to modernize it was in social sense conservative, the main aim being the ossification of status quo rather than stimulation. Deflation, apart from slowing down the dynamics of agricultural reforms, was the main instrument of that policy. Data in Table 1 reveals the clearly deflationary nature of Polish economy. Money supply in Poland was relatively limited, compared not only to richer countries, such as Czechoslovakia and Hungary, but also to poorer ones, such as Romania and Bulgaria. In 1924 minister Grabski’s decision to set the mark to zloty exchange rate at 1.8mln:1 made deflation unavoidable. If the rate had been set at a slightly lower level, it would have been socially more favourable and would have alleviated the difficulties of the post-inflation crisis. However, the decision had to be taken “on the spot”, and it was also determined by the fear of a new wave of inflation. The authors of the second stabilization in 1927 could choose between two ways: to enlarge the money supply considerably without changing its standard, or to strengthen the zloty without changing the supply. They chose the latter. The next time when Poland followed the way of deflation was during the Great Crisis when it joined the Gold Block. The last time deflation was taken up in 1936 during the Kwiatkowski vs. Koc conflict. It was not accidental that deflationary policy was so consistently carried out. The weak currency, despite all its disadvantages, increases social mobility and enables the process of emancipation of the plebeian classes. Strong currency makes social relationships ossified and maintains the supremacy of the already existing elites. The main reason for the conservative policy of Polish government the social and national relationships in Eastern Borderlands. In order to maintain the Polish character of the region status quo needed to be kept up. Rapid changes would have spurred the process of emancipation of Ukrainians and Belarussians, which, in turn, would have been conducive to political destabilization. Because of that it was decided that the process of modernization should not be faster than that of assimilation. Another feature of Polish economic policy was promoting the prestigious enterprises which would create the image of Poland as a vigorously developing country. Such motivation should not be totally discredited. The reconstruction of national dignity after time of defeat is an important task. In 1960s the France of de Gaulle was following a similar path. Therefore, the Second Republic created two seemingly contradictive stereotypes in social awareness of Polish people. On the one hand real severe poverty, on the other hand, also real symbols of economic success: a modern bomber “£oœ”, a fast train called “Luxtorpeda”, a fleet of transatlantic ships, or the strong zloty, remembered so nostalgically in times of Polish People’s Republic (under the Communist rule).
Keywords: modernization, conservatism, deflation, Poland in 1918?1939
Pages: 288-303
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=207.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/207
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:207:p:288-303

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Lidmila Němcová
Title: The role of Trustfulness for the Success in Finances (Case Studies of Czech Credit Cooperatives)
Abstract: In the history of the co-operative movement the credit co-operatives in Central Europe were among the most successful and highly respected institutions offering financial services in the most remote localities with a perfect know how of local conditions and also with a considerable social impact and moral influence. Their role was not only economic but also social and cultural one. Their network was in early 1950´ replaced by State saving banks as part of the centrally planned economy system. After 1989 the renaissance of their network besides the existing banking institutions has been made possible by a new law. Unfortunately in the course of this renaissance new serious deformations occurred and co-operative ideas were misused for egoistic personal purposes. Extremely negative experiences with some credit co-operatives evoke suspicions and distrust of the population. An almost complete collapse of the system occurring since about 1999 had many reasons. Radical consequences for the existence of this sector are expected with the EU legislation process.
Keywords: Czech credit co-operatives history, renaissance of Czech credit co-operatives after 1989, collapsing reasons, Czech credit co-operatives expectations in the EU
Pages: 304-311
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=209.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/209
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:209:p:304-311

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Jörg Roesler
Title: The Adaptation of the Industrialization Level of the Northern Regions of GDR/East Germany to that of the Southern Regions under the Conditions of the Division and the Reunification of Germany (1952-1997)
Abstract: The territory which had been the German Democratic Republic between 1949 and 1989 since the industrial revolution in the 19th century was characterized by an industrialized high developed South (Saxony and Thuringia), a rural North (Mecklenburg) and a mixed developed region in between. The GDR governments proclaimed the industrialization of the North to level out the economic and social differences inside East Germany, seen as "capitalist heritage" which should be overcome. The article analyzes how the spatial tasks were integrated into the dominant branch orientated perspective plans which were aimed at creating a national GDR economy after the division of Germany. It also refers to the institutions which were developed for spatial planning since the end of the 1950s. Beginning with the 1970s the goal of industrializing the North became secondary compared with rationalisation investments in traditionally industrialized regions of the South. Nevertheless there had been reached a relative success in the adaptation of the North to the industrial level of the South during the 40 years of separate development of East Germany. But this development remained significantly behind the results of the comparable process between the Czech and Slovak provinces. After the reunification of Germany there existed neither an industrial policy nor effective instruments to influence the East Germany economy spatially. When the North did not fall much behind the South during the 1990s - as originally expected - this was due to unintended consequences of isolated political decisions during the privatisation process undertaken as an answer to local resistance against dismissals and threatening factory closures.
Keywords: industrialization, arms industry, factory closures, reunification of Germany, spatial development
Pages: 312-330
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=213.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/213
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:213:p:312-330

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Milan Sekanina
Title: UNFINISHED: Czechoslovak Economy in the Second Half of the Eighties in the Last Century
Abstract: Over the period of the second half of the eightieth in the last century, a considerable slowing down in the dynamics of the Czechoslovak economic development occurred. It was mainly caused by a complicated international situation, aggravated external economic conditions as well as by a slow adaptation of the Czechoslovak economy to the changes taking place in the world economy. Moreover, there were a number of unsolved problems from the past associated with the impact of economic development extensive factors. Reconstruction of the economic mechanism and of the whole society along with the intensification and effectiveness of production was to bring a turn for the better. The reconstruction, however, appeared to be a too big bite for the then party and state leadership. Paradoxically, they themselves contributed to the fall of the regime and the transformation of the Czechoslovak economy.
Keywords: foreign trade, reconstructions, economic mechanism, industrial production, effectiveness, agriculture, investing activities
Pages: 331-351
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=217.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/217
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:217:p:331-351

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Janusz Skodlarski
Title: Polish-Czechoslovakian Economic Negotiations in 1947
Abstract: The leaders of Poland and Czechoslovakia made the decision about close economic cooperation after they had regulated political relations (treaty of March 13th 1947). The economies of both states were complementary. During the negotiations (from April to July 1947) two sides prepared 14 agreements and they implemented Polish-Czechoslovakian Council of Economic Cooperation. The economic relations assumed the integration forms.
Keywords: integration, Polish-Czechoslovakian negotiations, complementarity
Pages: 352-366
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=218.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/218
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:218:p:352-366

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Aleš Skřivan
Title: Main Features, Volume and Territorial Structure of Czechoslovak Export during the Interwar Period
Abstract: Right after the establishment of Czechoslovakia, it was evident that foreign trade would play an important role in the economy of the new state. The narrow domestic market forced Czechoslovak producers to look for new foreign sales opportunities. With respect to historical ties, they were mainly interested in exports to succession states and Germany. However, the post-war conditions did not favour a considerable export expansion hampered by high tariff barriers restricting access to the markets of succession states. The second half of the 1920s became the most successful phase in the development of interwar export. To a large extent, Czechoslovak enterprises showed good adaptability to changes in foreign demand and took advantage of the contemporaneous boom in world trade. By contrast, the Great Depression disclosed the unfavourable consequences of Czechoslovakia's dependency on export results. Unfortunately, a slow reaction of both the Czechoslovak government and industry to the new situation, together with other problems, led to decreasing Czechoslovakia's share in total European exports.
Keywords: Czechoslovakia, economic history, foreign trade
Classification-JEL: N00, N15, N44
Pages: 367-382
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=219.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/219
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:219:p:367-382

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Lubomír Slezák
Title: Czech Borderland Series (Re-colonization in the 1950s)
Abstract: In 1945-1949, the Czech borderland witnessed the migration of approximately 5 million people - the German minority was displaced outside Czechoslovakia and the borderland was subsequently colonized by Czechs and Slovaks. The result was a completely new national, economic, political and cultural structure of the borderland, marking the end of the first stage of the post-war development of the territory. The submitted work analyses the development of the borderland in the subsequent, second stage in the 1950s. The aim was to "complete" certain measures taken in the previous period, especially to implement the "re-colonization" scheme (i.e. to attract new inhabitants to the borderland through organized recruitment and keep them in the districts and regions that needed them most). The re-colonization scheme responded to the alarming situation when the majority of settlers who had come to the borderland in the first three post-war years returned inland. Although the state allocated substantial financial resources for re-colonization, the original plans have never been fully achieved. Many of the newly arrived settlers left after a short time. The reasons for this fluctuation with negative figures for the borderland were, among other things, the socialization of the society and the resulting elimination of private property rights to the property acquired in the borderland and the settlers' fear of a new war and the return of the Germans displaced from Czechoslovakia. It took many years before the borderland became a more or less equal part of other regions in the Czech lands.
Keywords: Czech borderland, displacement of Germans, re-colonization, migration of population
Pages: 383-394
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=222.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/222
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:222:p:383-394

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Radek Soběhart
Author-Name: František Stellner
Title: To the Economic Development of the Weimar Republic during the Brüning Era
Abstract: Immediately after its succession in 1930 the administration of Heinrich Brüning had to deal with many serious problems. In the economic sphere it had to cope with the Great Depression. Politically, Brüning's government was without the support of parliament, it could, however, rely on goodwill and powers of President Hindenburg. Moreover, it was the era of the greater impact of extremist political parties - Communists and NSDAP. Brüning supported deflationary policy that deepened an impact of the Great Depression in Germany. It led to mass unemployment and growth of votes for Nazi Party. The Cabinet intended to make the best of an unpleasant economic situation to force the Western powers to annul reparations. This attempt was successful but it led to social instability, long-term mass unemployment and deflection from democratic and parliamentary principles.
Keywords: Germany, Reparations, Great Depression, deflationary policy, banking crisis, crisis of democracy
Pages: 395-404
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=225.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/225
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:225:p:395-404

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Jan Štemberk
Title: Central Association of Transport 1940-1948
Abstract: Central Association of Transport (Ústřední svaz dopravy) was the first uniform organization, which should conjugate and represent the interests of transport as a whole. Development of the Association was connected with a new organization of economy in the beginning of the protectorate. The idea of uniform organization was good and perspective. This fact made also provision for the Association existence after the liberation. The Central Association tried to promote private transport; therefore it had support from members, but in the late period it bore conflicts with governing bodies. Long discussion about reform of economic local government began after the liberation brought threat to the Association existence. Different estimations of reform extent of political parties prolonged its acceptance. Rapid decision came as long as February 1948, when the Association was integrated with the Central Association of Commerce (Ústřední svaz obchodu) and expired legally.
Keywords: transport, economic local government, central associations, Czech lands
Pages: 405-416
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=226.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/226
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:226:p:405-416

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Zdislav Šulc
Title: How Have Come into Existence, What Direction Have Taken and Why Has Been Suppressed the So Called Šik's Reform (Memoirs of Journalist and Economist)
Abstract: The article deals with second attempt at reform of the Soviet model mechanism and function of nationalized central planned economy. This system has been introduced in Czechoslovakia since 1953. In contrary to the failure at the end of the 1950s, linking generally to  K. Rozsypal, first deputy of the State planning committee, this reform is connected to O. Šik, director of the Economic department of ČSAV. This study analyses particularly power-political and gnoseological limits at the beginning of the reform and the development of Šik's suggestions during the period of the so called Prague spring in 1968. This essay introduces the projects of the subsequent supposed action from central planned to the financial-market economy. The invasion of Warsaw pact armies has ended implementation of these plans. Although gnoseological consequences has created as early as in this period creditable assumptions for functioning of both the economy without intervention of the state and on the basis of financial-market mechanism, the turning point in power-political relations has prevented the continuation of the economic reform.
Keywords: central planning, planning indexes, market and its parametric background, price system, transition from planed prices to the prices of the effective demands and supplies, employees? councils as the ways of the transformation of property ownership (disestablishment), Šik?s reform
Pages: 417-431
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=227.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/227
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:227:p:417-431

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Ladislav Tajovský
Author-Name: Tereza Košťáková
Title: The American Economy at the Threshold of the Great Depression; The 1920s Economic Policy
Abstract: For a long time during the twentieth century the mainstream economists and economic historians dealt with prevailing theory of basic difference between Herbert Hoover and Franklin Delano Roosevelt policies concerning to the Great depression. Nowadays, this contrast does not seem to be so evident. This paper is concerned with some important points of concurrence of these two economic and political systems. The focal point in the analysis of the 1920´s American economic policy is the international situation and its substantial change after the World War I. The governments' inability or reluctancy to reflect these changes led to a number of incomprehensible government measures in the face of that great crisis. Another focal point is the apprehension of pre-crisis intellectual and ideal background, which obviously shows the continuancy the pre- and post-crisi politics.
Keywords: economic policy, cooperative individualism, Great Depression, American economy, USA, Interwar period, New Era, Herbert Hoover
Classification-JEL: N42
Pages: 432-447
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=230.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/230
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:230:p:432-447

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Jerzy Tomaszewski
Title: Boycott of German Goods in Poland, 1933-1935
Abstract: Anti-Jewish riots in Germany were the reason for a proposal of economic boycott presented by delegates from Poland at the Jewish Congress in Geneva in August 1932. A similar proposal was presented at the session of the Executive Committee of the American Jewish Congress in March 1933. The AJC proclaimed the boycott only in August of that year. The Jewish members of the Parliament in Poland proclaimed boycott as early as March 15, 1933. This was the beginning of the boycott campaign which was directed in Poland by the United Jewish Committee for Countervailing Persecution of Jews in Germany (Zjednoczony Komitet Żydowski do walki z przeoeladowaniem Żydów w Niemczech). Local committees were created and the boycott was supported by the trade unions. The persecution of Jews in Germany affected Polish citizens and also influenced Polish-German relations. Polish official representatives in Germany engaged themselves in their defense; the boycott supported Polish diplomacy. From the end of May 1933, Polish-German relations were slowly changing for the better. The boycott became embarrassing for Poland after signing the German-Polish declaration on the nonuse of force. The Central Committee of the boycott had to cease its activities in June 1935. This was not the end of the boycott however it could no longer be promoted openly. It would be impossible to estimate the boycott's impact on the German economy. Fragmentary information indicates that certain branches suffered. The economic as well as moral significance of the boycott was however diminished because of the agreement between the Jewish Agency and the Third Reich (Ha-avara Agreement). Germany agreed to allow Jews to emigrate with a part of their capital, however on  a condition that this could only be done in the form of export of German industrial goods. The agreement was the subject of violent arguments at the Zionist Congresses.
Keywords: boycott, Germany 1933?1935, persecution of Jews 1932?1935, Poland 1933?1935
Pages: 448-459
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=232.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/232
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:232:p:448-459

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Stanislav Tumis
Title: The British Welfare State in Times of Conservative Governments in 1951-1964
Abstract: The study entitled "The British Welfare State in Times of Conservative Governments in 1951-1964" deals with special features of policy of so called welfare state in times of thirteen-year rule of Conservative party. Conservative governments have continued in Labour welfare program pursuing after the end of WWII. Their attention has concentrated on five main sectors: support of full employment, housing, education, health care and social security. The enhanced role of the state in welfare has had both positive results, i.e. all British people have been fully secured first in history of Great Britain, and negative results proving in high spending that burdened unbearably state budget and in non-efficiency of implemented programmes.
Keywords: welfare state, conservatives, full employment, housing, education, health care, social security
Pages: 460-471
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=235.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/235
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:235:p:460-471

Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Janusz Żarnowski
Title: The Polish Intelligentsia since 1944. Social Structure and Social Roles
Abstract: The author seeks to answer some important questions of Polish social history: the course and results of evolution of the Polish intelligentsia since 1944, modifications of the social roles of intelligentsia in Polish society, the problem of middle class in Poland and intelligentsia under Communist rule and in the contemporary Polish society since 1989. The Polish intelligentsia preserved its social and national identity in spite of deep transformation of its social basis and professional structure under Communism. In the Communist party-state intelligentsia was debarred from power, its social role consisted in distributing elements of modernisation and influence of Western civilisation. The Polish society in the 19th century did not generate a middle class after the Western pattern. Intelligentsia fulfilled in Poland some functions of the middle class and probably continued doing it after the World War II as the new media spread popular culture consisting mainly of elements created in the milieu of intelligentsia. After the turning point of 1989 some groups of intelligentsia are progressively forming the new Polish middle class as other groups, especially in public sector and non-economic branches, keep away.
Keywords: intelligentsia, middle class, Poland 1944?1989
Pages: 472-480
Volume: 2007
Issue: 7
Year: 2007
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/download.php?jnl=aop&pdf=236.pdf
File-URL: http://www.vse.cz/aop/236
File-Format: text/html
Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlaop:v:2007:y:2007:i:7:id:236:p:472-480